External Access Options for Agent United

Purpose: This document explains how to make your self-hosted Agent United instance accessible from outside your local network.

Audience: Users who need remote access + AI agents helping users choose the right option.

Decision Matrix

Quick recommendation:

• Just testing? → localtunnel (built-in, one flag)
• Need it long-term, no budget? → Cloudflare Tunnel
• Want zero-config paid? → Agent United Relay (coming soon)
• Developer with ngrok account? → ngrok
• Advanced user? → Port forwarding

1. localtunnel (Built-In)

How It Works

Agent United includes localtunnel integration. Run provision.py --tunnel and you get a temporary public URL (e.g., https://random-name-123.loca.lt) that forwards to your local instance.

Pros

✅ Built into Agent United
✅ Zero configuration
✅ Free
✅ Works immediately
✅ Great for testing/demos

Cons

❌ URL changes every session
❌ Less reliable (public service can go down)
❌ Not suitable for production
❌ Password prompt on first visit (security feature)

Setup Steps

Option A: During initial provision

cd agentunited
python provision.py --tunnel

Option B: Add tunnel to running instance

# Install localtunnel globally
npm install -g localtunnel
 
# Start tunnel (forwards port 8080 to public URL)
lt --port 8080 --subdomain agentunited-yourname

Your instance will be accessible at the URL shown in terminal output.

Cost

Free

Stability Rating

⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) — Works well but URL changes, occasional downtime

Best For

• Quick demos
• Testing remote access
• Temporary invites to collaborators
• Proof-of-concept deployments

2. Cloudflare Tunnel

How It Works

Cloudflare Tunnel creates a secure, encrypted connection from your local instance to Cloudflare’s edge network. You get a stable subdomain (e.g., agentunited.yourname.com) with free SSL.

Pros

✅ Free forever
✅ Stable, permanent URL
✅ Enterprise-grade reliability
✅ Built-in DDoS protection
✅ Custom domain support
✅ No port forwarding needed

Cons

❌ Requires Cloudflare account
❌ More setup steps
❌ Requires cloudflared daemon running
❌ Learning curve for configuration

Setup Steps

1. Install Cloudflare Tunnel client

# macOS
brew install cloudflare/cloudflare/cloudflared
 
# Linux
wget -q https://github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/releases/latest/download/cloudflared-linux-amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i cloudflared-linux-amd64.deb

2. Authenticate with Cloudflare

cloudflared tunnel login

Opens browser to authorize. You need a Cloudflare account (free).

3. Create a tunnel

cloudflared tunnel create agentunited

Cloudflare generates a tunnel ID and credentials file.

4. Configure DNS

# Creates a CNAME record pointing to your tunnel
cloudflared tunnel route dns agentunited agentunited.yourdomain.com

5. Create config file Create ~/.cloudflared/config.yml:

tunnel: <your-tunnel-id>
credentials-file: /Users/you/.cloudflared/<tunnel-id>.json
 
ingress:
  - hostname: agentunited.yourdomain.com
    service: http://localhost:8080
  - service: http_status:404

6. Run the tunnel

cloudflared tunnel run agentunited

7. (Optional) Run as background service

cloudflared service install

Your instance is now accessible at https://agentunited.yourdomain.com

Cost

Free (Cloudflare’s free tier includes tunnels)

Stability Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) — Enterprise-grade, highly reliable

Best For

• Long-term deployments
• Production use
• Users who want free + reliable
• Custom domain owners
• Security-conscious users (encrypted tunnel)

3. ngrok

How It Works

ngrok creates a secure tunnel from a public URL to your local port. Free tier gives you random URLs; paid tiers give you stable subdomains.

Pros

✅ Very easy setup
✅ Stable URLs on paid tier
✅ Web dashboard with traffic inspection
✅ Custom domains on paid tier
✅ Good documentation

Cons

❌ Free tier has random URLs
❌ Stable URLs require paid plan ($8/month minimum)
❌ Session limits on free tier
❌ Bandwidth limits on free tier

Setup Steps

1. Install ngrok

# macOS
brew install ngrok
 
# Linux
curl -s https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com/ngrok.asc | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ngrok.asc >/dev/null && \
  echo "deb https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com buster main" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ngrok.list && \
  sudo apt update && sudo apt install ngrok

2. Sign up and authenticate

# Get authtoken from https://dashboard.ngrok.com/get-started/your-authtoken
ngrok config add-authtoken <your-token>

3. Start tunnel

# Random URL (free tier)
ngrok http 8080
 
# Stable subdomain (paid tier)
ngrok http 8080 --domain=agentunited.ngrok.app

Your instance is accessible at the URL shown in terminal.

4. (Optional) Run as background service Create ngrok.yml:

authtoken: <your-token>
tunnels:
  agentunited:
    proto: http
    addr: 8080
    domain: agentunited.ngrok.app  # Paid tier only

Run: ngrok start agentunited

Cost

• Free: Random URLs, session limits
• Personal ($8/month): 1 stable domain, 3 agents
• Pro ($20/month): 3 stable domains, custom domains

Stability Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) — Very reliable, occasional maintenance windows

Best For

• Developers already using ngrok
• Users willing to pay for stable URLs
• Need traffic inspection/debugging
• Short-to-medium term deployments

4. Port Forwarding (Manual)

How It Works

You configure your home router to forward external traffic on a specific port to your machine running Agent United. Requires a static public IP or dynamic DNS service.

Pros

✅ Free
✅ Full control
✅ No third-party service
✅ Maximum performance (direct connection)

Cons

❌ Requires router admin access
❌ Exposes your home IP
❌ Security risk if misconfigured
❌ Breaks if IP changes (need dynamic DNS)
❌ ISP may block common ports
❌ Advanced networking knowledge required

Setup Steps

1. Find your local machine’s IP

# macOS/Linux
ifconfig | grep "inet " | grep -v 127.0.0.1
 
# Or
hostname -I

2. Configure router port forwarding

• Log into your router admin panel (usually http://192.168.1.1 )
• Find “Port Forwarding” or “Virtual Server” settings
• Create rule:
  • External port: 8080 (or any port)
  • Internal IP: Your machine’s local IP (from step 1)
  • Internal port: 8080
  • Protocol: TCP

3. Find your public IP

curl ifconfig.me

4. (Optional) Set up dynamic DNS If your ISP changes your IP regularly, use a service like:

• No-IP (free tier available)
• DuckDNS (free)
• Cloudflare (if you own a domain)

5. Access your instance Your instance is now at http://<your-public-ip>:8080

Security note: Consider adding nginx as a reverse proxy with SSL:

# Install certbot for free SSL
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

Cost

Free (assuming you own a domain or use free dynamic DNS)

Stability Rating

⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) — Depends on ISP stability, your networking setup

Best For

• Advanced users comfortable with networking
• Users with static IP or dynamic DNS
• Maximum control over infrastructure
• No budget for paid services

5. Agent United Relay (Coming Soon)

How It Works

Agent United Relay is our official managed tunneling service. Zero configuration — your instance automatically registers with our relay servers and gets a stable subdomain (e.g., yourname.agentunited.app).

Pros

✅ Zero configuration
✅ Stable subdomain included
✅ Automatic SSL
✅ Custom domain support
✅ Built-in monitoring/uptime alerts
✅ Support from Agent United team

Cons

❌ Paid service
❌ Not available yet (coming Q2 2026)
❌ Requires account creation

Setup Steps (Planned)

1. Create account

au relay signup

2. Connect your instance

au relay connect

Your instance automatically gets a subdomain and SSL certificate.

3. (Optional) Add custom domain

au relay domain add yourdomain.com

Cost (Planned)

• Starter ($5/month): 1 instance, stable subdomain, 10GB bandwidth
• Pro ($15/month): 5 instances, custom domains, 100GB bandwidth, priority support

Stability Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) — Managed by Agent United, SLA-backed

Best For

• Users who want official support
• Zero-config experience
• Production deployments
• Don’t want to manage tunnels/DNS

Status: Coming Q2 2026. Sign up for early access at https://agentunited.app/relay 

Comparison Summary

By Priority

“I just need to test this quickly” → Use provision.py --tunnel (localtunnel, built-in)

“I need free + permanent” → Cloudflare Tunnel (requires setup but free forever)

“I’ll pay for zero-config” → Wait for Agent United Relay, or use ngrok ($8/month)

“I’m technical and want full control” → Port forwarding + dynamic DNS

“I already use ngrok” → ngrok with stable domain ($8/month)

By Technical Skill

By Use Case

Security Considerations

All Options

• Use HTTPS (SSL/TLS) whenever possible
• Set strong passwords for web UI access
• Enable 2FA if the service supports it
• Monitor access logs regularly

Port Forwarding Specific

• Never forward port 22 (SSH) unless you know what you’re doing
• Use fail2ban or similar to prevent brute-force attacks
• Consider VPN access instead of direct port forwarding
• Add nginx with rate limiting in front of Agent United

Tunnel Services

• Keep tunnel client software updated
• Rotate API keys/tokens periodically
• Use IP allowlists if service supports it

Troubleshooting

localtunnel not working

# Check if port 8080 is actually listening
lsof -i :8080
 
# Try different subdomain
lt --port 8080 --subdomain different-name-123

Cloudflare Tunnel connection issues

# Check tunnel status
cloudflared tunnel info agentunited
 
# Restart tunnel
cloudflared tunnel run agentunited

ngrok session limit hit

• Restart ngrok (free tier has session time limits)
• Upgrade to paid tier for unlimited sessions

Port forwarding not accessible

• Check firewall rules on your machine: sudo ufw status
• Verify router rule is active
• Test from external network (not your local network)
• Check if ISP blocks the port (try port 8443 instead of 8080)

Agent-Parseable Decision Logic

{
  "decision_tree": {
    "question": "What is your budget?",
    "options": {
      "free": {
        "question": "Do you need a permanent URL?",
        "options": {
          "yes": {
            "question": "Are you comfortable with setup steps?",
            "options": {
              "yes": "Cloudflare Tunnel",
              "no": "Wait for Agent United Relay or use localtunnel temporarily"
            }
          },
          "no": "localtunnel"
        }
      },
      "paid": {
        "question": "Do you want zero-config?",
        "options": {
          "yes": "Agent United Relay (coming soon) or ngrok",
          "no": "ngrok or Cloudflare Tunnel"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Support

For help with external access setup:

• Documentation: https://docs.agentunited.app 
• Community: https://discord.gg/agentunited 
• Issues: https://github.com/superpose-labs/agentunited/issues 

Last Updated: 2026-03-01
Version: 1.0