Remote Access

SSH Tunneling: Samba, SMTP or XWindows

Overview

At CSLab, SSH tunneling is used to enable network applications such as SMTP, Samba and XWindows that are blocked by the University and the departmental firewalls. And since SSH tunneling is really just a kind of proxy service, it makes remote connections appear as if they were initiated by a local machine on the CSLab network. This means that remote CSLab users can use SSH tunneling to access Samba and the CSLab mail server, services that are otherwise restricted.

Please note, however, that we recommend using the CSLab VPN instead of SSH-tunneling, when given the choice between SSH-tunneling and VPN connectivity. The VPN is far easier to use and less tricky to set up. It is also pretty much a one-stop solution for remote accessibility. Please use the following link for information on how to set up your computer to use the CSLab VPN:

CSLab VPN

If you find you cannot use the VPN but you still need to access Samba and use the CSLab mail server to send email, the next two sections will help you. There is also a third section on tunneling X.

Tunneling SMTP

In order to use the CSLab mail server from off-campus, please follow the instructions for your OS

  • Linux/Cygwin
  • Mac OS X
  • Windows

    Tunneling Samba

    In order to access Samba from off-campus, please follow the instructions for your OS

  • Linux/Cygwin
  • Mac OS X
  • Windows

    Tunneling XWindows

    How to tunnel your XWindows sessions over SSH

  • Tunneling XWindows on Linux
  • Tunneling XWindows on Mac OS X
  • Tunneling XWindows on Windows