The latest articles on DEV Community by ProfiDE (@profide). https://dev.to/profide https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3984477%2F1ea855ec-a26e-4bea-b729-5b60c73458e0.jpg https://dev.to/profide en ProfiDE Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:07:04 +0000 https://dev.to/profide/turn-any-php-host-into-a-gateway-to-your-local-network-with-host2gateway-7b0 https://dev.to/profide/turn-any-php-host-into-a-gateway-to-your-local-network-with-host2gateway-7b0 <p>Ever wanted to turn a simple PHP host into a gateway for your local network?</p> <p>I built <strong>host2gateway</strong> to do exactly that.</p> <div class="ltag-github-readme-tag"> <div class="readme-overview"> <h2> <img src="https://assets.dev.to/assets/github-logo-5a155e1f9a670af7944dd5e12375bc76ed542ea80224905ecaf878b9157cdefc.svg" alt="GitHub logo"> <a href="https://github.com/ProfiDE" rel="noopener noreferrer"> ProfiDE </a> / <a href="https://github.com/ProfiDE/host2gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer"> host2gateway </a> </h2> <h3> Uses a PHP host or web server to create a gateway that securely allows access to clients through it. </h3> </div> <div class="ltag-github-body"> <div id="readme" class="md"><div class="markdown-heading"> <h1 class="heading-element">host2gateway</h1> </div> <p><strong>host2gateway</strong> is a tool designed to provide access from a web server (Gateway) to a client <strong>without requiring static IP addresses, port forwarding, changing firewall rules, or other complex configurations</strong>. It is written in PHP and can be deployed on most hosting provider environments.</p> <div class="markdown-heading"> <h2 class="heading-element">Features</h2> </div> <ul> <li> <strong>No need for static IP or port forwarding:</strong> There is no requirement to modify your firewall or router settings.</li> <li> <strong>Platform-independent:</strong> Works anywhere PHP 8.2 or higher is supported, making it suitable for most shared hosting services.</li> <li> <strong>Lightweight and simple:</strong> Minimal dependencies and easy deployment.</li> <li> <strong>Strong encryption built-in:</strong> Uses a powerful encryption mechanism that secures all communication, even if SSL/TLS is not available on the hosting provider. Your data is protected at all times, regardless of your environment.</li> </ul> <div class="markdown-heading"> <h2 class="heading-element">How It Works</h2> </div> <p>The client establishes an outbound connection to a Gateway server that is accessible from the internet (a PHP-enabled web host). Both sides communicate…</p></div> </div> <div class="gh-btn-container"><a class="gh-btn" href="https://github.com/ProfiDE/host2gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer">View on GitHub</a></div> </div> <h2> 🔥 What is host2gateway? </h2> <p>It's a lightweight tool that transforms any server running PHP into a gateway that can route traffic, manage requests, and act as a bridge between your local network and external services.</p> <p>No heavy dependencies. No complex configs. Just PHP, Cron and a network interface.</p> <h2> 🧠 Why I built this </h2> <p>Most gateway solutions are bulky, written in Go or Rust, and require root access and system-level changes. But what if you only have:</p> <ul> <li>A shared hosting account</li> <li>A basic VPS with PHP enabled</li> <li>A Raspberry Pi running a PHP server</li> </ul> <p>host2gateway fills that gap. It gives you gateway-like capabilities using the tools you already have.</p> <h2> 🛡️ Use cases </h2> <div class="table-wrapper-paragraph"><table> <thead> <tr> <th>Use Case</th> <th>Description</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Local network bridge</strong></td> <td>Connect isolated parts of your network</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Traffic inspection</strong></td> <td>Log and monitor requests passing through</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Development tunneling</strong></td> <td>Expose local services through a PHP host</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Learning networking</strong></td> <td>Understand how gateways work with readable PHP code</td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div> <h2> 🔗 What you need to know </h2> <ul> <li>Written in <strong>pure PHP</strong> </li> <li>Works with <strong>PHP 7.4+</strong> </li> <li>No database required</li> <li>Compatible with <strong>Linux</strong> and any system that runs PHP-CLI</li> </ul> <h2> 🚀 Ready to try it? </h2> <p>I won't bore you with setup steps here — everything is documented in the repository.</p> <p>👉 <strong>GitHub:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/ProfiDE/host2gateway" rel="noopener noreferrer">github.com/ProfiDE/host2gateway</a></p> <p>Inside you'll find:</p> <ul> <li>Installation instructions</li> <li>Configuration guide</li> <li>How to contribute (good first issues available!)</li> </ul> <h2> 🤝 Open Source Needs You </h2> <p>host2gateway is still young. If you're into:</p> <ul> <li>PHP</li> <li>Networking</li> <li>Cybersecurity</li> <li>Or just love tinkering</li> </ul> <p>...come take a look. Open an issue. Submit a PR. Or just star the repo ⭐</p> <p>Every contribution helps. </p> php showdev opensource networking