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Forget Router Configs and VPNs: How to Show a Local Site to a Client in 5 Minutes

Forget Router Configs and VPNs: How to Show a Local Site to a Client in 5 Minutes

Familiar situation?
You've been developing a web application for a long time, demo time comes, and you hit a technical wall: how do you quickly and safely show work on localhost to someone in a different network?

The options that first come to mind are usually either complicated, expensive, or risky:

  • "Here, connect to my VPN" - sounds like an invitation for a hacker to your personal computer.
  • "Let me just forward a port on my router" - and you lose 40 minutes fighting with network equipment and firewall settings.
  • "I'll rent a VPS for an hour" - that's extra cost, time spent on deployment, and stress over configs (since everything is already set up and working locally).

And if your ISP, like mine, doesn't provide a static IP address, the task seems downright unsolvable without some serious effort.

I used to use services like ngrok or localtunnel.
They were lifesavers, but their speed and availability left much to be desired.
In this article, I want to talk about the Pnode service, which creates a secure public URL and redirects all requests directly to your local server.
No network configuration, no server rentals, and no fuss with certificates.

Let's use a real-world example to see how it works.
Imagine you're a freelancer and you need to urgently show a prototype to a client.

Step 1: Registration — A Two-Minute Affair

First, go to the website pnode.site and create an account.
The process is standard: email, password, confirmation via the link in the email.

After logging in, create your first "site."
Essentially, you're just reserving a unique subdomain for yourself.
I, for example, named my project pahatrop, and my unique demo URL became pahatrop.pnode.site.

Important! After creating the site, the system will immediately provide you with three crucial values: PROJECT ID, AGENT ID, and AGENT TOKEN.
Be sure to copy and save them as they will not be displayed again.

If you open your address in a browser now, you'll see an error. That's normal—we haven't connected our computer yet.

Step 2: Prepare the Local Application

I have a simple API server running on NestJS on my machine. You can create one with a couple of commands:

  npx nest new my-demo-server
  cd my-demo-server
  npm run start
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The server runs on http://localhost:3000 but remains inaccessible from the outside world.
Providing remote access to a client using traditional methods requires port forwarding, firewall configuration, or VPN setups, which consumes significant time and effort.
Pnode allows you to bypass these complexities by providing a ready-made solution for secure traffic tunneling.

Step 3: The Magic of a Single Command

You don't need to install anything (except for pre-installed Node.js).
Simply open a terminal and, using the saved keys, run the agent.

First, set the environment variables (on Windows, use set instead of export):

  export AGENT_ID=3a4a89c2-be3a-46ba-94af-xxxxxxxxxxxx
  export AGENT_TOKEN=yL5HUjyeBL4XiuakGmhMNlfvxxxxxxxxxxxx
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And then, with one command, "tunnel" the port:

  npx start-pnode --project 804441e8-bb10-4469-95ec-123456d83df6 --port 3000
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804441e8-bb10-4469-95ec-123456d83df6 - this is the ID of our site, which we got after its creation

Step 4: Done!

If everything was successful, you will see a connection message in the console.
That's it! Your local server is now accessible from anywhere in the world via your personal address.

You simply send the link pahatrop.pnode.site to the client in Telegram or Zoom.
They click on it and immediately see the application running on your machine.
You can make changes in real-time and show how everything works.

Pnode Advantages

  • Lightning-fast setup. From idea to a working public link in 5 minutes.
  • Security. No need to let anyone into your home network. The connection is encrypted.
  • Free. At the time of writing, the service is free, which is perfect for starting out and for one-off demos.
  • No static IP required. Solves the main pain point for home internet users.

Pnode is not just another technical tool. It's a solution to a specific business problem: quick and professional demo delivery without extra costs and complications.
It's perfect for freelancers, remote developers, and small teams that frequently work on prototypes.

What tools do you use for quick demos? Share your experience in the comments.

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