SSH tunnel browsing for mobile
HA Tunnel Plus is a free security and privacy application developed by Art Of Tunnel for mobile devices. It's a web browsing method the utilizes what's called SSH tunneling in order to route internet traffic and activity through a secure proxy server.
SSH clients like Bitvise SSH Client or OpenSSH are typically used to establish a secure connection between two points to exchange data. HA Tunnel Plus takes this concept one step further by using proxy servers to encrypt internet traffic instead, therefore ensuring better privacy and security of user activity.
How does it work exactly?
Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are the preferred choice nowadays for anyone looking to have a more secure and private online activity. Even before the surge of their popularity and mass adoption, though, SSH tunneling was already a common practice in some circles. It’s typically used to create a secure connection between two remote machines. However, it can be used for other purposes as is the case with HA Tunnel Plus.
SSH is often referred to as the "poor man's VPN," and it's not hard to understand why. Apart from being free, it offers similar features and functionalities, such as its own protocol called SSH 2.0. If you know your way around it, you pretty much have full control over how connections are established. You can even set a Server Name Indication (SNI) to host TLS Certificates from multiple sites.
You are given a randomized ID that you can use to connect to a server. Also, you can import or export your connection method settings for next time. There are times when it can be a bit hard to connect to servers. The same goes for the occasional app crashes. Also, if you're new to using SSH, you might encounter a slight learning curve at the beginning.
A decent alternative for basic needs
All in all, if your budget can't quite stretch to afford a VPN plan, but you still want a way to secure your web activity, give HA Tunnel Plus a try. It's a decent and free alternative that you can use for basic needs such as web browsing. It's relatively easy to use and you can have control over your connections once you get used to it.
