How do I enable a Local Connection inside a strict network environment?

Enterprise Connection Manager is a utility to give network administrators maximum control over CrossBrowserTesting’s Local Connection Feature.

What does it do?

Normally enabling Local Connection establishes a websocket tunnel between CBT’s devices and the user’s computer. Some network environments don’t allow users to establish that kind of tunnel. And some network administrators need to be able to audit and control the tunnel traffic.

That’s where the Enterprise Connection Manager comes in. When ECM is enabled all Local Connection requests by all users will go through the ECM, instead of the users’ computers.

If run from a DMZ the network administrator can have complete control over what can be accessed over a Local Connection.

How do I use it?

First, make sure that your account is enabled to use the Enterprise Connection Manager. Contact [email protected] if you need help with this.

Install With NPM:

1. Install it with NPM: $ npm install -g cbt-enterprise-connection-manager

Install with Git:

1. Clone this repository: $ git clone https://github.com/crossbrowsertesting/connection-manager
2. Move to the new directory: $ cd connection-manager
3. Download the dependencies: $ npm install
4. Optional: create a link to a folder in your path: $ ln -s cbt-enterprise-connection-manager.js ~/bin/cbt-ecm

Install with pre-compiled binary:

Coming soon! If this is something you would like to see ASAP, let us know

Then run it!

• If you installed it with npm -g: $ cbt-enterprise-connection-manager --username <email address> --authkey <authkey>
• If you didn’t: $ ./cbt-enterprise-connection-manager --username <email address> --authkey <authkey>

You may want to use PM2, Monit, or a related process management utility to ensure that ECM is always running.

How does it work?

ECM establishes a long-running secure websocket connection to crossbrowsertesting.com. When a user requests a Local Connection, a message will be sent over the websocket to the ECM asking it to start a Local Connection tunnel for the user. As far as the user is concerned, our service will operate the same as it always has but the tunnel will start from the ECM, not their machine.

Be aware that users will not be able to enable Local Connection if the ECM is not running.