FAQ

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

Coming soon! If this is something you would like to see ASAP, contact Support.

The CrossBrowserTesting Chrome extension is the most straightforward implementation of our Local Connection tunnel. Once installed and enabled according to the instructions provided, begin a Live Test on a site such as https://whatismyip.com. If you see your location/IP address through our app, then the Local Connection is functioning properly and no networking troubleshooting is required.

The Chrome Extension and Node.JS/Binary tunnel use the same manner of connection, so if the Chrome Extension works, so should the Node tool.

If your Local Connection does not function in a Live Test, properly or at all, then your first course of action should be to verify Port 443 is open for traffic to and from CrossBrowserTesting. This can be done by performing a WebSockets Test. If reaching out to CrossBrowserTesting Support for further troubleshooting, please include your Results ID with your inquiry.

You should see the following results for Port 443. If you do not, please consult with your Network staff to resolve this issue.

If you are using a Proxy Server, you must additionally configure steps for the Local Connection to function. As we have no way of determining this, the best option is to ask your Network staff. If applicable, they will provide you the appropriate IP and Port information to enter into the Proxy Server settings within the CrossBrowserTesting App. Similarly, you must input the appropriate Proxy Server parameters for the Node.JS Local Connection tunnel as described in the tool’s documentation.

Click the image to enlarge it.

If you have successfully verified Port 443 is open to CrossBrowserTesting traffic, and that you either do not have a proxy server or you have applied the appropriate configuration changes, then the issue may be present in your network’s firewall.

Once again, it is imperative that you ask your Network staff if CrossBrowserTesting may be blocked by certain firewall rules. If this is the case, our Support staff may provide you a consistent IP address to be put on the allow list.

Once you have verified the issue does not lie in the most common areas listed above, you may reach out to us at Support or via Intercom and we will be happy to help. Please indicate that you have performed the steps as described in this document and that you have consulted with your network staff to try and resolve the issue.

• HTML5: Uses port 443 over HTTPS via WebSockets (WSS).

• VNC Client: Uses port range 5920-6100 over TCP.

By default, traffic from a Live Test connects to livetest.crossbrowsertesting.com. Traffic on this subdomain runs across a "high-speed network" which improves the responsiveness of your test session. However, this address resolves to changing IP addresses based on an analysis of the fastest path. Because the resolved IP address varies, it is easier to set firewall rules for a consistent IP address using our standard domain: crossbrowsertesting.com(Please contact support for the IP address).

To set up a firewall rule with our consistent IP address, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the "High-Speed Network" setting in your account settings, which will resolve our outgoing VNC connections to crossbrowsertesting.com (see image below).

2. Add a rule to your firewall allowing connections initiated from inside your network on port 80 and ports 5920-6100 to our IP (please contact support for the IP address).

3. If you are using the HTML5 client you may also need to allow for port 843 and 443 outbound to crossbrowsertesting.com.

Click the image to enlarge it.

Safari won’t connect to local server using acceptallcerts. It is unable to connect to Mac with local tunnel, but it works for Windows.

Specify the IP address of the tested server, for example 192.0.1.14, only ever worked for most desktop browsers during live testing. Selenium creates a new profile on Firefox which has its own proxy settings per version http://local:8080.

Most development-oriented application servers (like ng, webpack-dev-server, or WAMPP) by default allow traffic from localhost only, . In some cases, traffic is blocked directly. Essentially, only traffic directed to your machine from the machine itself is allowed to pass through. This means that traffic passing through the tunnel will not work the same as traffic coming from your machine directly.

Even though it works on your machine, server settings make connections from other local machines impossible.

In most cases, you can restart the server and allow connections from outside localhost.

ng (Angular)

Shut down the server and restart it, add --host 0.0.0.0 --disableHostCheck true to the command.

Angular2

Shut down the server and restart it as above, but add --host 0.0.0.0 --disable-host-check instead.

webpack-dev-server

Shut down the server and restart it, add --host 0.0.0.0 to the command. Sometimes it requires adding --disable-host-check here as well.

Other Servers

If you can’t find your server listed here, or prefer to do it some other way, most likely you can find a quick solution by searching for “yourServer bind ip” on Google.

To run from another location, you need access to an HTTP proxy in that location. To do that, go to https://free-proxy-list.net to find an open HTTP based proxy. The challenging part of the process is finding an HTTP based proxy that is open, available, and reliable.

To get started with your own testing:

1. Run a local connection by pressing Local Connection in Test Center.
2. Click the Proxy tab inside the Local Connection options.
3. Enter the proxy information you gathered previously.
4. Press Connect.

Now, run your tests. Your location should be reported as a country you have chosen. If you have geo-based content or ads, you will be able to see if they are working as they should.