Using your own tunnel or port forward with Self Hostd

Keep the web panel and console while players reach your server through your own route: --no-tunnel skips the Hostd tunnel without losing the panel link.

The short version

Pass --no-tunnel to keep the Hostd web panel and console while players reach your server through your own port forward or tunnel. You lose the Hostd public address and take on your own networking, including exposing whatever IP your route uses. Everything else in the panel keeps working.

The Hostd tunnel is how players normally reach a Self Hostd server, but it is not compulsory. If you already forward a port, run another tunnelling service, or only host for your LAN, you can keep the panel link (console, status, commands from the web) and skip our tunnel entirely.

#Turning the tunnel off

From the command line:

java -jar selfhostd-launcher.jar --no-tunnel -- java -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui

Or put tunnel=false in selfhostd.properties so it applies to every run. Pairing works exactly the same; see the command-line guide for the full flow. The switch is currently command-line only; the graphical launcher always runs the tunnel.

#What still works

  • The web panel: live console, sending commands, stop, server status.
  • Your server itself, exactly as before; the launcher still starts and supervises it when you give it a start command.

#What changes

  • Your yourname.na.hostdservers.com address will not connect players, because nothing is listening for them on our relay. Players use whatever route you provide instead.
  • Whatever route you provide is yours to secure. Our relay normally sits in front of your connection and keeps your home IP out of sight; a port forward in particular shows your IP to every player.

#Running both

Leaving the tunnel on while also running your own route is harmless; the two do not interact. Players can then use either address, and you can drop --no-tunnel at any time to hand the Hostd address back to them.

#Frequently asked questions

What does --no-tunnel do in Self Hostd?

It skips the Hostd tunnel while keeping the panel link. Players then reach your server through whatever route you provide, such as your own port forward or a tunnel you run yourself.

Do I keep the web console without the Hostd tunnel?

Yes. The panel connection and the player tunnel are separate things, so turning off the tunnel leaves the console, file access and the rest of the panel working.

Can I run both my own route and the Hostd tunnel?

Yes. Running both means players can reach the server either way, which is useful while you are migrating from one address to the other.

Written and maintained by the Hostd engineering team. Last updated 2026-08-02. Notice a mistake? Tell us.

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