In order to setup a tunnel connection between two AREDN nodes, one needs to act as the server, and the other as the client. In this example, VA7FI-HAP-1 is the server and VE7RBE-HAP-1 is the client (and the details are made up):

On VA7FI-HAP-1's Tunnel Server page:

• Client: VE7RBE-HAP-1 is Robert's node name.
• A unique password is created
• Net: 172.31.39.164 is automatically assigned.
• Some optional Contact Info can be added.

VA7FI's public IP address will also need to be given to VE7RBE. To find your public IP address quickly, simple search for “what's my ip” in your favourite search engine:

Google	DuckDuckGo

On VE7RBE-HAP-1's Tunnel Client page:

From left to right:

• Server: 154.12.201.102 is VA7FI-HAP-1's public IP address
• Pwd: is the password created by VA7FI-HAP-1
• Network: 172.31.39.164 is the net address generated by VA7FI-HAP-1

Most residential internet services are given a single dynamic IP address, which means that the address can change every few days or so, or when the router power cycles. This means that when a server node suddenly gets a new public IP address, the client node can't find it anymore.

One solution is to use a Dynamic_DNS service like No-IP. These services query your dynamic IP address, and translate it into a static hostname. It's that hostname that you can then give the AREDN client (instead of your public IP address).

However, there's an extra step required for the No-IP service to query your dynamic IP address. This can be done by installing a small program on your computer, but some routers have that option their settings. For example: on my Telus T3200M router, I can enter my No-IP information under:

Advanced Setup → Dynamic DNS

So with this setup, VE7RBE would use myfancyhostname.ddns.net instead of 154.12.201.102 as the Server address.

That way, every time Telus gives me a new public IP address, my router will be able to notify No-IP, which will update it so that myfancyhostname.ddns.net continues to point to my router, and VE7RBE will continue to see my node.