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Network Setup Guide for Printer API

Problem

  • funPrinting runs on Render (cloud) at https://your-app.onrender.com
  • Printer API runs locally on http://localhost:3001
  • They cannot communicate directly because localhost is not accessible from the internet

Solutions

Option 1: Use ngrok (Recommended for Development/Testing)

ngrok creates a secure tunnel from the internet to your local server.

Installation

# macOS
brew install ngrok

# Or download from https://ngrok.com/download

Setup

  1. Sign up for free ngrok account at https://ngrok.com
  2. Get your authtoken from https://dashboard.ngrok.com/get-started/your-authtoken
  3. Configure ngrok: 
    ngrok config add-authtoken YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN

Start Tunnel

# Start printer API
cd printer-api
npm start

# In another terminal, start ngrok tunnel
ngrok http 3001

Get Public URL

ngrok will give you a public URL like:

Forwarding: https://abc123.ngrok-free.app -> http://localhost:3001

Configure funPrinting

Update .env.local in funPrinting:

PRINTER_API_URLS=["https://abc123.ngrok-free.app"]
PRINTER_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Note: Free ngrok URLs change every time you restart. For production, use ngrok paid plan with static domain.

Option 2: Use localtunnel (Free Alternative)

localtunnel is a free alternative to ngrok.

Installation

npm install -g localtunnel

Start Tunnel

# Start printer API
cd printer-api
npm start

# In another terminal, start localtunnel
lt --port 3001 --subdomain your-unique-name

Get Public URL

localtunnel will give you a public URL like:

your url is: https://your-unique-name.loca.lt

Configure funPrinting

Update .env.local in funPrinting:

PRINTER_API_URLS=["https://your-unique-name.loca.lt"]
PRINTER_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Note: Free localtunnel URLs may change. Use --subdomain for more stable URLs.

Option 3: Use Cloudflare Tunnel (Free, More Stable)

Cloudflare Tunnel (formerly Argo Tunnel) provides a free, stable tunnel.

Installation

# Download cloudflared from https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/connections/connect-apps/install-and-setup/installation/

Setup

  1. Login to Cloudflare:

    cloudflared tunnel login

  2. Create tunnel:

    cloudflared tunnel create printer-api

  3. Configure tunnel: Create config.yml:

    tunnel: printer-api
credentials-file: /path/to/credentials.json

ingress:
  - hostname: printer-api.yourdomain.com
    service: http://localhost:3001
  - service: http_status:404

  4. Start tunnel:

    cloudflared tunnel run printer-api

Configure funPrinting

Update .env.local in funPrinting:

PRINTER_API_URLS=["https://printer-api.yourdomain.com"]
PRINTER_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Option 4: Use VPN/Private Network

If both services are on the same private network:

  1. Find your local IP address:

    # macOS/Linux
ifconfig | grep "inet "

# Windows
ipconfig

  2. Example: Your IP is 192.168.1.100

  3. Configure printer API to listen on all interfaces: Update server.ts to listen on 0.0.0.0:

    app.listen(PORT, '0.0.0.0', () => {
  console.log(`Server running on http://0.0.0.0:${PORT}`);
});

  4. Configure funPrinting: Update .env.local in funPrinting:

    PRINTER_API_URLS=["http://192.168.1.100:3001"]
PRINTER_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Note: This only works if Render can access your private network (usually not possible).

Option 5: Deploy Printer API to a Server

Deploy the printer API to a server accessible from Render:

  1. Use a VPS (DigitalOcean, AWS EC2, etc.)
  2. Install Node.js and dependencies
  3. Deploy printer API
  4. Configure firewall to allow port 3001
  5. Use public IP or domain

Example with VPS

# funPrinting .env.local
PRINTER_API_URLS=["http://YOUR_VPS_IP:3001"]
# or
PRINTER_API_URLS=["https://printer-api.yourdomain.com"]

Recommended Setup for Production

For Production Use:

  1. Use Cloudflare Tunnel (free, stable, secure)
  2. Or deploy printer API to VPS (most reliable)
  3. Use static domain for printer API

For Development/Testing:

  1. Use ngrok (easy setup, free tier available)
  2. Or use localtunnel (completely free)

Testing Connection

Test from funPrinting

# Test health endpoint
curl https://your-printer-api-url.com/health

# Test queue status (requires API key)
curl -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key" https://your-printer-api-url.com/api/queue/status

Test from Admin Panel

  1. Go to /admin/printer-monitor
  2. Check if printer API status shows "Healthy"
  3. Monitor queue status

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused

  • Check if printer API is running
  • Check if tunnel is active
  • Verify URL in funPrinting .env.local

Timeout Errors

  • Check firewall settings
  • Verify tunnel is forwarding correctly
  • Check printer API logs

Authentication Errors

  • Verify API_KEY matches in both .env files
  • Check headers are being sent correctly

Security Notes

  1. Always use HTTPS in production (ngrok, Cloudflare provide this)
  2. Use strong API keys (generate with: openssl rand -hex 32)
  3. Restrict access if possible (IP whitelist, VPN)
  4. Monitor logs for unauthorized access attempts

Quick Start (ngrok)

# 1. Install ngrok
brew install ngrok  # macOS
# or download from https://ngrok.com

# 2. Sign up and get authtoken
# Visit https://ngrok.com and get your authtoken

# 3. Configure
ngrok config add-authtoken YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN

# 4. Start printer API
cd printer-api
npm start

# 5. In another terminal, start tunnel
ngrok http 3001

# 6. Copy the forwarding URL (e.g., https://abc123.ngrok-free.app)

# 7. Update funPrinting .env.local
PRINTER_API_URLS=["https://abc123.ngrok-free.app"]
PRINTER_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# 8. Restart funPrinting

For more help, see the main README.md