Frequently Asked Questions

General

Do I need to open any ports on my router?

No. SeaWise uses outbound connections only — your server connects out to SeaWise. No port forwarding, no static IP, no router changes needed.

Does SeaWise work behind CGNAT?

Yes. Since the connection is outbound-only, SeaWise works behind CGNAT, double NAT, and any other network configuration. This includes Starlink, 5G home internet, and ISPs that don't provide public IPs.

Can I use SeaWise with IPv6-only connections?

Yes, the SeaWise client supports IPv6.

Is my traffic encrypted?

Yes. All connections use TLS encryption. Your service URLs use HTTPS with valid certificates managed automatically by SeaWise.

Can SeaWise see my data?

Traffic passes through SeaWise's relay servers, but it's encrypted with TLS. SeaWise does not inspect, store, or log your traffic content.

What happens if SeaWise goes down?

Your services become unreachable through their SeaWise URLs. Your local network, services, and data are completely unaffected. When SeaWise comes back online, the client reconnects automatically.

Can I expose non-HTTP services (SSH, game servers)?

SeaWise currently supports HTTP and HTTPS services. TCP-based services like SSH or game servers are not supported at this time.

Accounts

How do I sign in?

SeaWise uses passwordless login. Enter your email, and we send you a magic link to sign in. No password needed.

Can I use multiple servers on one account?

Yes. You can pair up to 100 servers to a single account.

Can I transfer a server to another account?

Unpair the server from the current account, then pair it to the new account.

How do I delete my account?

Go to Settings → Danger Zone → Delete Account in the dashboard. This permanently removes all your data. See Privacy & Data.

Services

How many services can I run?

Up to 100 services across all your servers.

Can the same service be on multiple dashboards?

Yes. A service can belong to multiple dashboards.

What ports can I expose?

Any port from 1 to 65535. The service must be accessible via HTTP.

Can I choose my own subdomain?

Yes. When you add a service, SeaWise assigns a random subdomain. You can change it to a custom subdomain from the dashboard, as long as it's not already taken.

Sharing

Do shared users need to install anything?

No. Shared users just visit the dashboard link in their browser and sign in. They don't need the SeaWise client or any VPN software.

Do shared users need a SeaWise account?

Yes, they need a free SeaWise account with the same email you whitelisted.

Does shared user traffic count toward my bandwidth?

Yes. When someone accesses your services through a shared dashboard, it counts toward your bandwidth usage.

Billing

Is SeaWise free?

Yes. Every account gets 2 GB of bandwidth per month and access to all features at no cost.

What happens when I run out of bandwidth?

Services become inaccessible until your monthly allowance resets or you purchase a top-up.

Do top-ups expire?

No. Purchased bandwidth never expires and carries over indefinitely.

How is bandwidth measured?

All data transferred through your SeaWise tunnels — uploads and downloads — counts toward your bandwidth.

How Is SeaWise Different From...

Cloudflare Tunnel

Cloudflare Tunnel is a similar concept but requires a Cloudflare account, DNS management, and configuration of Cloudflare's ecosystem. SeaWise is simpler: one Docker container, no DNS setup, no Cloudflare dependency.

Tailscale / WireGuard

Tailscale and WireGuard create VPN connections. They're excellent for personal use, but require every device (including friends' and family's phones) to install VPN software. SeaWise gives your services public URLs — visitors just open a link in their browser.

Port Forwarding

Port forwarding exposes your network directly to the internet, requires a static IP (or DDNS), and doesn't work with CGNAT. SeaWise handles all of this for you with outbound-only connections and no router changes.

ngrok

ngrok is geared toward developers for temporary tunnels during development. SeaWise is designed for always-on home server access with persistent subdomains, a dashboard for managing multiple services, and sharing capabilities.