frp/ngrok vs. OmniEdge

ngrok and frp are reverse proxy tools that expose local services to the public internet. OmniEdge is a peer-to-peer mesh VPN that creates private networks between your devices. While they can solve some similar problems, they work very differently.

At a Glance

What is ngrok/frp?

ngrok is a reverse proxy service that creates public URLs for your local services. It's commonly used for:

• Sharing development servers with teammates
• Testing webhooks locally
• Temporary public access to local apps

frp (Fast Reverse Proxy) is an open-source alternative to ngrok.

How they work: Your local service connects to their relay server, which provides a public URL. All traffic routes through their servers.

Local Service → ngrok/frp Server → Public Internet
     :3000         tunnel          https://xyz.ngrok.io

What is OmniEdge?

OmniEdge creates a private virtual network where your devices connect directly to each other. Each device gets a private IP address that only devices in your network can reach.

How it works: Direct peer-to-peer encrypted connections with no public exposure.

Device A (10.147.1.1) ←→ Device B (10.147.1.2)
         Direct P2P connection (WireGuard encrypted)

Key Differences

Security by Default

Service Configuration

Protocols and Ports

Use Case Comparison

Detailed Examples

Advantages of Each

ngrok/frp Advantages

• Public access: Great for sharing demos with external clients
• Webhooks: Test webhooks from services like Stripe, GitHub
• No client needed: Recipients just use a URL
• Quick setup: One command to expose a service

OmniEdge Advantages

• Private by default: No public exposure
• All services at once: One connection, access everything
• Fixed IPs: Your devices always have the same private IP
• Full network access: Not limited to specific ports
• Lower latency: Direct P2P (+0.3ms overhead)
• Industrial stability: Cpk 2.92 (6-Sigma) for robotics/IoT
• Self-hosted option: Nucleus mode for air-gapped networks

OmniEdge v2.x Features

OmniEdge v2.x adds capabilities beyond simple connectivity:

NAT Traversal

Works through any network, including symmetric NAT:

omniedge config relay on        # Automatic relay fallback
omniedge config portmap on      # UPnP/NAT-PMP support

Exit Node

Route all traffic through a specific device (similar to traditional VPN):

sudo omniedge start -x          # This device becomes exit node
sudo omniedge start -e 10.147.1.5   # Use device as exit

Plugin System

Extend functionality with WASM plugins:

omniedge plugin install ./my-plugin.wasm

Self-Hosted Mode

Run without cloud dependency:

sudo omniedge start --mode nucleus --secret "YourSecret"

When to Use ngrok/frp

Choose ngrok/frp when you need to:

• Share a development server with external clients
• Test webhooks from third-party services
• Temporarily expose a service publicly
• Quick demo without VPN setup

When to Use OmniEdge

Choose OmniEdge when you need to:

• Securely access your own devices remotely
• Build a private network for your team
• Connect IoT devices, robots, or servers
• Access multiple services on a device
• Permanent, stable remote access
• Low-latency connections for real-time applications

Combining Both

You can use both solutions together:

• OmniEdge for your private device network
• ngrok when you need to share something publicly

# Your devices are connected via OmniEdge
# You can still use ngrok to share a specific service publicly
ngrok http 3000  # Share your dev server with a client

Summary

If you have more questions, feel free to discuss.