Should I use Switcher or sslh for sharing ports?

Switcher is lighter and easier to extend in Go, with better performance under load due to goroutines. However, sslh has more built-in protocols and a larger community, making it better for complex setups. Choose based on your need for simplicity versus feature richness.

How do I set up Switcher with Nginx for HTTPS?

Configure Switcher to listen on port 443 using --listen :443, set --default to your Nginx server's HTTPS address (e.g., 127.0.0.1:8443), and ensure Nginx handles TLS termination. This routes HTTP(S) traffic to Nginx while SSH goes to the specified backend.

Can Switcher handle WebSocket connections?

Yes, since it proxies HTTP traffic, WebSocket connections over HTTP should work seamlessly. However, the documentation doesn't specify any special handling, so performance might depend on the backend server's capabilities.

Is Switcher production-ready for high-traffic sites?

It's built with Go and uses efficient goroutines, making it scalable, but as a smaller project, it lacks extensive testing and enterprise features. Evaluate based on your traffic needs and risk tolerance, possibly testing in staging first.

What happens if a protocol isn't recognized by Switcher?

Connections that don't match SSH or HTTP(S) are forwarded to the default backend address, which could cause errors if the backend isn't prepared. This is noted in the configuration options but may require fallback handling.

How does Switcher's performance compare to traditional proxies?

It's lightweight with minimal overhead due to goroutines, but protocol detection adds a small latency by reading initial bytes. For most use cases, this is negligible, but for ultra-low-latency requirements, direct port usage might be better.

Does Switcher support IPv6 or custom routing rules?

The README doesn't mention IPv6 explicitly, and routing is based solely on protocol detection without advanced rules. For IPv6 or complex routing, you might need to modify the source code or use a more feature-rich proxy.

Open-Awesome

switcher

NOASSERTIONGov1.0.1

A proxy server that runs SSH and HTTP(S) on the same port by detecting the protocol of incoming connections.

GitHub

903 stars70 forks0 contributors

What is switcher?

Switcher is a proxy server that allows SSH and HTTP(S) services to run on the same network port by detecting the protocol of incoming connections. It solves the problem of managing multiple ports for different services, simplifying firewall configurations and reducing administrative overhead.

Target Audience

System administrators, DevOps engineers, and developers who need to run both SSH and web services on servers with restricted port availability or simplified network setups.

Value Proposition

Switcher offers a lightweight, Go-based alternative to similar tools like sslh, with easier extensibility through Go interfaces and better performance under load using goroutines instead of forking processes.

Overview

Run SSH and HTTP(S) on the same port

Use Cases

Best For

Running SSH and web services on a single port behind restrictive firewalls
Simplifying server configurations when only one port is available
Reducing administrative overhead for multi-service deployments
Learning about protocol detection and proxy implementation in Go
Creating lightweight alternatives to more complex port-sharing solutions
Testing SSH and HTTP services through a unified access point

Not Ideal For

Environments requiring support for multiple protocols beyond SSH and HTTP(S), such as FTP or SMTP
High-traffic production systems needing advanced load balancing, monitoring, or clustering features
Teams without Go expertise who may find it difficult to extend the tool for custom protocols

Pros & Cons

Pros

Efficient Protocol Detection

Uses Go's interfaces to automatically identify SSH and HTTP(S) connections by analyzing initial bytes, enabling seamless routing without manual configuration.

Lightweight Architecture

Leverages goroutines instead of forking processes, reducing CPU overhead and improving performance under concurrent loads, as highlighted in the comparison with sslh.

Simple Command-Line Configuration

Offers straightforward setup via flags like --listen, --ssh, and --default, with clear examples in the README for common use cases.

Extensible Design

Built with clean Go interfaces, making it easy to add new protocol support by implementing matcher interfaces, though this requires coding effort.

Cons

Limited Protocol Support

Only implements SSH and HTTP(S) out of the box; adding other protocols requires Go development, which may not be feasible for all users.

Sparse Documentation and Ecosystem

The README is minimal, lacking detailed guides or troubleshooting resources, and as a niche tool, community support is limited compared to alternatives like sslh.

Learning Exercise Origins

Admitted to have started as a learning project, which might imply less focus on production-ready features or long-term maintenance stability.

Frequently Asked Questions

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