Services

Configure Layer 4 (L4) services to make them accessible via peer nodes
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Services are configured in conjunction with connectors or port forwards to define a host (IP or DNS) and port to connect to for layer 4 (L4) connectivity.

Description

Services define the host name or IP and port of a server that can be accessed by the Trustgrid node (or members of the cluster) where it is defined. Remote clients can then access the service via peer nodes using connectors or VPN port forwards.

Functionality

On the local network, a connection’s source IP will be the node’s interface IP.

  • If the service is defined on a cluster, the active cluster members IP will be used.
  • If the node has multiple interfaces, the source will be the interface that has a matching interface route for the target IP.
  • As of the June 2026 release, the Source Interface setting lets you choose the egress interface and source connections from the cluster IP instead of the interface IP.

If the service’s host field is set to a DNS name, the node will use its WAN interface DNS servers to resolve the address.

Configuration

Services are configured under the Networking > Services panel of the node or cluster configuration section in the Trustgrid Portal.

Dialogue to add a service with fields for enabled
Add Service dialogue
Field NameDescription
EnabledValues: Yes or No. Allows each service to be individually disabled if desired"
Protocol

The protocol of the service to connect to. Options are TCP, UDP, FTP, and TFTP, along with pre-defined default ports for RDP, SSH, and VNC.

FTP must operate in passive mode when using L4 services and connectors.

Service NameA friendly name for the service that will be used in the Remote Service field of a connector. Can only contain letters, numbers, and the - character.
HostThe IP or DNS address of the host to connect to.
PortThe port to connect to on the host.
Source Interface

Determines the interface and source IP used for the connection to the host. Requires the June 2026 release or later, and is not shown on earlier versions.

Select the interface to source the connection from, then choose how its IP is determined:

  • Use Interface IP - Source connections from the selected interface’s IP. This is the default and matches the behavior of earlier releases.
  • Use Cluster IP - Source connections from the cluster IP instead of the interface IP. Available for clustered nodes with a configured cluster IP.
Add Service dialog showing the Source Interface dropdown with Use Interface IP and Use Cluster IP options
<figcaption style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0.5rem; font-weight: lighter;">
  The Source Interface options: Use Interface IP or Use Cluster IP.
</figcaption>
Connect Timeout(Optional) The maximum amount of time, in seconds, a TCP connection will wait for a response before timing out. Defaults to 5 seconds.
Description(Optional) User friendly description of the service.
Test Connectivity

Show only on the Services table for TCP Protocol services. When clicked, the client node will attempt a TCP port connection to the configured host and port and display success or failure.