VS Code Remote Tunnels

Thamer Mashni | Jul 15, 2025 min read

How VS Code Remote Tunnels Boosted My Workflow

For a long time, my remote workflow followed a familiar routine: push to GitHub, switch machines, pull, and continue working.

It was effective — but not ideal.

I often lost terminal context, ran into environment mismatches, or had to reinstall packages I’d already set up elsewhere. SSH could help, but dealing with keys, firewalls, and configuration across devices wasn’t worth the hassle.

That’s when I started using VS Code Remote Tunnels — and it quietly solved a lot of my pain points.

What Are Remote Tunnels?

VS Code Remote Tunnels allow you to securely connect to your development machine from anywhere, without requiring SSH access, port forwarding, or cloud-based VMs.

Under the hood, tunnels create an encrypted connection using Microsoft’s dev tunnel infrastructure with AES 256 encryption. Your code runs directly on the remote machine while providing a “local-quality development experience” through your browser or VS Code desktop client.

The key advantage: your source code never needs to leave the remote machine, yet you get full IDE functionality including extensions, terminals, and debugging.

It works by installing the tunnel CLI:

npm install -g @vscode/tunnel

Then you run:

code tunnel

Your machine becomes accessible through vscode.dev or any VS Code instance with Remote Tunnels support. You’ll find it under the Remote Explorer.

Why I Use It

Here’s what made it worth adopting in my workflow:

  • No more pushing uncommitted code just to switch devices
  • No need to reinstall packages or tools on every laptop I use
  • My extensions, terminals, and settings stay in sync automatically
  • No firewall or port exposure — just log in and go

It turned my main development machine into a remote-access workspace, available on demand from anywhere I log into VS Code.

Extensions Support

To get the most out of this setup, VS Code offers dedicated extensions:

  • Remote - Tunnels: Allows you to connect to your tunnel-enabled machines directly from VS Code desktop.
  • Remote Development Pack: A bundle that includes Remote - SSH, Remote - Containers, and Remote - WSL. While not required for tunnels, it’s useful if you use other remote environments in parallel.

These extensions make it easy to browse files, use terminals, install dependencies, and run full dev workflows remotely.

Security Without Complexity

Remote Tunnels use your GitHub authentication and Microsoft’s secure infrastructure — no need to manage SSH keys or expose ports.
You can revoke tunnel access from your GitHub account at any time, making it a secure and manageable solution for trusted devices.

Real-World Scenarios

I now use Remote Tunnels to:

  • Continue work from different laptops without re-cloning or re-configuring
  • Run scripts or check logs on my dev machine while away
  • Quickly test ideas using a consistent environment

Performance Notes

Keep in mind that performance depends on your internet connection. Local network usage feels near-native, while remote connections may have noticeable input lag. Your host machine needs to stay powered on and connected.

Quick Troubleshooting

If tunnels won’t start: code tunnel kill then restart. If connections fail, check GitHub authentication in VS Code and restart the application.

Final Thoughts

VS Code Remote Tunnels didn’t replace Git — and it shouldn’t. Git is still essential for version control and collaboration.

What tunnels did replace is the need to depend on Git just to move code around. I no longer push partial work or re-stage changes just to pick up where I left off.

Now, I use Git for what it does best — and tunnels for seamless machine access and continuity.

If you switch between machines or hate repeating environment setup, I highly recommend giving Remote Tunnels a try.