4. Remotely access Node-RED on your device

Node-RED is a low-code flow-based programming language in Node.js that allows you to develop and deploy codes in a browser. You can access the Node-RED on your device by localhost (127.0.0.1) if you are using your device or you can access it via its local ip address if you are in the same local network, but what if you need to remotely access it when you are away?

In this page, you will see how you can use IoTFlows to remotely access Node-RED on your IoT/Linux devices and deploy codes remotely over the internet.

Create a Secure Node-RED Remote Connection

To access Node-RED on your device remotely, you first need to have your device connected to IoTFlows cloud. If you haven't already done so, connect your device. Once your device is connected and its green light is visible in console, navigate to Remote Connections tab.

In Remote Connections page, you can see the list of secure remote connections for this device. If you don't have a Node-RED connection, create one by clicking on Add Remote Connection, Node-RED, and CREATE.

Enable the Node-RED connection and connect to it

Ensure your device is connected to the cloud by checking if you see the green light on the device page, Enable the Node-RED connection in the Remote Connections tab, and hit Connect.

In a new tab, you will be connected to the Node-RED running your device over a secure and encrypted connection. The default username and password for Node-RED is set to "admin" and "password".

Congratulations! You've successfully connected to the Node-RED running on your device with a secure encrypted connection over the internet.

Change the Node-RED credentials

Although you can prevent the public from accessing the Node-RED on your device by disabling the remote connection, we highly recommend changing its credentials. You can do this by clicking on the gear icon next to the connect button and entering a new username and password.