C# SSH port forwarding with SSH.net

Question

I'm trying to do the following thing in a C# program with SSH.NET :

ssh -NfD 1080 [email protected]

Here's the code I produced :

using (var client = new SshClient("remote.com", "username", "password"))
{
    client.Connect();
    var port = new ForwardedPortLocal("localhost", 1080, "remote.com", 1080);
    client.AddForwardedPort(port);

    port.Exception += delegate(object sender, ExceptionEventArgs e)
    {
         Console.WriteLine(e.Exception.ToString());
    };
    port.Start();
}
Console.ReadKey();

I connect to an OpenVPN server through this tunnel. When I use the command line it works fine, but when I use the C# program it's like the tunnel isn't working, even if I can send commands to the server I'm connected to through the C# program. Any idea ?

Answer 1

As I suggested in comments I think that you can try to execute your commands with client.RunCommand method in this way

client.RunCommand("some command");

Answer 2

the Console.ReadKey(); should be placed in using block to ensure the SshClient instance is not disposed.

static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        using (var client = new SshClient("host", "name", "pwd"))
        {
            client.Connect();
            var port = new ForwardedPortDynamic(7575);
            client.AddForwardedPort(port);

            port.Exception += delegate (object sender, ExceptionEventArgs e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Exception.ToString());
            };
            port.Start();
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }

Answer 3

I found an answer thanks to da_rinkes on SSH.NET forum (link).

I was using ForwardedPortLocal instead of ForwardedPortDynamic (-D option with ssh command).

Here's the new code :

public void Start()
{
      using (var client = new SshClient("remote.com", "username", "password"))
      {
           client.KeepAliveInterval = new TimeSpan(0, 0, 30);
           client.ConnectionInfo.Timeout = new TimeSpan(0, 0, 20);
           client.Connect();
           ForwardedPortDynamic port = new ForwardedPortDynamic("127.0.0.1", 1080);
           client.AddForwardedPort(port);
           port.Exception += delegate(object sender, ExceptionEventArgs e)
           {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Exception.ToString());
           };
           port.Start();
           System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000 * 60 * 60 * 8);
           port.Stop();
           client.Disconnect();
     }
this.Start();
}

Still have to find another way to keep the SSH tunnel up (instead of a Sleep + recursive call every 8 hours).

_{Posted on behalf of the question asker}