VPN Client/Server

Status: 🔸 Seed → ✅ Growing → 🔸 Well-formed → 🔸 Fruitful → 🔸 Retired

*Transparency label: AI-heavy

To use an AI - a large language model (LLM) - we generally connect to one running on a remote datacentre in the cloud. But we could run one locally, on our own computer. This has limitations, but there are benefits, notably with regard to privacy since our data stays with us and isn’t sent to outside servers.

To use a locally running AI remotely - say from a mobile phone or another device while away - we can set up something called a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Think of a VPN like a secure tunnel that connects your remote device to your local computer over the internet, making it feel like you’re right there on your local network. Setting this up involves:

Installing VPN software on your local computer (the server).
Configuring your local internet router to allow secure access.
Installing VPN software on the device you want to connect from (the client).
Connecting through the VPN to safely use your local computer and its LLM wherever you are.

This way, you keep your data private and secure while still enjoying the power of your local AI's capabilities from anywhere.