> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.remote.it/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.remote.it/introduction/glossary-of-terms.md). # Glossary of Terms Definitions of core Remote.It concepts — target and initiator devices, services, the Service Agent, packages, connection types, organizations, licensing, and developer tools.

Term	Definition
Access key	A non-expiring key pair used to authenticate to the Remote.It API. You can disable or delete a key at any time. The secret can't be retrieved after it's created, so store it safely. See Access Keys.
Application	Software or a program running on a device that you connect to. Examples: SSH, RealVNC Server, Remote Desktop, a router's admin panel.
CGNAT	Carrier-grade NAT. Some ISPs, including cellular and satellite providers like Starlink, share one public IP address among many customers. Port forwarding can't work behind CGNAT, but Remote.It can, because it never needs an inbound port. See Remote Access Over Starlink.
CLI	The Remote.It command-line tool. It can register a device, manage its services, and start outbound connections to other devices. It includes the Service Agent. See CLI.
Connection settings	The configuration that controls how a connection behaves: Connection name: a friendly label to tell connections apart. Routing: peer to peer, proxy, or peer to peer with proxy failover. Local port: the port assigned on the initiator once the connection is established. Idle timeout: how long to wait with no active traffic before closing the connection. In the Desktop, CLI and mobile apps, the connection reconnects automatically the next time you use it.
Custom attributes	Your own metadata attached to users, devices and services through the API, for example a site name or asset ID. See Custom Attributes.
Desktop	The Remote.It desktop application for Windows, macOS and Linux. It provides a UI for managing devices, services, connections and users, and includes the CLI and the Service Agent. See Desktop.
Device Package	The smallest Remote.It install. It contains only the Service Agent, so the device can accept inbound connections. It's the usual choice for headless and embedded Linux devices. See Device Package.
Device sharing	Giving another user access to one of your devices, or to individual services on it, with optional permission to run scripts. See Device Sharing.
Event log	A record of activity across your account: devices and services going online or offline, and connections being made and closed. See Logging.
Initiator device	The computer or phone you connect from. It has Remote.It installed and its connections are outbound. Examples: a Windows PC, a MacBook, an iPhone or iPad.
Jump service	A service on one device that points at an application on another device on the same LAN, so you can reach devices that can't run Remote.It, such as printers and appliances. The device running Remote.It is called the jump box. See Jump Service.
LAN sharing	Sharing a peer to peer connection with other people on the same local network as the initiator, scoped to a single LAN address or a range of addresses. See LAN Sharing.
License	Remote.It is free for up to 5 non-commercial devices. A license and subscription let you connect to, and run scripts on, more than 5 devices. Without an active professional or enterprise license, connection and scripting access is limited to the first 5 devices by creation date.
MCP server	The hosted Remote.It server for AI assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini. Once connected, the assistant can inventory your devices, open connections, manage services and run scripts on your behalf. See MCP Server Overview.
Network	A named group of services you can connect to together and share with other users as a set.
Organization	A group of users who can access the devices that belong to it. The user who creates the organization becomes its owner, and their devices transfer to the organization automatically. The owner adds members and is responsible for licensing them. See Organizations.
Organization member	A user added to an organization. The owner licenses members by purchasing seats. Licensed: the owner has assigned the member a seat, giving full access to the organization's devices and services. Unlicensed: no seat is assigned, so access is limited to the organization's first 5 devices by creation date. See Organizations for member roles and custom roles.
Peer to peer connection	A direct, encrypted tunnel between the initiator and the target. Remote.It never terminates or inspects the traffic. The connection has a persistent `localhost` address on the initiator, has no time limit, and can't be shared with other people. If a direct path isn't possible, Remote.It can relay the tunnel through a websocket without decrypting it, and the connection keeps its peer-to-peer behavior. See Peer-2-Peer & Proxy.
Peer to peer with proxy failover	The default routing. Remote.It tries a peer to peer connection first and falls back to a proxy connection if peer to peer isn't possible.
Port forwarding	Opening a port on a router so traffic from the internet can reach a device behind it. Remote.It doesn't need it: devices make outbound connections only, so no ports are opened.
Product	A reusable template of services, such as SSH, HTTPS and RDP, applied to every device you bulk register. Used by OEMs shipping devices at scale. See Create a Product.
Proxy connection	A connection routed through a Remote.It proxy server, which terminates the incoming connection and opens a separate connection to the target. Proxy connections work on nearly any network, but their address changes each time you connect and they expire after a period of inactivity. The web portal and API always use proxy connections. See Peer-2-Peer & Proxy.
Public proxy	A proxy connection with a shareable address, so you can give someone else temporary access to a service. You choose a security mode: restrict it to an IP address or range, latch it to the first IP address that connects, or allow any address.
Registration	Adding a device and its services to your Remote.It account.
Registration code	A one-time code you copy from Add Device in the Desktop app or web portal, then pass to the install command on the device. It registers the device to the account you copied it from.
Reverse proxy connection	A proxy connection for HTTP and HTTPS services. Remote.It generates a randomized URL you open in a browser, with nothing to install on the initiator. It doesn't remap the port.
Scripting	Running a script on any number of target devices at once, in bash, Python, Ruby, Node or any other interpreter installed on the devices. Use it to gather information from a group of devices or update devices deployed in the field. Available from the web portal, the API, and the MCP server. See Device Scripting.
Service	A configuration registered on a target device that maps to an application, so you can reach that application remotely. A target device can have many services. A device also has a default bulk service, which needs no attributes; it forms the basis for the device and enables scripting. See Services. A service has these attributes: Application type: the application it maps to, such as SSH, VNC, RDP or HTTP/S. Port: the port the application listens on at the target. Service host address: the local IP address or fully qualified domain name hosting the application. Defaults to the device itself; set it to another LAN address to create a jump service. Enabled: whether the service accepts connections. Disabling a service can save bandwidth, for example on a cellular connection. Status: online or offline.
Service Agent	The Remote.It daemon that runs on a target device and makes its services reachable. Every Remote.It package includes it.
Tags	Labels you apply to devices to group and filter them, for example by site, customer or hardware type.
Target device	The remote computer or VM you connect to, or run scripts against. It has Remote.It installed and its connections are inbound. Examples: a Raspberry Pi, an AWS instance, a Windows Server.
User	A person with a Remote.It account. A user can create devices and services and connect to, share, and run scripts on their own devices.
Webhook	An HTTP notification Remote.It sends to a URL you choose when a device goes online or offline, so you can build integrations such as Slack alerts. See Webhooks.

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