The text provides a detailed guide on setting up alternate addresses and ports for Couchbase deployments on cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP, or Kubernetes, to enable external applications to communicate with the cluster without direct node access. It describes how alternate addresses facilitate internal access to networked entities acting on the cluster's behalf, using AWS as a prime example with public and private IP addresses. The setup involves configuring address and port mapping through REST calls or command-line interface (CLI) commands, with an emphasis on port forwarding, which allows external connections to be mapped to internal services. This configuration ensures clients can access Couchbase services via external addresses and ports, using the nodeServices information to establish connections. The text also includes specific CLI commands and steps for setting up and confirming port forwarding, offering a practical approach to managing network configurations for Couchbase services.