🚀 Client Setup Guide

Connect your devices to the Tailscale VPN network

🚀 Quick Start - 3 Simple Steps

  1. Choose your platform below (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, or Android)
  2. Get your auth key from the dashboard (click "Add New Device")
  3. Follow the platform-specific instructions to connect in under 2 minutes!
📋 Connection Command Format: All platforms need this format:
tailscale up --login-server=https://headscale.YOUR_DOMAIN --authkey=YOUR_KEY
Don't worry! Platform-specific instructions below show exact commands with copy buttons.

Step 1: Select Your Network

Choose which network you're connecting to:

🏠 Personal Network (dom)
Domain: raywonderis.me
🎙️ TappedIn Network
Domain: tappedin.fm
💼 Devine Creations Network
Domain: devine-creations.com

Step 2: Choose Your Device Platform

💻 macOS Setup

📥 Step 1: Install Tailscale

Option A: Download from website

  1. Visit https://tailscale.com/download/mac
  2. Download the .pkg installer
  3. Open the downloaded file and follow installation prompts

Option B: Install via Homebrew

brew install tailscale

🔑 Step 2: Get Your Auth Key

  1. Go to your Dashboard
  2. Click "Add New Device"
  3. Select "macOS"
  4. Copy the generated auth key

🔌 Step 3: Connect to VPN

Open Terminal and run:

sudo tailscale up --login-server=https://headscale.DOMAIN --authkey=YOUR_KEY_HERE
Replace YOUR_KEY_HERE with the key from your dashboard.

✅ Step 4: Verify Connection

# Check connection status
tailscale status

# Check your VPN IP address
tailscale ip -4

# Should show: 100.64.0.x

🌍 Optional: Use Exit Node (Route all traffic through VPN)

# Enable exit node
sudo tailscale up --exit-node=100.64.0.1

# Verify your public IP changed
curl ifconfig.me
# Should show: 64.20.46.182

# Disable exit node
sudo tailscale up --exit-node=

📱 iOS/iPadOS Setup

📥 Step 1: Install Tailscale App

  1. Open the App Store
  2. Search for "Tailscale"
  3. Download and install the official Tailscale app
  4. Open the app

⚙️ Step 2: Configure Custom Server

  1. Tap "Get Started"
  2. Tap "Use a custom coordination server"
  3. Enter your server URL:
https://headscale.DOMAIN

🔑 Step 3: Authenticate

⚠️ iOS Limitation: iOS doesn't support auth keys directly. You need to use manual approval.

Method 1: Pre-generate auth key (Recommended)

  1. Go to your dashboard
  2. Click "Add New Device" → iOS
  3. A registration URL will be generated
  4. Open that URL on your iPhone
  5. Complete the web-based registration

Method 2: Manual approval

  1. After configuring server, app will show "Waiting for admin approval"
  2. Contact your admin to approve your device
  3. Admin approves via: Dashboard → Pending Devices → Approve

🌍 Optional: Enable Exit Node

  1. Open Tailscale app
  2. Tap the ⚙️ Settings icon
  3. Enable "Use exit node"
  4. Select your server from the list
  5. Your traffic now routes through VPN (IP: 64.20.46.182)
💡 Verify: Visit ifconfig.me in Safari - should show 64.20.46.182

🤖 Android Setup

📥 Step 1: Install Tailscale App

  1. Open Google Play Store
  2. Search for "Tailscale"
  3. Install the official Tailscale app
  4. Open the app

⚙️ Step 2: Configure Custom Server

  1. Tap the ⋮ menu (three dots)
  2. Tap "Use a custom coordination server"
  3. Enter your server URL:
https://headscale.DOMAIN

🔑 Step 3: Connect

Similar to iOS, Android requires manual approval or web-based registration.

  1. Tap "Connect"
  2. App will show registration URL or "Waiting for approval"
  3. Either open the URL in browser or wait for admin approval

🌍 Optional: Enable Exit Node

  1. Open Tailscale app
  2. Tap ⋮ → Exit Node
  3. Select your server
  4. Tap "Use Exit Node"

🪟 Windows Setup

📥 Step 1: Install Tailscale

  1. Visit https://tailscale.com/download/windows
  2. Download the .exe installer
  3. Run the installer (requires admin rights)
  4. Follow installation wizard

🔑 Step 2: Get Auth Key

  1. Go to your dashboard
  2. Click "Add New Device" → Windows
  3. Copy the generated auth key

🔌 Step 3: Connect via Command Line

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

tailscale up --login-server=https://headscale.DOMAIN --authkey=YOUR_KEY_HERE

✅ Verify Connection

tailscale status
tailscale ip

🌍 Optional: Use Exit Node

tailscale up --exit-node=100.64.0.1

🐧 Linux Setup

📥 Step 1: Install Tailscale

Ubuntu/Debian:

curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install tailscale
sudo systemctl enable --now tailscaled

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S tailscale
sudo systemctl enable --now tailscaled

🔑 Step 2: Get Auth Key

  1. Visit your dashboard
  2. Click "Add New Device" → Linux
  3. Copy the generated auth key

🔌 Step 3: Connect

sudo tailscale up --login-server=https://headscale.DOMAIN --authkey=YOUR_KEY_HERE

✅ Verify

tailscale status
tailscale ip -4
ping 100.64.0.1

🌍 Optional: Exit Node

sudo tailscale up --exit-node=100.64.0.1
curl ifconfig.me  # Should show: 64.20.46.182

🎯 Common Features

Viewing Your Devices

On any platform:

tailscale status

Or visit your web dashboard to see all connected devices.

Disconnecting

tailscale down

Reconnecting

tailscale up

Checking Logs (Troubleshooting)

tailscale debug log

🔧 Troubleshooting

Can't Connect - "Bad auth key"

Cause: Auth key expired or already used (if single-use)
Solution: Generate a new key from dashboard

Connected but can't ping other devices

  1. Check firewall on both devices
  2. Verify both devices are in same network
  3. Check ACL rules aren't blocking traffic

Exit node not working

  1. Verify admin has approved your exit node route
  2. Check you have exit node permission in user settings
  3. Try: tailscale up --exit-node=100.64.0.1 --reset

iOS: "Waiting for admin approval"

This is normal! Contact your admin to approve your device, or use the web registration URL from the dashboard.

📞 Need Help?

💬 Contact Admin: Use the messaging feature in your dashboard to reach out to administrators for help.

⬇️ Download Tailscale Clients

Direct download links for all platforms:

🪟 Windows:
→ Windows Installer (.exe)
→ Windows MSI (x64)
🍎 macOS:
→ macOS Installer (.pkg)
🐧 Linux:
→ Linux x64 (amd64)
→ Linux ARM64
📱 Mobile:
→ iOS (App Store)
→ Android (Google Play)

Last Updated: 2025-10-09