I Tried Tailscale, a Self-Hosted VPN Service That Makes You Feel Like You’re Always at Home.
I hadn’t heard of Tailscale until recently, when a friend raved about its capabilities. After researching online, I discovered that the software has a loyal following; perhaps part of the reason I hadn’t encountered it before is that understanding how it works isn’t easy. Tailscale is technically a VPN (virtual private network), but not in the traditional sense. While programs like NordVPN or ExpressVPN connect you to someone else’s network to access the internet, Tailscale does the opposite and connects you to your own network from the outside.
Remote access technology has certainly been around for years, but it often involves a lot of complex and technically demanding setup steps—you want to be able to remotely access your home network without letting anyone else in, and that usually means a complex configuration involving router settings and multiple third-party apps.
With Tailscale, there’s nothing like that, and after installing the software, you’ll quickly understand why. You can sit in a cafe or hotel room and have virtually the same access to your home network as if you were in the living room, offering a variety of benefits, from file sharing to controlling smart home devices.
An obvious use case is remote access to a home computer without the hassle of third-party servers. Tailscale also simplifies access to media servers configured with apps like Plex or Jellyfin, as well as smart home systems running through Home Assistant or another control panel.
The entire system is built on the open-source WireGuard VPN protocol, which creates private and encrypted communication channels with all devices you want to connect to your network—your “tail network.” To add a new device, simply install Tailscale on it, whether it’s your 5G phone or a desktop computer in your office. Tailscale is free for personal use, covering up to six separate users and an unlimited number of personal devices, though there are some limitations: 50 tagged resources (always-on devices that require multi-user access, such as a NAS server) and three access control list (ACL) groups (for setting access rights for each user). Paid plans start at $8 per month.
Testing Tailscale technology
Ease of setup is one of Tailscale’s key advantages, and it’s truly incredibly simple. Download the required app to any device you want to get started with, create an account (you can sign in with a Google, Microsoft, GitHub, or Apple account), and you’re ready to go. I connected a Windows computer, a MacBook, an Android phone, and an iPhone to Tailscale in minutes, with just a few taps and clicks. There’s also a web portal where you can view all connected devices and their status.
One improvement I immediately noticed was the addition of Tailscale to the Share menu on Android and iOS, allowing me to quickly share photos and other files between all my devices in seconds (without having to use AirDrop or Android Quick Share). I could also instantly access shared folders on my desktop and laptop computers from my phone.
Another very simple option is to install a remote access app on your phone and use it to directly connect to one of your computers in another physical location, without access to the wider internet or the need for complex configuration. Tailscale provides you with an IP address that appears to be your local network. Any of your home computers can also be configured as an exit node, meaning internet traffic can be rerouted through it. For example, if you’re staying at a hotel, you can use Tailscale as a secure tunnel back home, meaning websites will see you as a visitor from home, not as an unidentified hotel IP address.
There are some areas where Tailscale could be improved (the Windows client isn’t as easy to use as the macOS one), and it’s fair to say that Tailscale requires at least basic networking knowledge to get started, but as a free and useful software, it’s hard to beat. I won’t delve into more complex use cases involving NAS drives or home servers, as I don’t currently work with them, but that’s the next level of Tailscale’s capabilities.