2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
# Connecting a Windows client
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Goal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This documentation has the goal of showing how a user can use the official Windows [Tailscale](https://tailscale.com) client with `headscale`.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
## Installation
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
Download the [Official Windows Client](https://tailscale.com/download/windows) and install it.
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
## Configuring the headscale URL
|
2022-02-11 18:36:53 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
!!! info "Instructions on your headscale instance"
|
2023-04-04 06:58:32 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
An endpoint with information on how to connect your Windows device
|
|
|
|
|
is also available at `/windows` on your running instance.
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
Open a Command Prompt or Powershell and use Tailscale's login command to connect with your headscale instance (e.g
|
|
|
|
|
`https://headscale.example.com`):
|
2023-04-04 06:58:32 +00:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
tailscale login --login-server <YOUR_HEADSCALE_URL>
|
2023-04-04 06:58:32 +00:00
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
Follow the instructions in the opened browser window to finish the configuration.
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
## Troubleshooting
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
### Unattended mode
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
By default, Tailscale's Windows client is only running when the user is logged in. If you want to keep Tailscale running
|
|
|
|
|
all the time, please enable "Unattended mode":
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
- Click on the Tailscale tray icon and select `Preferences`
|
|
|
|
|
- Enable `Run unattended`
|
|
|
|
|
- Confirm the "Unattended mode" message
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
See also [Keep Tailscale running when I'm not logged in to my computer](https://tailscale.com/kb/1088/run-unattended)
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
### Failing node registration
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you are seeing repeated messages like:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
[GIN] 2022/02/10 - 16:39:34 | 200 | 1.105306ms | 127.0.0.1 | POST "/machine/redacted"
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
in your `headscale` output, turn on `DEBUG` logging and look for:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
2022-02-11T00:59:29Z DBG Machine registration has expired. Sending a authurl to register machine=redacted
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
2022-02-11 18:36:53 +00:00
|
|
|
This typically means that the registry keys above was not set appropriately.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To reset and try again, it is important to do the following:
|
2022-02-11 08:26:22 +00:00
|
|
|
|
2024-09-09 11:18:16 +00:00
|
|
|
1. Shut down the Tailscale service (or the client running in the tray)
|
|
|
|
|
2. Delete Tailscale Application data folder, located at `C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Tailscale` and try to connect again.
|
|
|
|
|
3. Ensure the Windows node is deleted from headscale (to ensure fresh setup)
|
|
|
|
|
4. Start Tailscale on the Windows machine and retry the login.
|
