July 29th, 2024

How to Use Tailscale VPN to Embrace Remote Work and Explore the World

The rise of remote work has led to increased interest in digital nomadism, with Tailscale recommended for secure, flexible internet access through a self-hosted VPN, enhancing privacy while traveling.

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How to Use Tailscale VPN to Embrace Remote Work and Explore the World

Remote work has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading many to adopt a lifestyle as "digital nomads." This shift has prompted individuals to seek flexibility in their work locations, often desiring to work from various places rather than being confined to their homes. To facilitate this, using a self-hosted VPN, specifically Tailscale, is recommended. Unlike commercial VPNs, which can be easily detected by corporate IT departments, a self-hosted VPN allows users to mask their actual location while ensuring secure internet access.

Tailscale operates as an overlay network utilizing the Wireguard protocol, providing a way to route internet traffic through a home IP address. This setup can be particularly beneficial when traveling, as it avoids the limitations of commercial VPNs and offers better performance. Users can set up a travel router to connect their work devices to the local internet while routing traffic through their home VPN server.

The article outlines the necessary equipment, including a Raspberry Pi or GL.iNet router, and provides a step-by-step guide for installation and configuration. It emphasizes the importance of using a wired connection for security and performance. Additionally, it discusses potential challenges, such as the use of DERP relay servers that may slow down connections. Overall, Tailscale offers a practical solution for remote workers looking to maintain privacy and security while enjoying the freedom to work from anywhere.

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By @lilsoso - 4 months
Tailscale is not a good option for this (hiding your geo-location from work). As the article states,

'Additionally, in the case of a DERP-relayed connection, if one were to run a “traceroute” on your connection, they would see the public DERP relay server IP address, since it is routing your traffic in the middle. This IP obviously belongs to a commercial/enterprise IP block, but it’s only visible by running a traceroute which is able to see every “hop” your traffic makes. Whether or not your employer’s telemetry would pick up on this is what would determine whether this method would still work for you or not.'

Tailscale is not built for anonymity and contains strange surprises.