---
type: entity
path: Wiki/Reference
tags:
  - tailscale
  - homelab
  - networking
created: 2026-05-08
updated: 2026-05-08
---

# Tailscale

## What it is

Tailscale is the WireGuard-based mesh VPN connecting Travis's homelab machines, development workstations, and cloud services into a unified private network. It provides zero-config encrypted connectivity without port forwarding or public exposure, making it the foundation for secure internal service access across the homelab and PBS infrastructure.

## Current state

Active mesh. Key usages:
- **herbydev access** — Tailscale enables VNC access to herbydev from anywhere
- **OB1 access** — OB1 (Supabase + pgvector) is Tailscale-only, no public endpoint
- **Homelab MCP server** — MCP access path includes Tailscale alongside Cloudflare Tunnel
- **Traefik deployment** — Tailscale listed as part of ingress topology (alongside Cloudflare Tunnel)
- **Cross-service auth** — Services that need inter-machine communication route over Tailscale

## Where it lives

- Installed on: herbydev, Proxmox hosts, PBS Linode server (where applicable), OB1 host
- Management: Tailscale admin console (cloud-hosted)
- No self-hosted control plane (using Tailscale's hosted coordination server)

## Related projects

- [[Sources/Dev/herbys-dev-setup|herbys-dev-setup]] — Tailscale VNC for herbydev
- [[Sources/Homelab/ob1-deployment|ob1-deployment]] — Tailscale-only OB1 access
- [[Sources/Homelab/homelab-mcp-server|homelab-mcp-server]] — MCP server access path
- [[Sources/Homelab/traefik-deployment|traefik-deployment]] — ingress topology includes Tailscale
- [[Wiki/Reference/cloudflare|cloudflare]] — complementary external access layer
- [[Wiki/Homelab/homelab-ingress-stack|homelab-ingress-stack]] — synthesis

## History

- Ongoing — Foundational mesh VPN for all homelab connectivity
- **2026** — OB1 deployment locked as Tailscale-only (no public endpoint per addendum)
- **2026** — MCP server deployment uses Tailscale + Cloudflare Tunnel for dual access