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Guide

Reach your OpenMediaVault server from anywhere with Tailscale

A short overview of how to install Tailscale on your OpenMediaVault server and your phone, so openmediavault monitor can reach your server away from home without exposing the web interface to the internet.

Set it up in a few steps

Tailscale is a separate service from another company that links your own devices into a private network. openmediavault monitor does not need it, but it is a simple and safe way to reach a home server from outside. This is only an overview: the Tailscale and OpenMediaVault documentation have the details.

  1. Create a Tailscale account

    Sign up at tailscale.com with an account you already have, such as a Google, Microsoft or Apple account. The free personal plan is enough for a home setup.

  2. Install Tailscale on your OpenMediaVault server

    OpenMediaVault runs on Debian, so follow the Linux installation steps of Tailscale on the server (over SSH or the console), then run the sign-in command it shows and open the link it prints to add the server to your Tailscale network.

  3. Add your phone

    Install the Tailscale app on your phone from the App Store or Google Play, sign in with the same account, and turn it on. Your phone and your server now see each other in the same private network.

  4. Find the server’s Tailscale address

    In the Tailscale app or in its admin page, open the list of your devices and note the server’s address. It is a number that starts with 100, or a device name that Tailscale can resolve for you.

  5. Use an administrator account

    OpenMediaVault lets only administrators use its API. Create a dedicated administrator account with a strong password for the app in the OpenMediaVault web interface, under Users, instead of using your main one.

  6. Add the server in openmediavault monitor

    In openmediavault monitor, open Add server and enter the Tailscale address as the server address. Keep the protocol and the port of your OpenMediaVault web interface (HTTP and port 80 by default), enter the account and use Test connection before saving.

Good to know

Keep Tailscale turned on

openmediavault monitor reaches the server only while Tailscale is connected on your phone. If the connection fails away from home, check that first.

No open ports

You do not forward any port on your router and the OpenMediaVault web interface stays off the internet. Tailscale encrypts the traffic between your devices, even for a plain HTTP address.

HTTPS is still better

If your server has a certificate that matches the address you use, prefer HTTPS. The app always validates certificates and never offers a trust-anyway option; a private certificate authority works once it is installed on your phone.

Independent of openmediavault monitor

Tailscale is a separate product and openmediavault monitor is not affiliated with it. Read its own documentation for the exact steps on your system.

The support page lists the OpenMediaVault documentation and how to contact us.

Open the support page