Hi. I have tailscale running with an exit node on a raspberry pi in the UK. In Europe I have a TV which cannot install a tailscale app, so I thought I could use a Dell WYSE running Ubuntu. If I configured the Dell as a wifi hotspot, I thought I could connect my TVs to the wi-fi hotspot. I hoped by installing tailscale on the Dell I would be able to route all traffic back to the exit node running on the pi in the UK.
What I know
a) the exit node works perfectly since in Europe I can connect my phone via tailscale and the internet signal is from the UK
b) if I run, the Dell WYSE in Europe, and I connect my phone (SIM data switched off) to the hotspot signal I receive the internet. As soon as I activate using the use an exit-node option on the Dell, the phone remains connect to the hotspot wifi signal but the internet signal is blocked.
Does anybody know how to get around this? Or an alternative way to connect a TV without tailscale app to an exit node?
I tried installing tailscale on a GL.iNet 300M router, but as soon as the use an exit node option is activated the router freezes and needs to be reset.
You may have some success if you enable the --exit-node-allow-lan-access option in tailscale up. If that option is not set, then enabling the exit node disables the ability to access anything unless it goes through the exit node – this is an important feature when on an untrusted network where you want to prevent communication with other nearby devices; it’s impossible to automatically detect which approach is correct in any particular situation so Tailscale defaults to the more secure one.
Generally speaking, however, the exit node feature was not designed with that scenario in mind (re-sharing an exit node to a LAN), so you may encounter issues. Please let us know if you do get this working.
Sorry Adrian, it is indeed in the notes.
When I read it, I thought it meant giving access to the LAN at the exit node position, and not the LAN at the device which is routing to the exit node.
Not being a IT person, may I ask what is the difference between a subnet router and using sudo tailscale up --exit-node= --exit-node-allow-lan-access=true since I am using the --exit-node-allow-lan-access option to allow devices which cannot install Tailscale to now route their traffic via this node and onto the Tailscale network.
Thanks
An exit node is a particular configuration of subnet router that allows you to access the internet via the exit node. Generally, a subnet router is used to grant Tailscale devices access to devices the subnet router’s LAN when those LAN devices aren’t running Tailscale.
This is in contrast to the exit-node-allow-lan-access option which prevents the exit node feature from blocking access to the LAN of the device you’re using.
Put another way: subnet router is for accessing a LAN somewhere else, whereas exit-node-allow-lan-access is for accessing the LAN where you are.