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Exit nodes (route all traffic)

Exit nodes are available for all plans.

By default, Tailscale acts as an overlay network: it only routes traffic between devices running Tailscale, but doesn't touch your public internet traffic, such as when you visit Google or Twitter. The overlay network configuration is ideal for most people who need secure communication between sensitive devices (such as company servers or home computers), but don't need extra layers of encryption or latency for their public internet connection.

A diagram showing four devices in a Tailscale overlay network. A laptop is making a direct connection to google.com.

However, there might be times when you want Tailscale to route your public internet traffic. For example, you might want to route all your public internet traffic if:

  • You're in a coffee shop with untrusted Wi-Fi.
  • You're traveling overseas and need access to an online service (such as banking) only available in your home country.
A diagram showing four devices in a Tailscale overlay network where one is highlighted in blue and designated as an exit node. The laptop makes its connection to google.com through the Desktop device designated as an exit node.

You can route all your public internet traffic by setting a device on your network as an exit node. When you route all traffic through an exit node, you're effectively using default routes (0.0.0.0/0, ::/0), similar to how you would if you were using a typical VPN.

Benefits

  • Secure all traffic—exit nodes secure all traffic, including traffic to internet sites and applications
  • Scale globally—deploy exit nodes around the globe to meet your scale and geographical needs
  • Increase visibilitydestination logging provides increased visibility of traffic across the tailnet and forensic analysis during security incidents

Use cases

  • Traveling workforce—ensure all internet traffic is secured for your traveling workforce regardless of the physical network they're using
  • Testing from different geos—test your applications from different geographies by deploying and selecting exit nodes around the globe
  • Meet compliance needs—if you have regulatory or compliance needs that require your workforce to use a VPN, exit nodes can help

How it works

The exit node feature lets you route all traffic through a specific device on your Tailscale network (known as a tailnet). The device routing your traffic is called an exit node. There are many ways to use exit nodes in a tailnet. For example, you can:

For security purposes, you must opt in to exit node functionality. For example:

  • Every device must explicitly opt in to using an exit node.
  • A device must advertise itself as an exit node.
  • An Owner, Admin, or Network admin must allow a device to be an exit node for the tailnet.

By default, exit nodes capture all your network traffic . You can customize the type of traffic to pass through your exit nodes using subnet routers, app connectors, or app-based split tunneling on Android.

Get started

See the Use exit nodes quick start guide for basic instructions on how to configure and use exit nodes.

To get started with exit nodes:

  1. Understand the prerequisites.
  2. Configure a device to act as an exit node.
  3. Allow the exit node from the admin console.
  4. Configure other devices to use the exit node.

Prerequisites

Before you can configure an exit node, you must:

  • Set up a Tailscale network (known as a tailnet).
  • Ensure both the exit node and devices using the exit node run Tailscale v1.20 or later.
  • Ensure the exit node is a Linux, macOS, Windows, or Android device.
  • Ensure you allow (intended) users to use the exit node.
    Check your tailnet's ACLs and grants.

If your tailnet is using the default ACL, users of your tailnet already have access to any exit nodes that you configure. If you have modified your ACL, ensure you create an access rule that includes exit node uses in the autogroup:internet. They do not need access to the exit node itself to use the exit node.

The following example ACL allows all users access to the internet through an exit node:

// All users can use exit nodes
// If you are using the default ACL, this rule is not needed because the
// default ACL allows all users access to the internet through an exit node
{ "action": "accept", "src": ["autogroup:member"], "dst": ["autogroup:internet:*"] },

Configure an exit node

Use the following steps to configure an exit node:

  1. Install the Tailscale client.
  2. Advertise the device as an exit node.
  3. Allow the exit node.
  4. Use the exit node.

You can also get a suggested exit node.

Install the Tailscale client

Download and install Tailscale onto the Windows device you plan to use as an exit node.

From the Tailscale client installed on the device you plan to use as an exit node, select Exit node > Run exit node.

Allow the exit node from the admin console

You must be an Admin to allow a device to be an exit node.

If the device is authenticated by a user who can approve exit nodes in autoApprovers, the exit node will automatically be approved.

  1. Open the Machines page of the admin console and locate the exit node.
  2. Locate the Exit Node badge in the machines list or use the property:exit-node filter to list all devices advertised as exit nodes.

From the ellipsis icon menu of the exit node, open the Edit route settings panel, and enable Use as exit node.

Use the exit node

Each device must enable the exit node separately. The instructions for enabling an exit node vary depending on the device's operating system.

You can use an exit node from the system tray menu. Select the Tailscale icon and navigate to Use exit node. Then, select the machine name of the exit node to use.

If you want to allow direct access to your local network when routing traffic through an exit node, select Allow local network access.

The option to use an exit node only displays if there's an available exit node in your tailnet.

You can verify that your traffic is routed by another device by checking your public IP address using online tools. You should see the exit node's public address rather than your local device's IP address.

You can turn off routing through an exit node by selecting None from the Exit Node drop-down.

Destination logging in network flow logs

Destination Logging is available for Enterprise.

By default, destination logging is disabled for traffic flowing through an exit node across all tailnets, for privacy, abuse, and security purposes. Tailnets on the Enterprise plan can, however, enable destination logging across the tailnet for increased visibility of traffic across the tailnet and forensic analysis during security incidents. Destinations are logged in Network flow logs.

You must enable log streaming before using exit node destination logging.

To enable destination logging for exit nodes:

  1. Navigate to the Logs page in the admin console.
  2. Select Network flow logs.
  3. Select the Logging Actions menu, then select Enable exit node destination logging.

To disable destination logging for exit nodes:

  1. Navigate to the Logs page in the admin console.
  2. Select Network flow logs.
  3. Select the Logging Actions menu, then select Disable exit node destination logging.

Caveats

Tailscale support for running exit nodes on Windows is new and still undergoing optimization. Windows exit nodes are limited to userspace routing, require DNS in a system thread, and require you to prevent your device from sleeping to maintain a connection.

Userspace

On Windows, the exit node is implemented in userspace, which differs from the default Linux exit node implementation. For details, refer to Kernel vs. netstack subnet routing & exit nodes.

DNS

When Tailscale operates as an exit node, it runs a DNS server for peers behind the exit node to use as their DNS server.

Tailscale's DNS server implementation on Windows currently occupies a system thread (and thus system memory) for each ongoing DNS query. High numbers of concurrent queries might cause problems for heavily used exit nodes.

Sleeping

When running an exit node, consider enabling "Run Unattended" so Tailscale continues to run even after you log out (or the machine reboots, such as for Windows updates).

You also currently need to prevent the computer from sleeping if you want the exit node to remain available.

Last updated Dec 10, 2024