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Connecting to the Cyber@UC Network with Tailscale Client

This guide will walk you through connecting your Windows, macOS, and Linux machines to Cyber@UC's internal network using the provided Tailscale command.

Prerequisites

  • Tailscale Installed: Ensure that the Tailscale client is installed on your Windows, macOS, or Linux machine. You can download it from the official Tailscale website: https://tailscale.com/download/
  • Authentication Key: You have a valid authentication key for the Cyber@UC coordination server. Replace <KEYHERE> in the command with your actual key.

Auth keys expire after 1hr

Auth Key Generation

The authentication keys used to connect to the subnet automatically generated as part of our infrastructure deployment process using CI/CD Pipelines and Terraform.

Connecting from Windows

  1. Open PowerShell as Administrator: Search for "PowerShell" in the Start Menu, right-click on it, and select "Run as administrator".
  2. Execute the Tailscale Command: Copy and paste the following command into the PowerShell window, replacing <KEYHERE> with your actual authentication key: 
    tailscale up --auth-key=<KEYHERE> --login-server=https://headscale.cyberatuc.org --accept-routes --accept-dns=false --reset
  3. Verify Connection:
    • Check the Tailscale system tray icon (it should show as connected).
    • Run the command: 
      tailscale status

Connecting from macOS

  1. Verify Tailscale Installation: 
    ls -la /Applications/ | grep -i tailscale
  2. Execute the Tailscale Command: Replace <KEYHERE> with your actual authentication key: 
    sudo /Applications/Tailscale.app/Contents/MacOS/Tailscale up --auth-key=<KEYHERE> --login-server=https://headscale.cyberatuc.org --accept-routes --accept-dns=false --reset
  3. Enter Password (If Prompted): Enter your user password for the sudo command.
  4. Verify Connection:
    • Check the Tailscale menu bar icon (should show as connected).
    • Run: 
      sudo tailscale status

Connecting from Linux

  1. Open your Terminal
  2. Execute the Tailscale Command: Replace <KEYHERE> with your actual authentication key: 
    sudo tailscale up --auth-key=<KEYHERE> --login-server=https://headscale.cyberatuc.org --accept-routes --accept-dns=false --reset
  3. Enter Sudo Password (If Prompted).

  4. Verify Connection:

    • Run:
    sudo tailscale status

Understanding the Command

  • sudo tailscale up → Starts or connects to the Cyber@UC Tailscale network.
  • --auth-key=<KEYHERE> → Specifies the authentication key. Replace <KEYHERE> with your actual key.
  • --login-server=https://headscale.cyberatuc.org → Tells Tailscale to use the Cyber@UC coordination server.
  • --accept-routes → Accepts routes advertised by other nodes.
  • --accept-dns=false → Prevents overwriting DNS settings. (Important: Setting this to true can break DNS).
  • --reset → Clears any previous Tailscale state before reconnecting.

Important Considerations

  • Firewall: Ensure that your firewall is not blocking Tailscale’s required ports.
  • Troubleshooting: If issues occur, check logs with tailscale bugreport and review the Tailscale documentation for guidance.