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Last validated: Jan 5, 2026
\nTailscale automatically assigns each device on your network a unique Tailscale IP address and MagicDNS name so that you can establish stable connections between devices anywhere in the world, even if they're behind a firewall or change networks. This guide covers connecting to devices in your tailnet after you've installed Tailscale on two or more devices.
\nBefore you explore the connection process, it's crucial to understand that Tailscale provides network connectivity between devices, but you must run a specific service (like SSH or a web server) on the destination device. Tailscale does not provide these services automatically.
\nTo connect to another device in your tailnet:
\nOpen the Machines page of the admin console. You'll find a list of all devices in your tailnet, along with their hostnames ( device names) and Tailscale IP addresses.
\nRemember, you can only connect to services running on your devices. Common services include:
\n22)You can also use Tailscale SSH.
\n80 or 443)Ensure the service you want to access runs on the target device. You can do so by checking the Services page of the admin console, or by confirming the service is running on the destination device.
\nTailscale offers a feature called MagicDNS, which allows you to use device names instead of Tailscale IP addresses. It's enabled by default, so you can use it right away.
\nTo connect to a service on a device in your tailnet:
\nFor example, if you want to SSH into a device with the MagicDNS namedev-build-server, you can use the following command in a terminal emulator:
ssh username@dev-build-server\nVisit the following topics to find more information more about connecting to different types of services:
\nIf you can't connect to a service:
\ntailscale ping.The following sections cover other ways you can manage connections to devices in your tailnet.
\nWhen you create a tailnet, Tailscale automatically applies a default access control policy that lets you connect to all devices you own. You can customize access control policies (such as ACLs or grants) in the tailnet policy file to create policies that control how devices in your tailnet connect to each other and other devices on the internet.
\nTailscale offers a built-in SSH feature that extends and simplifies SSH connections between your devices. When enabled, Tailscale SSH manages the authentication and authorization of SSH connections in your tailnet, letting you add additional security checks and providing a web console interface.
\nYou can share devices or specific services with other Tailscale users, allowing collaboration while maintaining security.
\nYou can configure a device to route outbound traffic by running it as an exit node or inbound traffic by running it as a subnet router. Using a device as a subnet router lets you access devices without installing the Tailscale client.
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