Technical overviews

Last validated: Feb 13, 2025

This section contains in-depth topics about networking and security in a Tailscale network (known as a tailnet).

Networking and device connectivity

Tailscale modernizes your network through underlying technology to securely connect users, services, and devices.

How Tailscale assigns IP addresses \ \ Understand how Tailscale assigns stable IP addresses based on the device and authorization credentials. Device connectivity \ \ Understand connectivity between Tailscale devices. DERP servers \ \ Tailscale uses Designated Encrypted Relay for Packets (DERP) servers for secure, low-latency connections in your tailnet. Customization options let you optimize device communication and NAT traversal. IPv4 vs. IPv6 FAQ \ \ Answers to common questions around IPv6.

Security, authentication, and encryption

Tailscale enforces secure authorization and encryption for tailnet traffic based on identity.

Protect your SSH servers using Tailscale \ \ Understand how Tailscale works well with SSH clients and SSH servers, improving security and offering a better user experience. Node keys \ \ How Tailscale uses node keys as the mechanism for which machines can join a tailnet. Tailscale encryption \ \ Review how Tailscale uses encryption. Tailscale identity \ \ Understand how identity is established and used in Tailscale.

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