Tailscale Connections#

Overview and Prerequisites#

There are situations where you would like to access your device even though you are not on the same network. This is useful if you have a DGX Spark on your home network but want to use it while working away from home.

NVIDIA Sync supports this kind of connection using a Tailscale integration. Tailscale is an open source client along with a service platform that provides a peer-to-peer mesh called a “tailnet.” Tailscale works with NVIDIA Sync to access your device from relatively anywhere. Learn more about Tailscale in the Tailscale documentation.

NVIDIA Sync has directly integrated the Tailscale service so that Sync itself is a node that can be connected to the other devices in your tailnet. This means that you do not need to install the Tailscale client on your laptop. Rather, you can enable the feature in Sync.

Enabling the Tailscale Integration#

To enable the Tailscale integration:

  1. Open Settings and select the Tailscale tab.

  2. Click Enable Tailscale.

  3. A browser window opens. Sign in to Tailscale and click Connect.

  4. Wait until you see Login Successful in the browser window.

  5. Close the browser and return to NVIDIA Sync.

If the browser does not open, use the option in NVIDIA Sync to resend the request. If the enable flow fails, check the error message in NVIDIA Sync for details.

Adding a Device to Tailscale#

To add a device to your Tailscale network using NVIDIA Sync, follow these steps to generate and use an authentication key. This process securely links your device to your tailnet and ensures it can communicate with other devices through Tailscale.

  1. Open the NVIDIA Sync app and go to Settings.

  2. Select the Tailscale tab.

  3. Click Add a Device.

  4. Select the device to add from the drop-down menu at the top of the modal.

  5. Use the link in the modal to go to the Tailscale authentication key settings.

  6. Create an authentication key using the default settings.

  7. Copy and paste it into the modal and select Add Device.

  8. A terminal opens connected to the device. Follow the instructions to ensure that the Tailscale client is installed and properly authenticated on the device.

Connecting to a Tailscale Device#

NVIDIA Sync selects the connection type automatically. No user selection is required. The connection indicator in NVIDIA Sync shows which connection type is active.

If the connection drops, NVIDIA Sync enters a reconnecting state. Reconnection typically takes approximately 30 seconds. Click Cancel to stop. If the system tray is hidden and a connection error occurs, the tray may open automatically to display the error.

Switching Networks Automatically#

When you move between networks (for example, from a local network to a remote network), NVIDIA Sync switches from direct to Tailscale connection automatically. The reconnecting state is displayed briefly, then the connection indicator updates. No action is required. This applies to the NVIDIA Sync managed tunnels and to SSH-enabled applications using SSH aliases (such as VS Code or Cursor).

Managing Tailscale Devices#

You can manage the devices that are connected to your Tailscale network directly from within NVIDIA Sync using the following tools:

Tailscale Devices screen: View all devices added to Tailscale from the Tailscale settings screen in NVIDIA Sync.

Reauthenticating: If a device’s Tailscale authorization expires, reauthenticate it from the Tailscale Settings screen.

Removing devices from Tailscale: Removing the device from Tailscale deletes credentials and disconnects the device from your tailnet. Select Remove device from the action menu and follow the terminal prompts. Removing a device from Tailscale requires a direct connection. You cannot do this over a Tailscale connection.

Note

When you remove or deauthenticate a device from Tailscale, its keys are expired (they appear as expired in the Tailscale administration console). The device is not removed from the console.

Troubleshooting Connection Failures#

If you see a message saying “Unable to Connect,” use the following troubleshooting steps:

  1. Verify your network connection.

  2. In the Tailscale administration console, confirm the device is enrolled and not expired.

  3. Expand the source error for more details.

If the tray is hidden when an error occurs, it might open automatically to display the message.

Disabling the Tailscale Integration#

To disable the Tailscale integration, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings and select the Tailscale tab.

  2. Use the three-dot action menu and select Disable Tailscale.

Warning

Tailscale devices remain visible in your Tailscale administration console. Remove them before disabling the Tailscale integration. Disconnecting clears NVIDIA Sync’s Tailscale credentials but does not remove the devices.

FAQ / Common Issues#

My session timed out during setup

Complete the Tailscale login in the browser before the session expires. If it expires, start the enable flow again from Settings → Tailscale.

I accidentally closed the browser

Resend the request from NVIDIA Sync. The enable flow can be retried.

My device shows as expired in Tailscale

Reauthenticate the device from the Enrolled Devices screen, or generate a new authentication key and re-enroll.

Unenroll command is hanging

Unenroll requires a direct connection. Connect to the device over your local network, then unenroll. You cannot unenroll over a Tailscale connection.