Tailscale (VPN)

Tailscale is a WireGuard-based VPN that makes it easy to access your NVR privately from anywhere.

For many users, it is the easiest and safest remote-access approach because nothing is publicly exposed.

Quick start

1. Install Tailscale on the machine that can reach Frigate (often the same host)
2. Install Tailscale on your iPhone
3. Use the Tailscale IP address in Viewu (NVR URL)
4. If you want notification images while away from home: keep Tailscale connected

Step 0: When to choose Tailscale vs Cloudflare

Choose Tailscale when:

• You only need access from your own devices
• You want the simplest “works and stays private” approach

Choose Cloudflare Tunnel when:

• You want access without a VPN on the phone
• You want public hostnames protected by Cloudflare Access

Cloudflare guide: Cloudflare Tunnels

Step 1: Install on Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

Enable and start:

sudo systemctl enable --now tailscaled

Log in:

sudo tailscale up

Verify:

tailscale status
tailscale ip -4

Step 2: Install on iPhone

1. Install Tailscale from the App Store
2. Log in to the same tailnet
3. Confirm you can reach your NVR host (ping or open the URL in Safari)

Step 3: Configure Viewu with the Tailscale address

If Frigate is on port 5000:

• http://<tailscale-ip>:5000

Example:

• http://100.61.12.34:5000

Tips that avoid common pain

• If you want notification images while away from home, your phone must be connected to Tailscale when the notification arrives (so it can fetch the snapshot).
• If you enable subnet routes or an exit node, verify you understand the networking impact. It can be useful, but it is also easy to misconfigure.
• Use ACLs in the Tailscale Admin console to restrict access to your NVR host.