Understanding Tailscale Address Resolving

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 95 views

Introduction

Tailscale is a popular network security solution that enables secure communication between devices on a network. One of the key features of Tailscale is its ability to resolve addresses using internal DNS servers. However, some users have reported issues with this feature, where Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers is not working as expected. In this article, we will explore the possible causes of this issue and provide a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and resolve the problem.

Understanding Tailscale Address Resolving

Before we dive into the troubleshooting process, it's essential to understand how Tailscale address resolving works. Tailscale uses a combination of DNS and IP routing to resolve addresses. When a device on the network requests a connection to another device, Tailscale's DNS server is queried to resolve the address. The DNS server then returns the IP address of the device, which is used to establish the connection.

Configuring Tailscale for Internal DNS Servers

To use internal DNS servers with Tailscale, you need to configure your Tailscale node to use the internal DNS server. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Configure the Tailscale Node

First, you need to configure the Tailscale node to use the internal DNS server. You can do this by editing the tailscale.conf file on the Linux machine. Add the following line to the file:

dns_servers = ["192.168.77.1"]

Replace 192.168.77.1 with the IP address of your internal DNS server.

Step 2: Restart the Tailscale Service

After configuring the tailscale.conf file, you need to restart the Tailscale service to apply the changes. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo systemctl restart tailscale

Troubleshooting Tailscale Address Resolving Issues

If Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers is not working, here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue:

Step 1: Check the Tailscale Node Configuration

First, check the Tailscale node configuration to ensure that the internal DNS server is correctly configured. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo tailscale status

This command will display the current status of the Tailscale node, including the DNS server configuration.

Step 2: Check the DNS Server Configuration

Next, check the DNS server configuration to ensure that it is correctly configured to resolve Tailscale addresses. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo dig +short @192.168.77.1 tailscale.com

Replace 192.168.77.1 with the IP address of your internal DNS server. This command will display the IP address of the Tailscale server.

Step 3: Check the IP Routing Configuration

Finally, check the IP routing configuration to ensure that it is correctly configured to route traffic between devices on the network. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo ip route show

This command will display the current IP routing table.

Common Issues and Solutions

Here are some common issues that may cause Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers to fail, along with their solutions:

Issue 1: Incorrect DNS Server Configuration

If the DNS server configuration is incorrect, Tailscale address resolving may fail. To resolve this issue, ensure that the DNS server is correctly configured to resolve Tailscale addresses.

Issue 2: IP Routing Configuration Issues

If the IP routing configuration is incorrect, Tailscale address resolving may fail. To resolve this issue, ensure that the IP routing configuration is correctly configured to route traffic between devices on the network.

Issue 3: Tailscale Node Configuration Issues

If the Tailscale node configuration is incorrect, Tailscale address resolving may fail. To resolve this issue, ensure that the Tailscale node configuration is correctly configured to use the internal DNS server.

Conclusion

Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers is a powerful feature that enables secure communication between devices on a network. However, some users have reported issues with this feature, where Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers is not working as expected. In this article, we have explored the possible causes of this issue and provided a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and resolve the problem. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to resolve Tailscale address resolving issues using internal DNS servers.

Additional Resources

For more information on Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers, please refer to the following resources:

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions related to Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers:

Q: What is Tailscale address resolving?

A: Tailscale address resolving is a feature that enables secure communication between devices on a network by resolving addresses using internal DNS servers.

Q: Why is Tailscale address resolving not working?

A: Tailscale address resolving may not work due to incorrect DNS server configuration, IP routing configuration issues, or Tailscale node configuration issues.

Q: How do I troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues?

A: To troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues, check the Tailscale node configuration, DNS server configuration, and IP routing configuration.

Q: What are the common issues that may cause Tailscale address resolving to fail?

Introduction

Tailscale is a popular network security solution that enables secure communication between devices on a network. One of the key features of Tailscale is its ability to resolve addresses using internal DNS servers. However, some users have reported issues with this feature, where Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers is not working as expected. In this article, we will provide a Q&A guide to help you troubleshoot and resolve Tailscale address resolving issues using internal DNS servers.

Q: What is Tailscale address resolving?

A: Tailscale address resolving is a feature that enables secure communication between devices on a network by resolving addresses using internal DNS servers.

Q: Why is Tailscale address resolving not working?

A: Tailscale address resolving may not work due to incorrect DNS server configuration, IP routing configuration issues, or Tailscale node configuration issues.

Q: How do I troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues?

A: To troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues, check the Tailscale node configuration, DNS server configuration, and IP routing configuration.

Q: What are the common issues that may cause Tailscale address resolving to fail?

A: The common issues that may cause Tailscale address resolving to fail include:

Incorrect DNS server configuration
IP routing configuration issues
Tailscale node configuration issues

Q: How do I configure the Tailscale node to use the internal DNS server?

A: To configure the Tailscale node to use the internal DNS server, you need to edit the tailscale.conf file on the Linux machine. Add the following line to the file:

dns_servers = ["192.168.77.1"]

Replace 192.168.77.1 with the IP address of your internal DNS server.

Q: How do I restart the Tailscale service to apply the changes?

A: To restart the Tailscale service to apply the changes, run the following command:

sudo systemctl restart tailscale

Q: How do I check the Tailscale node configuration?

A: To check the Tailscale node configuration, run the following command:

sudo tailscale status

This command will display the current status of the Tailscale node, including the DNS server configuration.

Q: How do I check the DNS server configuration?

A: To check the DNS server configuration, run the following command:

sudo dig +short @192.168.77.1 tailscale.com

Replace 192.168.77.1 with the IP address of your internal DNS server. This command will display the IP address of the Tailscale server.

Q: How do I check the IP routing configuration?

A: To check the IP routing configuration, run the following command:

sudo ip route show

This command will display the current IP routing table.

Q: What are the benefits of using internal DNS servers with Tailscale?

A: The benefits of using internal DNS servers with Tailscale include:

Improved security: Internal DNS servers can help to improve security by reducing the risk of DNS-based attacks.
Increased flexibility: Internal DNS servers can be configured to resolve addresses for specific devices or subnets.
Better performance: Internal DNS servers can improve performance by reducing the latency associated with DNS lookups.

Q: Can I use external DNS servers with Tailscale?

A: Yes, you can use external DNS servers with Tailscale. However, using external DNS servers may reduce the security and flexibility of your Tailscale setup.

Q: How do I troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues using external DNS servers?

A: To troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues using external DNS servers, follow the same steps as above. However, you may need to use a different DNS server IP address.

Conclusion

Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers is a powerful feature that enables secure communication between devices on a network. However, some users have reported issues with this feature, where Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers is not working as expected. In this article, we have provided a Q&A guide to help you troubleshoot and resolve Tailscale address resolving issues using internal DNS servers. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to resolve Tailscale address resolving issues using internal DNS servers.

Additional Resources

For more information on Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers, please refer to the following resources:

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions related to Tailscale address resolving using internal DNS servers:

Q: What is Tailscale address resolving?

A: Tailscale address resolving is a feature that enables secure communication between devices on a network by resolving addresses using internal DNS servers.

Q: Why is Tailscale address resolving not working?

A: Tailscale address resolving may not work due to incorrect DNS server configuration, IP routing configuration issues, or Tailscale node configuration issues.

Q: How do I troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues?

A: To troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues, check the Tailscale node configuration, DNS server configuration, and IP routing configuration.

Q: What are the common issues that may cause Tailscale address resolving to fail?

A: The common issues that may cause Tailscale address resolving to fail include:

Incorrect DNS server configuration
IP routing configuration issues
Tailscale node configuration issues

Q: How do I configure the Tailscale node to use the internal DNS server?

A: To configure the Tailscale node to use the internal DNS server, you need to edit the tailscale.conf file on the Linux machine. Add the following line to the file:

dns_servers = ["192.168.77.1"]

Replace 192.168.77.1 with the IP address of your internal DNS server.

Q: How do I restart the Tailscale service to apply the changes?

A: To restart the Tailscale service to apply the changes, run the following command:

sudo systemctl restart tailscale

Q: How do I check the Tailscale node configuration?

A: To check the Tailscale node configuration, run the following command:

sudo tailscale status

This command will display the current status of the Tailscale node, including the DNS server configuration.

Q: How do I check the DNS server configuration?

A: To check the DNS server configuration, run the following command:

sudo dig +short @192.168.77.1 tailscale.com

Replace 192.168.77.1 with the IP address of your internal DNS server. This command will display the IP address of the Tailscale server.

Q: How do I check the IP routing configuration?

A: To check the IP routing configuration, run the following command:

sudo ip route show

This command will display the current IP routing table.

Q: What are the benefits of using internal DNS servers with Tailscale?

A: The benefits of using internal DNS servers with Tailscale include:

Improved security: Internal DNS servers can help to improve security by reducing the risk of DNS-based attacks.
Increased flexibility: Internal DNS servers can be configured to resolve addresses for specific devices or subnets.
Better performance: Internal DNS servers can improve performance by reducing the latency associated with DNS lookups.

Q: Can I use external DNS servers with Tailscale?

A: Yes, you can use external DNS servers with Tailscale. However, using external DNS servers may reduce the security and flexibility of your Tailscale setup.

Q: How do I troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues using external DNS servers?

A: To troubleshoot Tailscale address resolving issues using external DNS servers, follow the same steps as above. However, you may need to use a different DNS server IP address.