Tutorial **Tailscale On Merlin**

[kuki68ster]

So far so good, after my reinstall early this morning, so I am about 7 hours in on the corrected S06tailscaled and with 1.58.2-1. Tested using my phone on LTE only. So assuming it holds I am going to do the 1.58.2-1 to 1.64.0 update later this afternoon and see if that still holds.

Not sure why it bailed out yesterday, I was doing a few things with Firmware updates at the time, as well as starting with 1.64.0 and an incorrect S06tailscaled script, so maybe that was it.

Ok, ok, nice to hear… Please share your experience…

In relation to performance, do you see any relevant difference?

 

[jksmurf]

Ok, ok, nice to hear… Please share your experience…

Not too much to share really, easy to install, yet to update it and test it.

In relation to performance, do you see any relevant difference?

Subjectively, nothing noticeable.

I’d have to run iPerf3 -s on the Router (it's built-in), enable ICMP Ping on the Firewall Tab of the Router, then connect to it using an iPerf App on my phone (Client Mode, Reverse Mode) to get a quantitative result for each. However I’m probably not going to run userspace mode then test it, then install kernel mode then test, just to find out sorry, maybe someone else can do that one day .

See here for some mode differences and that userspace mode isn’t necessarily slow or slower, at least at the time of writing that second article.

I also read somewhere (2020 post) that WG on which Tailscale is based runs natively in Linux 5 and 6. Our routers run Linux 4. I do not really understand the concepts in that link much TBH; only that the kernel mode was faster.

So TLDR. I’m just going to take folks word for it . Right now for me, stability and reliability governs over performance.

[EDIT] Please see the released Tailmon Script by Viktor Jaep

 

[SwizItalo]

I updated tailscale.ipk and opkg install tailscale*.ipk (latest version) works by default.
If you fail to install tailscale.ipk then proceed with tailscale_nohf.ipk

Before installing anything you need to do clean install, means to uninstall all previous versions u had.
opkg remove tailscale
and
opkg remove tailscale_nohf

Now run update:
opkg update

Now install optional entware packages:
opkg install entware-opt
opkg status entware-opt #confirm they are installed

Install tailscale:
opkg install tailscale*.ipk
or
opkg install tailscale_nohf_*.ipk

Check your arch:
opkg print-architecture

Choose right architecture:

Github - files are on my github

After install u need to start Tailscaled:
/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled start
Now check if Taiscaled is still running:
/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled check

Then run simply tailscale up and click on the link to authorize.
(alternative: tailscale up --auth-key=<your-auth-key>)

I forgot to update permissions, so execute these after installation:
chmod 755 /opt/bin/tailscale
chmod 755 /opt/bin/tailscaled

Use this command to add your routes:
tailscale up --accept-routes --advertise-routes=192.168.0.0/24,192.168.1.0/24 #(make sure to use your subnet)
(you need to approve them in tailscale dashboard)

For default commands just type "tailscale" to list, or execute(example):
tailscale version

In order to use "tailscaled" start/stop/check use this command:
/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled check

In case u want to run AdguardHome/PiHole alongside tailscale:
tailscale up --accept-dns=false

Spoiler: OLD

I made a streamlined guide which works hopefully on every Merlin. I had trouble installing on my RT-N18U but in the end I made it.

#You can use my script or install manually. Script is simple and robust, worked for me.. Github
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bobanilic/MerlinScale/main/install_tailscale.sh && chmod +x install_tailscale.sh && ./install_tailscale.sh

Install Entware(from AMTM) and other necessary packages:

opkg install ca-bundle​

opkg install tailscale #(tailscale_nohf -use this if you can't install main)​

Go to website and download correct architecture (e.g., ARM, ARM64, x86_64).

-https://pkgs.tailscale.com/stable/#static​

Extract it and copy the content to update manually:

cp /tmp/mnt/USB/FOLDER/tailscale_1.64.0_arm/tailscale /opt/bin/​

cp /tmp/mnt/USB/FOLDER/tailscale_1.64.0_arm/tailscaled /opt/bin/ ​

edit /opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled and update ur ARGS:

ARGS="-tun=userspace-networking -statedir /opt/var/tailscale/" ​

You can run "tailscale update" to check for latest version and also to make sure that you downloaded the correct architecture
(if the architecture was wrong you will get an error)
If everything is OK, execute command "tailscale up" which will generate a link:

(alternative: tailscale up --auth-key=<your-auth-key>)

Use this command to add your routes:
tailscale up --accept-routes --advertise-routes=192.168.0.0/24,192.168.1.0/24 #(make sure to use your subnet)

(you need to approve them in tailscale dashboard)​

For default commands just type "tailscale" to list, or execute(example):

tailscale start​

In order to use "tailscaled" start/stop/check use this command:

/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled check ​

​

​

Credits to Fakemanhk Reddit
Credits to RandomUser777

What version i need to download for my llinksys ea6900?
aarch64-k3.10
armv5sf-k3.2
armv7sf-k2.6
armv7sf-k3.2
mipselsf-k3.4
mipssf-k3.4

 

[bageda]

well done.
install tailscale success on my RT-AC88U which flash Asuswrt-Merlin(RMerlin).
need to change S06tailscaled file content to avoid node dead.
anyway, wonderful and easy deploy tool.

 

[jksmurf]

well done.
install tailscale success on my RT-AC88U which flash Asuswrt-Merlin(RMerlin).
need to change S06tailscaled file content to avoid node dead.
anyway, wonderful and easy deploy tool.

Hi,

Consider installing using @Viktor Jaep’s TAILMON Addon, it makes setup and configuration and updates a breeze .

 

[JasonHK]

I updated tailscale.ipk and opkg install tailscale*.ipk (latest version) works by default.
If you fail to install tailscale.ipk then proceed with tailscale_nohf.ipk

Before installing anything you need to do clean install, means to uninstall all previous versions u had.
opkg remove tailscale
and
opkg remove tailscale_nohf

Now run update:
opkg update

Now install optional entware packages:
opkg install entware-opt
opkg status entware-opt #confirm they are installed

Install tailscale:
opkg install tailscale*.ipk
or
opkg install tailscale_nohf_*.ipk

Check your arch:
opkg print-architecture

Choose right architecture:

Github - files are on my github

After install u need to start Tailscaled:
/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled start
Now check if Taiscaled is still running:
/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled check

Then run simply tailscale up and click on the link to authorize.
(alternative: tailscale up --auth-key=<your-auth-key>)

I forgot to update permissions, so execute these after installation:
chmod 755 /opt/bin/tailscale
chmod 755 /opt/bin/tailscaled

Use this command to add your routes:
tailscale up --accept-routes --advertise-routes=192.168.0.0/24,192.168.1.0/24 #(make sure to use your subnet)
(you need to approve them in tailscale dashboard)

For default commands just type "tailscale" to list, or execute(example):
tailscale version

In order to use "tailscaled" start/stop/check use this command:
/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled check

In case u want to run AdguardHome/PiHole alongside tailscale:
tailscale up --accept-dns=false

Spoiler: OLD

I made a streamlined guide which works hopefully on every Merlin. I had trouble installing on my RT-N18U but in the end I made it.

#You can use my script or install manually. Script is simple and robust, worked for me.. Github
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bobanilic/MerlinScale/main/install_tailscale.sh && chmod +x install_tailscale.sh && ./install_tailscale.sh

Install Entware(from AMTM) and other necessary packages:

opkg install ca-bundle​

opkg install tailscale #(tailscale_nohf -use this if you can't install main)​

Go to website and download correct architecture (e.g., ARM, ARM64, x86_64).

-https://pkgs.tailscale.com/stable/#static​

Extract it and copy the content to update manually:

cp /tmp/mnt/USB/FOLDER/tailscale_1.64.0_arm/tailscale /opt/bin/​

cp /tmp/mnt/USB/FOLDER/tailscale_1.64.0_arm/tailscaled /opt/bin/ ​

edit /opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled and update ur ARGS:

ARGS="-tun=userspace-networking -statedir /opt/var/tailscale/" ​

You can run "tailscale update" to check for latest version and also to make sure that you downloaded the correct architecture
(if the architecture was wrong you will get an error)
If everything is OK, execute command "tailscale up" which will generate a link:

(alternative: tailscale up --auth-key=<your-auth-key>)

Use this command to add your routes:
tailscale up --accept-routes --advertise-routes=192.168.0.0/24,192.168.1.0/24 #(make sure to use your subnet)

(you need to approve them in tailscale dashboard)​

For default commands just type "tailscale" to list, or execute(example):

tailscale start​

In order to use "tailscaled" start/stop/check use this command:

/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled check ​

​

​

Credits to Fakemanhk Reddit
Credits to RandomUser777

My tailscaled auto-exit even after a 2GB SWAP was set, do you have any idea?

 

[Viktor Jaep]

My tailscaled auto-exit even after a 2GB SWAP was set, do you have any idea?

Are you getting any other kinds of error messages? Like when you execute:

/opt/etc/init.d/S06tailscaled start

then...

tailscale up

 

[jksmurf]

was set, do you have any idea?

I’m not sure about the specific issue but could you please try installing using TAILMON? It has great error checking during the install

I’d suggest undoing all the amendments you made in your original install first if possible.