Remote Access: Securely connect your devices over the internet with ZeroTier

In this video we'll be looking at remotely accessing devices on your home network. This will be done using an ingenious approach from the open source ZeroTier.
Starting with a brief overview of the more traditional approach, we'll then see how this compares to ZeroTier.
Next, we'll set up a secure virtual network and add several devices to it. In particular, we'll walk through the process in Windows, Android and Linux.
To make use of the connections we'll see how to remotely access Nextcloud, and also set up a remote desktop connection to take control of a Windows computer over the internet.
Finally, we'll cover how to remove devices from ZeroTier when you no longer want to connect to them remotely.
Website links:
ZeroTier
www.zerotier.com/
Nextcloud: Build a personal cloud for your data
• Nextcloud: Build a per...
ZeroTier account
my.zerotier.com/
Additional credits:
"Success Fanfare Trumpets" by FunWithSound and "Crowd gasp" by Adam_N courtesy of freesound.org/
Thanks to Google Fonts (fonts.google.com/) for the "Gloria Hallelujah" font
"Halo3" Font made by Will Turnbow with thanks to www.1001fonts.com/
(Original) images sourced from the superb pixabay.com/

[@BASthedog]

I’ve been messing about with NAS software and remote connections for a couple of days now. Looking at guides all over KZbin, I can tell you this is a stellar guide!!!

[@bytemypi2918]

Thanks very much. I'm glad you found it useful.

[@minkeyman2]

Definitely the best explanation of how to get started with ZeroTier.

[@Motoman69]

Great! Best explanation I have found so far. Very clear and not so fast that I could not digest the information. Visual examples and the enlarged CLI commands are first class! Cheers!

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome. Thanks for your kind words.

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome. Thanks for the encouraging feedback.

[@pierreduranleau2514]

Thanks, I'm just blown away by your teaching skills, and I not only discovered this "world wide local LAN", but I now know how to install it.

[@bytemypi2918]

Ta very much, kind of you to say so. It always helps when you know how to do it :)

[@negry_]

I'm setting up a VPN so I can access my main computer while I'm at college, your video helped me a lot, thank you very much!

[@bub378]

I have now watched the most useful software solutions, being explained and narrated in easy to understand terms. Hands down the best video i have watched in a long time. Rang the bell, subscribed, Thanks a bunch.

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome. Thanks for your support :)

[@Rob-sm4xh]

Really, really good video! Your explanations are clear. The pacing is just right. Your use of graphics, screen shots, and even highlighting is excellent for both explaining the concepts as well as letting the user keep details like IP addresses and computer names straight! I also like how you continue to verbally mention the names of the devices so we can be clear on what we are seeing.

[@bytemypi2918]

Thanks for your support :)

[@fabrice230]

I couldn't agree more! This video is pitch-perfect. So are the others, by the way.😉

[@RealGigReel]

A stellar, exceedingly helpful presentation. It could not be clearer and easy to follow. Thank you, sir, for making this.

[@DavidGolding]

Thanks very much for posting this instructional video. It works a charm on my Macbook Pro. Well explained.

[@fabrice9848]

you got a new subscriber and I think you deserve much more views, since you share really interesting content and I like the way you explain things : it's quite exhaustive and perfectly intelligible.

[@bytemypi2918]

Thank you for your kind words and subscription. Much appreciated.

[@DennisonsThe]

GREAT VIDEO and EXPLANATION!! Thank you! I have subscribed!

[@allantidalgo4651]

Finally, I found you. thank you so much sir.

[@dafadararnab]

Simple, Crisp & Awesome tutorial! And just like that, you got a subscriber! :)

[@bytemypi2918]

Much appreciated. Have a coffee on me! ☕

[@dafadararnab]

@@bytemypi2918 The coffee was delicious. Thanks :)

[@letter2steve]

My Gosh. What an amazing video. Great job. Thanks so much.

[@Aexvishu]

Yet another great video. I tried and love the ease of it. Many thanks :)

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome. Glad you found the video helpful :)

[@bobbiecorner]

Great. Covered so many devices.

[@abulka]

Zerotier is a revelation, as is your clear teaching style. Thank you.

[@bytemypi2918]

Thanks very much. I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@goodthingshappentogoodpeop2226]

@@bytemypi2918e I qi

[@renecusson4111]

Thank you.. Very well explained.

[@bytemypi2918]

Ta very much :)

[@adrianblake2012]

Very useful video, thanks.

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome.

[@stevenkui]

Thanks for the effort to introduce this host base mesh VPN solution.

[@bytemypi2918]

No problem. Thanks for the feedback.

[@mountain-dewer9700]

Thank you very much, Sir! You saved me. I could not get OpenVPN or Wireguard to work on my raspberry pi (due to older linux kernel and config issues) but this worked like a charm. This was so easy a caveman can do it. The ONLY minor hiccup I had was installing the zerotier windows client. It took me a while but I figured out that you have to be Admin to install zerotier properly on Windows and it runs under the admin account and not the user account. Even though the zerotier client is running in windows (via admin) it looks like it's not running on the user account but it is (you can't make changes nor can you even open up the zerotier client on non-admin windows because it throws an authentication error...really weird). Regardless, it's all working now and have a virtual zero tier network with 8 devices scattered around various locations in the United States. This channel is a hidden gem. Thanks again!

[@bytemypi2918]

You are most welcome. Glad you found what you're looking for. Yes, ZeroTier is as easy to use as it is versatile. As with most software it requires admin rights for the installation. I suspect it also needs them each time the software starts and stops to enable and disable the virtual network adapter. Thanks for the encouraging feedback. Enjoy your new virtual network :)

[@rapeticharan2603]

your explanation is good thanks

[@bytemypi2918]

No problem. Thank you for your feedback.

[@kevinhughes9801]

Great video thanks just subscribed

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome. Thank you for subscribing.

[@fabrice9848]

Thank you ! Even if the intro jingle killed my hearing...

[@bytemypi2918]

Sorry, I must be watching too many movies where they get carried away with the soundtrack!

[@Anadoliev]

Great video again! I manage to make nextcloud appliance work with zerotier very easy. Thanks for the great work! I was wondering if it is possible to make zerotier work with nextcloud installed on openmediavault docker ?

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome. Good to hear you set up a Nextcloud Appliance and ZeroTier easily. Your best bet for making ZeroTier work with a Docker install of Nextcloud on openmediavault is to install it on the host. You could either SSH into openmediavault or install the "openmediavault-shellinabox" plugin. Once you have access to the system's Terminal, you should be able install ZeroTier in the same way that was covered in the "Installing ZeroTier on Linux (Ubuntu)" section of the video. Note. Since you'll already be logged in as "root", remove "sudo" from any of the entered commands. Hope that helps :)

[@wayne6220]

Very useful video, quick question can you setup a custome DNS for all devices to reference, that maps to the Zerotier IP addresses. Keep up the good videos.

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome. You could look into setting up your own ZeroTier network controller. Info is available through the following link: docs.zerotier.com/self-hosting/network-controllers/ I don't think setting up a custom DNS server would help as the devices need to join your ZeroTier virtual network. Hope that helps :)

[@shavazkhan5658]

Thanks for this video. It was really easy to follow along with the way you explained and broke down the topics. I was wondering if you had to stay connected to the zerotier network even after you have finished using the remote computer you are accessing and would you have to be manually authorized each time (for a private network) if you disconnect and reconnect to the network?

[@bytemypi2918]

I'm glad you found it useful. You only have to authorise each device once. If you follow the methods shown in the video, your devices will connect automatically when powered on, but there's nothing to stop you connecting them manually if you'd sooner. I prefer automatic as you don't have stop and think if you remembered to connect them or not. Thanks for your feedback.

[@shavazkhan5658]

@@bytemypi2918 thanks for clarifying !!

[@bytemypi2918]

No problem :)

[@oldjohnsavarese3192]

Enjoyed your video! I've been working on a "thin-client" project to utilize some older laptops to act as the KVM and utilize the horse-power of my larger, faster and modern full size desktop. Are there any topics like this in your vault? Also, which are your other channels; I'd like to subscribe to all of them and keep current with your topics?

[@bytemypi2918]

Glad you liked it :) Thin clients - now there's a blast from the past! There are probably open source solutions out there, but it's been so long since I last came across a network set up in this way that I wouldn't really be able to offer much help. Thanks for enquiring about other channels, but I only do this one. Good luck with your thin client project.

[@michaeldang4288]

Yeah the intro jingle woke the whole house up

[@srs26]

Excellent video! I've got it all up and running but get various comments in the admin section that I need to set up HTTPS for security and for improved speed, I've searched the internet and cannot find out how to do this, I don't suppose you could give me some ideas? I've noticed Let's Encrypt but there is mention that it needs an internet address not just an IP address number...

[@reedgrele6673]

Can this Zerotier be used with just a windows 10 or 11 PC (No Ubuntu account) and be used to view my DVR security cameras remotely with T-Mobile Home Internet?

[@tkmushonga720]

Hi, thank you for the video. I wanted to ask if its possible to use zerotier to change or mask the existing IP address of my device like other VPN's offer

[@bytemypi2918]

No problem. As you've probably gathered, ZeroTier isn't really like a traditional VPN. Its purpose is to connect multiple remote machines (wherever they're located) together as though they're all on the same local network. Theoretically, if you were to route all your local computer's traffic through one of the remote machines, it would then show up on the internet as having that remote computer's public IP address, but there are much easier ways to do what you're asking, such as using another VPN service that is already set up to do this. Hope that helps :)

[@timmywashere1164]

Such trivialities should not deter us. That's a good line.

[@trashman1613]

Where I’m at I have a slow ISP (4-6MPS). I have several security cameras on my LAN using Blue Iris. I and others acquaintances access the cameras remotely when cameras are triggered. I am currently using ZeroTier to connect remotely. I recently signed up to Starlink in order to get faster internet. I’v got Starlink up and running using a 3rd party router with Starlink Ethernet adapter. The new router is a RT-Asus 86u Pro set up to use DHCP. When I switch my computer and cameras over to the Asus router from the other router I lose camera connection on my LAN. But I have internet working fine on computer. Would you say It has something to do with the IP address range of my static set cameras? Should I have set Asus up using static IP? I’v been watching your content to try and get it figured out. Thanks for the videos. Update: I simply changed the IP address on my router.

[@Mrmuso357]

Hi, love your guide its awesome.. although im getting this error (azerotier-cli: missing port and zerotier-one.port not found in /var/lib/zerotier-one) after this command (zerotier-one.zerotier-cli info) have you had this before? and any ideas on fixing. Thanks, keep up the great video content.

[@bytemypi2918]

It sounds as though the ZeroTier service itself isn't running. Try typing the following: sudo systemctl start zerotier-one Then try running the command that's giving you the error again Hope that helps :)

[@BarneyMyBoy]

I really like your teaching method, I just wanted to know at the last part of the tutorial, you made a remote access from Ubuntu to windows, how about the other way round from windows to Ubuntu? Cause I'm having problem with xrdp method. Please advise. Thanks

[@bytemypi2918]

Hi, it can be a little tricky the other way around, but shouldn't be a problem. Open the Terminal on your Ubuntu Desktop and type in the following command: sudo apt install xrdp Press Enter and (if prompted) pop in your password. If it asks if you want to install xrdp, type "y" (without the quotes) and press Enter again. Once xrdp is installed, restart the computer. Log back in to Ubuntu and open the Terminal once more, entering the following command: sudo adduser xrdp ssl-cert This is important as it adds the xrdp user to the ssl-cert group, which xrdp requires. Finally, restart the computer again, but this time don't log back in. Instead, try to connect from Windows using Remote Desktop Connection. Hopefully you'll be good to go :)

[@BarneyMyBoy]

@@bytemypi2918 Thank you sir, it works perfectly.

[@bytemypi2918]

@@BarneyMyBoy You're welcome :)

[@omidrahimi2038]

Is it possible to route all traffic of a Windows PC through ZeroTier?

[@pragmaticmero686]

JAJAJJAJAJA QUE NOMBRE DE MIERDA, me voy a suscribir solo por eso, Good video dude, Absolutely deserved sub

[@jackthibo7644]

Hey Thanks so much for this amazing Video! Keep Your great work up! One question though: How can I join my home network to the zero tier network? It appies mainly if I for example want to print something for example whilst outside of the network which the printer is in (as I'm not aware of a printer that would support installing the zero tier package)..... Or any resource really in a LAN which doesn't allow the installation of the zero tier software..... Any solution for that? I know there's some tricky way with a Raspberry Py but I haven't fully understood what and how it works...... Most routers don't support it yet either (unless You use custom firmware like OpenWRT....)

[@bytemypi2918]

You're welcome. You need to add individual devices to the ZeroTier network to make them accessible. In the case of a printer, you would add the computer that the printer is connected to and access it that way :)

[@jackthibo7644]

@@bytemypi2918 Thanks for your answer. Sounds like an idea. Do you know what the bridge setting in zero Tier is for?

[@bytemypi2918]

@@jackthibo7644 It looks as though its now possible to bridge a physical and virtual network using a device like a Raspberry Pi but I haven't tried this.

[@jackthibo7644]

@@bytemypi2918 So maybe it's time you should make a video about it! Looking forward ☺️

[@user-mfsc-2024]

Is it able to send print job to a remote printer thru zerotier?

[@bytemypi2918]

You won't be able to join the printer itself to your ZeroTier network but, if the printer is connected to a computer, you could join that and have access to the printer over the virtual network that way.

[@androsk]

so i need zerotier in both ends?, i have a jellyfin media server in my home behind CGNAT, i was trying to give access to some family members, anyone who wanna join my media server should have zerotier client on their side? i don't have it clear on that part, thanks hope can help.

[@bytemypi2918]

Yes, you need to add the ZeroTier client to each device you want to add to the virtual network.

[@michaelperez6811]

This video helped me to access my nextcloud from anywhere I installed nextcloud on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS using snap but I want to secure my nextcloud with https because it requires me to do so to use the password management can you make a video on how to do it if I'm using a Ubuntu installation with snap nextcloud because I can't find videos talking about the snap installation

[@pmauriciomm]

Is it possible for the nextcloud to listen and answer in both networks?

[@pmauriciomm]

So the local devices would reach it by the 192.168.STH and the mobile devices would use the 10.25.sth net.

[@bytemypi2918]

Yes, you should be able to access Nextcloud on both the physical and virtual networks - providing the device you're connecting from is on the same network (either physical or virtual).

[@bipbopmike1071]

Splendid video! You are an artist. Yet I have quite a few questions about security though. If someone manage to get my Node ID, he or she can add me to their server with manually adding. Thus they can access my physical ip address. Is 10 digit Node ID safe from "Brute-Force"ish guessing? (hexadecimal? 16^10 possibilty?) Why there is no password to connect to the server? If I am giving the authorization, why it is not good for me when someone knows my Network ID? And other than the owner can members run scripts and get physical ip addresses of other clients? (I am sorry for my English.)

[@bytemypi2918]

Thank you. Blimey, that is a few questions! As I understand it, the Node ID is generated when you install ZeroTier on a device and is unique to that device. You also need to join the device to your virtual network and then allow access in ZeroTier's web control panel. So unless someone has access to both your physical device and your ZeroTier online account, they shouldn't be able to intercept the connection. This is the reason you don't need to input a password to join a computer to your ZeroTier virtual network, as you need physical access to that device, and even then you still have to authorise its connection in your ZeroTier web control panel. Regarding your Network ID, while exposing this won't give access to your virtual network by itself, you don't want to start receiving random requests of devices trying to connect. In short, ZeroTier's security should be as good as any of the secure online platforms, but if you still have any concerns, I'd voice them with the company itself. Another viewer suggested turning on two-factor authentication on the ZeroTier account, which is always a good idea. By the way, your English is very good.

[@bipbopmike1071]

@@bytemypi2918 Thank you very much.

[@bytemypi2918]

@@bipbopmike1071 You're welcome.

[@cackleberryfarm4598]

So does this work with a TureNAS that's running NextCloud? I can't seem to figure out who to get zerotier on to it.

[@bytemypi2918]

If I'm not mistaken, TrueNAS is based on FreeBSD. I found the following link on ZeroTier's download page, which is listed as a FreeBSD package: www.freshports.org/net/zerotier/ I'm not very familiar with the BSD distributions, so I can't really offer any more help than that. I hope you can work it out from there.

[@cackleberryfarm4598]

@@bytemypi2918 I shall do my best!!! I DID see that they had a NAS version on their website. But did not see TrueNAS specifically. And since I'm an Organic Farmer with JUST enough computer coding knowledge to get myself in trouble didn't know the BSD (Or even what the heck BSD even is :-) ) to know TrueNAS is based on it :-) I find your videos to be FANTASTIC by the way!

[@bytemypi2918]

@@cackleberryfarm4598 I'm glad you like the videos. Your encouraging words are much appreciated.

[@andersonkoh1382]

Hi, I can ping rest of my devices from my Raspberry PI4, but I'm not able to ping from any devices to my Raspberry PI4. Do you know why?

[@bytemypi2918]

Double check the virtual IP address of your Raspberry Pi in the ZeroTier web interface and make sure that you're pinging that and not the physical IP address of the Pi :)

[@ke7uia]

Thank you for all the clients demo. I have two linux computers (both running Mint) I have made connections between computer. However sometimes I only get a black screen. ??? Then I noticed while making a connection to the computer next to me, a window popped up asking for permission for the server to allow the connection. This popup window only lasted a few seconds. This was not long enough for me to reply. Now every time I try to connect to this client I only get a black screen and the popup window does not allow me to reply. How do I get past this black screen? How to I give permission for the connection to complete? What am I missing? Thank you, Gary

[@bytemypi2918]

No problem :) Check ZeroTier's web control panel to ensure the various devices have permission to connect.

[@ke7uia]

@@bytemypi2918 Actually I found a setting using Dconf-Editor relating to remote access. Once those settings were modified I can get in without the black screen.

[@bytemypi2918]

@@ke7uia Glad you got it sorted :)

[@alexandragroza2611]

I have followed your tutorial but it is not working. Probably because I already had Ubuntu 20.04 + Nextcloud hub installed. I allowed income traffic via 9993 UDP and whitelisted my second device in my php config file, but while i can ping my PC from my home server, i cannot ping my server from my PC and obviously Nextcloud keeps popping the untrusted domain page. Any idea how i could fix it?

[@bytemypi2918]

So long as you've install ZeroTier on each machine and added/allowed them in your ZeroTier network in the web console, you usually shouldn't need to start adding firewall or whitelist rules. Make sure you're using the ZeroTier virtual network addresses to contact each computer, e.g. 10.0.16.2, NOT the usual 192.168... Also, add the ZeroTier virtual network address of the Nextcloud Appliance to Nextcloud's configuration using the "sudo snap run nextcloud.occ config:system:set trusted_domains" command (it shows how to do this about 24 mins into the video) to remove the untrusted domain security block. Hope that helps.

[@user-mfsc-2024]

wireguard thing software?

[@bytemypi2918]

I've not used Wireguard but I think it's a more traditional type of VPN. ZeroTier enables you to easily set up an entire network of connected devices :)

[@johnyferreira8733]

This is exactly how Logmein Hamachi worked.

[@fabrice9848]

zerotier is the future ! big SD-WAN providers must be horrified by this opensource solution

[@bytemypi2918]

Yep, you can't beat open source :)

[@Sppower7]

Bro yoy know why i active zero tier one and enter in the app the zero tier one desactives alone?

[@bytemypi2918]

What type of device are you trying to connect to?

[@Sppower7]

@@bytemypi2918 my phone is a samsung galaxy j4 core

[@bytemypi2918]

Have you installed Syncthing on another device as well as your Samsung phone?

[@Sppower7]

@@bytemypi2918 no

[@bytemypi2918]

You need to install Syncthing on at least two devices and then you can sync (share) files between them.

[@InmobiliariaPromueve]

Hi! After I enter the command "snap install zerotier-one" I get this message: error: snap "zerotier-one" is not available on stable but is available to install on the following channels: candidate snap install --candidate zerotier-one beta snap install --beta zerotier-one edge snap install --edge zerotier-one Any suggestion? Thank you!!

[@bytemypi2918]

I'd try making sure your package manager repository is up to date with the following command: sudo apt update Then run the snap install command again :)

[@InmobiliariaPromueve]

@@bytemypi2918Thank you. Sorry for so many questions. I just tried to update the repository and this is what I get "Ubuntu Core does not use apt-get, see 'snap --help'!". I dont think I have a different software because to install it I use your other video "Build a personal cloud for your data"

[@bytemypi2918]

@@InmobiliariaPromueve Try the following command instead: sudo snap refresh This should ensure that the snap packages are all up to date.

[@InmobiliariaPromueve]

@@bytemypi2918 I'm sorry to ask so many questions but.... I just did sudo snap refresh and i got "All snaps up to date". But when I try to install zerotier-one I got the same message as last time: error: snap "zerotier-one" is not available on stable but is available to install on the following channels: candidate snap install --candidate zerotier-one beta snap install --beta zerotier-one edge snap install --edge zerotier-one Is there something else I could try or it could be the old computer I am using to learn?

[@bytemypi2918]

@@InmobiliariaPromueve The candidate version is the most stable of those listed if you want to try that. I'm not sure why the stable version isn't showing up.

[@jasonluong3862]

Have you ever considered doing voice work for the cinema? Near the end of Steven Spielberg’s AI film, a voiceover narrates what happens to the child robot. It sounds just like yours.

[@bytemypi2918]

Blimey! I've not seen that movie. I never thought of myself as 'voiceover man' - perhaps it's time for a change of career :)

[@jasonluong3862]

@@bytemypi2918 For fun, do a video with you dubbing over that voiceover in that movie. Then we all here vote on whose voice is better.

[@bytemypi2918]

@@jasonluong3862 Haha. I still haven't seen the original yet.

[@aaronryder4008]

I am trying to setup nextcloud with this exact thing but on docker with nginx proxy manager, cloudflare ddns and domain name and I am even able to ping my domain name and it returns with zerotier IP but I am not able to access the website. Only now after watching your video I found out that https would be an overkill but oh well. I have already put so much time into it that deleting all of it would make me feel guilty. Thanks for the great tutorial (:

[@bytemypi2918]

Not a problem. Some people say there's no such thing as too much security, but for the rest of us, running an encrypted connection inside an encrypted tunnel would probably be considered overkill. I'm not familiar with Nginx Proxy Manager, but having had a quick look, it appears that its an Nginx web server configured as a reverse proxy that uses Let's Encrypt to provide free SSL certificates. If you have basic connectivity, it may be a port forwarding issue. You could use the following tool to check the relevant ports are open: www.whatismyip.com/port-scanner/ Docker is a fantastic piece of software and (usually) makes setting up software much simpler. Unfortunately, it also adds an extra layer of complexity when it comes to troubleshooting due to the software running inside containers. As you've discovered, configuring an encrypted connection to a web server through a reverse proxy that resolves to a domain name is a relatively involved process, which is another reason why using ZeroTier is so great. Good luck with your setup.

[@aaronryder4008]

@@bytemypi2918 Thank you for the quick response! Unfortunately, my ISP is using CGNAT that is why port forwarding is not an option for me and I have to rely ZeroTier. Unfortunately, port scanner is completely useless for me because no matter what port I open it always shows that it's closed because my router shows I have a different private IP and whatsmyip shows I have a different IP

[@bytemypi2918]

That sounds like a nightmare. No wonder you're having problems! If the Internet Service Provider is already doing Network Address Translation (NAT) between you and the internet, handing out a "private" IP address to the WAN side of your router, I assume the router then adds its own NAT to a different internal range (LAN) on your home network? If that's the case, you've effectively got double NAT going on, which in my experience is never a good thing. I think I'd be looking for a different ISP.

[@drumpf4all]

I use Nebula.

[@bytemypi2918]

It certainly looks as though Software Defined Networking is the future! Thanks for suggesting another option.

[@jeremymoon9088]

Why does he keep sayin boitmoipoi? Why does he keep sayin "sudu?" The code is sudo.

[@derrickwilson7467]

Intro music is waaaaaayyy too loud.

[@fotografm]

Please turn down the audio on your intro music or increase your mic gain to bring it up to the same level. The blaring loud music is annoying !!!

[@kaloianigeorgiev]

Dude, either find a better microphone or lower the sound of your intro!

[@bytemypi2918]

Your wish is my command! I've adjusted the audio levels in my latest video. Here's a link if you'd like to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGPMiXmidpZso6M

[@Bee-iXs]

youre intro is way to loud... thats not funny