Zerotier, cross platform virtual networking layer (including rpis)

General
1

https://zerotier.com/, I have been testing this out for about a week now, even though it has been around for years, Last week I found it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl_Vau8wtgc.

I am extremely happy with it, central control of permissions is so handy. My question is a networking one, Is it possible to direct node red to use the zerotier ip addr, but not the default without dire consequences for node reds operation

2

why not try it and tell us ?

3

Ok, I may not have been clear,

I am using it, and am happy with it, so much so I only want to use the zerotier address.

There isn't a place that I have found that has a spot to change it, tried changing /.node-red/settings.js, with negative results, maybe I am doing it wrong. Does anyone know if it is possible

Have been working on a plan b using iptables, but no joy yet

4

you mean you want to bind Node-RED only to that address ?
Then yes the uiHost setting in settings.js should let you do that.
(Obviously that would only affect Node-RED - the machine itself would still be accessible via other IP addresses it has exposed.

5

Ok something strange happened before, uncommenting uiHost and pasting my ip addr in there didn't work for me 6 hrs ago, the flow didn't even work.

Anyway, is working fine now, thanks

6

I'm new to the ZEROTIER party and just wondered how you (and others in here) are getting on. All I have managed to do so far is create a 3 node network including an iPhone, MacBook and a Pi running node-red. Ultimately want to see a remote node-red dashboard WITHOUT opening up any ports.

7

Yep i have been using it for a while and slowly replacing my OpenVPN solution - works well

About to move into using it as a gateway on my network (rather than installing the ZeroTier client on each machine) - will report back how that goes once it is up and running

Craig

8

Have you worked out how to remotely connect to the Dashboard?

9

Yep - i installed the zerotier client on my Ubuntu VM that hosts NR, then started the Zerotier client, went to my dashboard, authorized the node and then attached to the virtual IP address given. I did this from one of the other remote nodes that is not on my physical network - no problem and nothing special to do.

I attached to both the admin and user dashboard.

unless you have enabled the UIHost entry in settings.js you should not have any issues .

Essentially the Zerotier config looks like another network interface to the Operating system.

So as long as you do not have restrictive firewall settings or the UIHost entry set you should be OK

Craig

10

Hi Craig, thank you and everything is now working like a dream.

11

Can you "close the loop" by letting everyone know what changes you had to make or what the solution was - this will better help the next person

Craig

12

Sure - I have multiple controllers and I had set up ZEROTIER on one of them and then proceeded to (mistakenly) connect to the (blank) dashboard on another. If it had not been blank, I would have realised straight away what I had done. So I was being an idiot! ZEROTIER just works and is highly recommended by me.