089 | Tailscale: Effortlessly Simple VPN Based on WireGuard

2025-08-21

What is Tailscale?

Tailscale is a VPN service that positions itself as a Zero-config VPN. It uses the WireGuard protocol to create a secure mesh network between all your devices. The key difference from other solutions is its simplicity. Instead of manually configuring tunnels and managing keys, Tailscale does all the work for you. All you need to do is install the app on each device and sign in.

How does it work under the hood?

When you sign in, the Tailscale client connects to the Control Plane server. This server essentially acts as the “brain” of the network:

088 | The Rise of Zero-config VPN: Mesh Networks on WireGuard

2025-08-20

Evolution of Remote Access

Traditional VPN services, which most of us are familiar with, work on the “hub-and-spoke” principle (star topology). This means that all traffic from the client to the protected network passes through a central server. This approach has drawbacks:

• Configuration complexity: Manual setup, port forwarding, and key management are required.
• Performance: All traffic, even between two remote clients, must go through the central server, which increases latency.
• Single point of failure: If the central server goes down, the entire network stops working.

A new concept — Zero-config VPN — solves these problems by using a mesh network architecture.