Remote Access

Overview

By default, the gateway only listens on localhost. To access it from other devices (phone, laptop, office), you need to configure remote access. ArgentOS supports several approaches, with Tailscale being the recommended option.

Tailscale (Recommended)

Tailscale creates a secure WireGuard mesh network between your devices. It is the simplest and most secure way to access your gateway remotely.

Setup

1. Install Tailscale on your ArgentOS server and your remote devices
2. Configure the gateway to listen on the Tailscale interface:

{
  "gateway": {
    "host": "0.0.0.0",
    "port": 18789
  }
}

3. Access the dashboard from any device on your Tailscale network:

http://your-server.tailnet-name.ts.net:3141

Benefits

• End-to-end encrypted (WireGuard)
• No port forwarding required
• Works behind NAT and firewalls
• Free for personal use (up to 100 devices)

SSH Tunnel

For quick access without installing Tailscale:

# From your remote machine
ssh -L 3141:localhost:3141 -L 18789:localhost:18789 user@your-server

Then open http://localhost:3141 on your local machine.

Persistent SSH Tunnel

Use autossh for a persistent tunnel that reconnects automatically:

autossh -M 0 -f -N -L 3141:localhost:3141 -L 18789:localhost:18789 user@your-server

Reverse Proxy (Nginx/Caddy)

For HTTPS access with a domain name:

Caddy Example

argentos.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:3141
}

ws.argentos.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:18789
}

Nginx Example

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name argentos.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3141;
    }

    location /ws {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:18789;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    }
}

Security Considerations

• Always enable gateway auth when exposing remotely
• Use HTTPS for reverse proxy setups
• Restrict access with firewall rules or Tailscale ACLs
• Never expose the gateway directly to the public internet without authentication
• Consider Tailscale's ACL system for fine-grained access control

Mobile Access

Once remote access is configured, you can use the dashboard from your phone's browser. The dashboard is responsive and works on mobile screens.

For native messaging, connect channels like Telegram or WhatsApp -- these work from any device without special remote access configuration.