ZeroTier Setup Guide

ZeroTier Setup Guide for Personal VPN

Secure Remote Access to Your Observatory System

ZeroTier allows you to create a private VPN, enabling secure access to your remote telescope system from anywhere. This guide will walk you through setting up ZeroTier on both your home computer and remote system, ensuring seamless connectivity.

Step 1: Create a ZeroTier Account

1. Go to ZeroTier and click Sign Up.

2. Create an account and log in to the ZeroTier Central dashboard.

Step 2: Create a Private Network

1. In the ZeroTier Central dashboard, click Create a Network.

2. Note down the Network ID (you’ll need this for later).

3. Click on your new network to access network settings.

4. Under Access Control, select Private (recommended).

5. Ensure IPv4 Auto-Assign is enabled for automatic IP assignments.

Step 3: Install ZeroTier on Your Systems

On Your Home Computer

1. Download ZeroTier for your OS from ZeroTier Downloads.

2. Install the software and launch ZeroTier.

3. In the ZeroTier system tray icon, select Join Network.

4. Enter the Network ID from Step 2 and click Join.

5. Go back to the ZeroTier Central dashboard and approve your home device in the Members section.

On Your Remote System

1. If using a Windows remote PC:

   • Download and install ZeroTier from the ZeroTier Downloads page.

   • Run ZeroTier One, right-click the system tray icon, and select Join Network.

   • Enter the Network ID and click Join.

   • Approve the device in ZeroTier Central.

2. If using a Linux-based Mini PC (e.g., Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu, etc.):

   • Open a terminal and install ZeroTier:

     curl -s https://install.zerotier.com/ | sudo bash
     

   • Join your private network:

     sudo zerotier-cli join YOUR_NETWORK_ID
     

   • Approve the device in ZeroTier Central.

   • To check if it's connected:

     sudo zerotier-cli listnetworks
     

Step 4: Verify the Connection

1. In ZeroTier Central, verify that both your home PC and remote system appear under Members and show as Online.

2. Your remote system will now have a ZeroTier virtual IP address (e.g., 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x).

3. Test connectivity by pinging the remote system from your home PC:

   ping [ZeroTier_IP_of_Remote_System]
   

4. If successful, you can now use Remote Desktop, AnyDesk, Chrome Remote Desktop, or SSH to access your remote telescope system.

Step 5: Enable Auto Start (Optional but Recommended)

For Windows:

• Open Services (services.msc), find ZeroTier One, and set Startup Type to Automatic.

For Linux:

• Enable ZeroTier at boot:

  sudo systemctl enable zerotier-one
  sudo systemctl start zerotier-one
  

Step 6: Access Your Remote System

Once connected to ZeroTier, use the assigned virtual IP address to access your remote system:

• Windows Remote Desktop (RDP) → mstsc /v:[ZeroTier_IP]

• AnyDesk → Enter the assigned AnyDesk ID or ZeroTier IP.

• Chrome Remote Desktop → Connect normally within the app.

• SSH (for Linux systems) →

  ssh username@[ZeroTier_IP]
  

Optional: Using ZeroTier for Digital Loggers Web Power Switch

If you use a Digital Loggers Web Power Switch for remote power cycling, you can integrate it with ZeroTier to control your equipment remotely over a secure VPN connection.

To set up ZeroTier with your Digital Loggers Web Power Switch, follow this advanced guide:
🔗 ZeroTier with Digital Loggers Web Power Switch – Full Guide

This allows you to:
✔ Securely access and control your power switch over a private network.
✔ Power cycle devices remotely without exposing them to the public internet.
✔ Manage multiple systems from a single VPN network.

Troubleshooting

• Device Not Showing Online? Ensure ZeroTier is running and that the network settings in ZeroTier Central allow new devices.

• No Internet Access on Remote System? Check if the ZeroTier network is set to "Allow Default Route Override".

• Firewall Blocking Access? Ensure ZeroTier is whitelisted in Windows Defender Firewall or Linux iptables.

Need More Help?

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact us! 🚀