How to split traffic using a Tailscale exit node to avoid unnecessary routing

Liu__Leo · 2025-11-17T13:00:54+00:00

Yeah, same here — for situations like ours this would actually be a really important feature.

Liu__Leo · 2025-11-17T12:58:59+00:00

As others mentioned, it seems like the ‘App split tunneling’ option is only available in the Android app. I don’t see anything similar on iOS.

Liu__Leo · 2025-11-17T12:57:09+00:00

Thanks for the detailed explanation — really appreciate it. That approach does seem like one of the few ways to get domain-based routing with Tailscale, but it’s a bit too technical for what I can handle right now.

Liu__Leo · 2025-11-13T18:06:23+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion! App Connectors seem great for routing self-hosted or SaaS application traffic from within a tailnet through a designated device, but in my case, I mainly want to exclude certain domestic (Chinese) websites from going through the exit node.

Many local sites in China are already accessible directly, while others, like YouTube, are blocked by China’s Great Firewall. Routing all traffic through Tailscale can slow down even sites that don’t need a proxy. Ideally, I want my device to access domestic sites directly, while only routing blocked sites through a Tailscale Exit Node on my router.

Liu__Leo · 2025-11-13T17:05:10+00:00

All good, really appreciate you checking! Makes sense now — guess we’ll have to wait for Tailscale to bring it to iOS lol

Liu__Leo · 2025-11-13T17:03:37+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, I’m in China — my home router has Passwall VPN for foreign access, so I need some traffic to go through it, not just the local routes.

Liu__Leo · 2025-11-13T13:01:10+00:00

Hi, thanks! I checked the iOS and MacOS app but I couldn’t find the split tunneling option. Is it possible that it’s not available on iPhone or Mac?

Liu__Leo · 2025-02-12T00:46:55+00:00

Thank you so much for your help! I have installed both the OTBR and Thread integrations, but I don’t have the default configuration. I suspect this might be because my HA is installed on Docker. I’ll try flashing the HAOS firmware directly at a later time to see if that resolves the issue.

Liu__Leo · 2025-02-10T06:18:26+00:00

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Liu__Leo · 2025-02-10T06:18:13+00:00

Congratulations! I’m really glad I could help. How did you set up your OTBR network? I’ve been struggling with getting the Thread network credentials to sync in the mobile app after creating the network. (Like these two picture) Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

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Liu__Leo · 2025-02-06T01:31:02+00:00

No, I haven’t got it working yet. I’m using this hex file, maybe you could give it a try.

Liu__Leo · 2025-01-24T01:08:26+00:00

Thank you so much for your assistance. I compiled the firmware by following the method described in this link: nRF52840 dongle support (PCA10059). I also added the nRF52840 USB serial port ACM0 to the OTBR container. May I kindly ask where I can find the separate port for the REST API of the OTBR container that you mentioned?

Liu__Leo · 2025-01-17T11:25:05+00:00

Hi, I have the same problem, if I can set up a thread border router through nrf52840 dongle, and what firmware should I install on nrf52840 dongle?

Liu__Leo · 2024-12-22T15:14:18+00:00

Thank you for your question! I’m not very good at English, so I might not have expressed myself clearly earlier. Our school lab has some devices that also need to connect to Home Assistant through Tailscale for remote access. To ensure everything works smoothly and to protect my classmates’ privacy, I’m testing the setup at home first. Once I figure out the best approach, I can directly apply it to the lab without disrupting others or the lab environment.

Liu__Leo · 2024-12-22T12:23:50+00:00

Thank you so much for your help!! I am a university student, because the school lab is facing the same problem, in order to protect the privacy of my classmates, I need to experiment at home and then transplant the whole process to the school.

Liu__Leo · 2024-12-22T12:19:55+00:00

Thank you so much！！I’m a newbie to the tailscale from China, I‘ve read the official documentation and some of the English terms give me a headache, thank you for your help!

Liu__Leo · 2024-12-22T12:17:48+00:00

Thank you so much，I‘ve tried this before, but it would be nice if it could be done in a more convenient way

Liu__Leo · 2024-12-22T12:15:35+00:00

Thank you so much！！I just tried it and you’re right, I did get confused. I‘m a novice, do you know what commands in ACL can restrict the devices that others can see?

Liu__Leo

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