Running a Custom Tailscale DERP Server on Fly.io

Running a Custom Tailscale DERP Server on Fly.io There’s almost no documentation about running a Tailscale DERP server specifically on Fly.io. Most guides assume a traditional VPS with root access, manual cert management, and a static IP you control outright. Fly.io works differently — and those differences create exactly the friction points that cause people to give up midway. This guide covers what actually works, including the mistakes that are easy to make. What is a DERP server and do you need one? DERP (Designated Encrypted Relay for Packets) is Tailscale’s relay protocol. When two devices can’t establish a direct...

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