Remote Access via Tailscale

Tailscale can help when ChannelWatch needs to reach a DVR over your Tailnet, or when you want to open the ChannelWatch web UI over Tailscale instead of exposing it on the public internet. You do not need Tailscale for a normal same-LAN install.

When Tailscale helps

Use Tailscale when one of these is true:

Your Channels DVR is on another site but already reachable over Tailscale
You want to open the ChannelWatch web UI remotely through your Tailnet
You prefer private Tailnet access instead of port forwarding

If ChannelWatch and Channels DVR are on the same local network and you do not need remote access, the regular Install (Docker Compose) setup is usually simpler.

Tailscale runs on the host

Run Tailscale on the Docker host, not inside the ChannelWatch container. ChannelWatch is still the same Docker container described in the main install guide.

This matters because Docker network mode decides how much of the host’s network stack the container can use.

Host networking vs bridge networking

Host networking

With network_mode: host, the container shares the host network stack. If the host can already reach a DVR over Tailscale, ChannelWatch usually can too. This is the simplest option for Tailnet access and for DVR discovery on the local network.

Bridge networking

With bridge networking, the container has its own DNS and network context. Tailscale can still work, but name resolution often needs extra care.

DNS guidance for Tailnet names

The Docker guide shows a commented dns_search example for Tailscale users. In practice, that setting matters when you want the container to resolve Tailnet short hostnames.

If your DVR is reachable as a short Tailnet hostname, such as media-server, add your Tailnet search domain to the compose file:

services:
  channelwatch:
    dns_search:
      - localdomain
      - tail12345.ts.net

Replace tail12345.ts.net with your own Tailnet domain.

This lets the container try media-server.tail12345.ts.net when you enter media-server. If short names still fail in bridge mode, use the full Tailnet hostname instead.

Reach a remote Channels DVR over Tailscale

Install and sign in to Tailscale on the Docker host
Confirm the host can already reach the remote DVR over the Tailnet
In ChannelWatch, enter the DVR host using the reachable Tailnet name or IP
Test the connection from Diagnostics

If you are adding more than one DVR, use the same pattern for each entry and manage them from Adding DVR Servers.

Open the ChannelWatch web UI over Tailscale

Once Tailscale is active on the host, open the ChannelWatch web UI using the host’s Tailscale address on port 8501.

That gives you private remote access to the UI over your Tailnet without turning Tailscale into a requirement for local installs.

Troubleshooting

Tailnet hostnames do not resolve

If short hostnames fail in bridge mode, add your Tailnet domain under dns_search or use the full Tailnet hostname.

The host can reach the DVR, but the container cannot

Check the Docker network mode first. Host networking is the easier fit for Tailscale. Bridge mode needs explicit DNS guidance and manual DVR addressing.

You are using `localhost` for the DVR host in bridge mode

localhost points to the container itself in bridge mode, not to the remote DVR. Use the DVR’s reachable Tailnet name or IP instead.

For broader connection checks, see Connecting to Channels DVR and Common Issues.