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However, there is a recurring problem: when tailscale is activated, the NAS devices no longer have access to the Internet.
Causes of the problem
The main problem arises from the way Tailscale works in conjunction with the MagicDNS feature. Tailscale is a VPN service based on the WireGuard protocol that allows access to the network from anywhere. One of the functions that Tailscale offers is MagicDNS. MagicDNS ensures that all devices in a Tailscale network are automatically assigned DNS names and are therefore easier to find.
However, enabling MagicDNS will cause the NAS device to attempt to route all DNS traffic through Tailscale. If for some reason the DNS server that Tailscale uses is not working properly or is unreachable, this may result in the NAS device being unable to access the Internet. Synology NAS users in particular have reported that they are left without an Internet connection after enabling Tailscale, although they can access the internal network and other devices.
Solution to the problem: Deactivation of MagicDNS
The simplest solution is to deactivate MagicDNS in Tailscale. You can do this by using the start command --accept-dns=false. With this command, you instruct Tailscale to stop accepting DNS requests and instead route them via the local network settings of your NAS as usual.
How to deactivate MagicDNS:
- Open Tailscale on your NAS device: Log in to your NAS and open the Tailscale configuration.
- Configure the tailscale client: Add the parameter
--accept-dns=falsein the configuration settings of the tailscale client. - Save settings and restart: Save the changes and restart the Tailscale client.
After these steps, your NAS should be able to access the Internet normally again, while you can continue to access it securely via Tailscale.
If your NAS device no longer has Internet access when using Tailscale, the problem can be easily solved by deactivating MagicDNS. With the --accept-dns=false parameter, you can ensure that DNS queries run via the local network settings of your NAS again and thus prevent the Internet connection from being interrupted. This allows you to continue using Tailscale to securely access your devices without affecting your NAS’s internet connection.
