GoKawiilTailscale releases tailcat, a standalone netcat-like tool using its network layer without accounts or servers
Tailscale has launched tailcat, an open-source Go package and CLI tool that lets developers move data between two points using the company's underlying network technology—WireGuard encryption, NAT traversal, and DERP relay servers—without any of Tailscale's account system, control plane, or administrative layer. It functions like the classic netcat utility but routes traffic through Tailscale's magicsock networking stack, and can run entirely independent of Tailscale as a company if users host their own DERP relay server.
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This release addresses a split in how developers perceive Tailscale: some just want the peer-to-peer networking mechanics without any corporate account system, while others value the full managed product with SSO, admin controls, and support. By stripping out everything except the core connectivity layer, Tailscale is betting that giving away a no-strings-attached version of its plumbing builds goodwill and developer trust rather than cannibalizing its paid product.
- Tailcat provides Tailscale's WireGuard, NAT traversal, and DERP relay functionality without any accounts, logins, or admin controls.
- It works like netcat but transmits data over Tailscale's peer-to-peer networking stack called magicsock.
- Users can run it fully independent of Tailscale the company by hosting their own DERP relay server.
Raspberry Pi 5 Single Board Computer — If tailcat's control-plane-free networking has you itching to spin up your own DERP relay or a self-hosted mesh endpoint, a Raspberry Pi 5 is the perfect always-on little Linux box for it. It's small, quiet, and runs Go binaries happily, making it an ideal home lab node for peer-to-peer WireGuard experiments.
See Raspberry Pi 5 Single Board Computer on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: tailscale.com, 2026-09-01
Published there as: “Tailcat: Tailscale Without Tailscale, by Tailscale”
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