ZeroTier Setup Guide

Complete ZeroTier setup guide for VybeCoding, create a network, install on your server and iPhone, authorize devices, and connect your SSH terminal over the VPN mesh.

ZeroTier is a peer to peer VPN mesh that gives each of your devices a private IP address on a virtual network. Once your server and iPhone are both joined to the same ZeroTier network, they can communicate directly as if they were on the same LAN, even if one is at home and the other is on cellular. This guide walks through the complete setup from creating a network to connecting with VybeCoding.

Step 1: Create a ZeroTier Network

Go to my.zerotier.com and create a free account. Once logged in, click Create A Network. A new network is generated with a unique 16-character network ID. Note this ID, you will need it to join devices. By default the network is set to Private, which means devices must be authorized before they can communicate. Leave this setting on Private for security.

infoThe free ZeroTier plan supports up to 25 devices on a single network. For personal use with a few servers and your phone, this is plenty.

Step 2: Install ZeroTier on Your Server

SSH into your server from your current location (local network or existing access method) and install ZeroTier. The official install script works on all major Linux distributions. After installing, join the network using the network ID from Step 1.

bash

# Install ZeroTier
curl -s https://install.zerotier.com | sudo bash

# Join your network (replace with your network ID)
sudo zerotier-cli join a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8

# Verify the join request was sent
sudo zerotier-cli status

Step 3: Authorize the Server

Go back to my.zerotier.com and open your network. You will see your server listed under Members with a checkbox. Check the Auth checkbox to authorize it. Once authorized, ZeroTier assigns the server a private IP address (shown in the Managed IPs column). Note this IP, it is the address you will use in VybeCoding to connect to this server.

tipYou can assign a memorable static IP to the server in the ZeroTier dashboard by editing the Managed IPs field. For example, use 10.147.17.10 so you always remember it.

Step 4: Install ZeroTier on Your iPhone

Download the ZeroTier One app from the iOS App Store. Open it and tap the plus button to add a network. Enter the same 16-character network ID from Step 1. The app requests VPN permission from iOS, allow it. Go back to my.zerotier.com and authorize your iPhone the same way you authorized the server. Once both devices are authorized, they can communicate over the ZeroTier network.

Step 5: Connect with VybeCoding

Make sure the ZeroTier VPN is active on your iPhone (the ZeroTier One app should show the network as connected with a green status). Open VybeCoding and add a new server. For the hostname, enter the ZeroTier IP address assigned to your server, the one you noted from the ZeroTier dashboard. Use port 22 (or your SSH port) and your regular SSH credentials. Tap Connect. VybeCoding routes the SSH connection through the ZeroTier mesh, and you are in.

text

# Example VybeCoding server configuration
Hostname: 10.147.17.10      (ZeroTier IP of your server)
Port: 22
Username: your_username
Auth: SSH Key (recommended) or Password

Verifying the Connection

To verify ZeroTier is working before configuring VybeCoding, you can ping the server from your phone. Open the VybeCoding terminal connected to any server (or a local terminal on your Mac) and ping the ZeroTier IP. If you get responses, the mesh is working. You can also check the ZeroTier dashboard, both devices should show as Online. If the connection does not work, make sure both devices are authorized, the ZeroTier app is active on your iPhone (check the iOS VPN indicator in the status bar), and your server's firewall allows connections on the ZeroTier interface.

bash

# Verify ZeroTier is running on the server
sudo zerotier-cli listnetworks

# Should show your network with OK status and an IP address
# Example output:
# 200 listnetworks a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8 my_network 00:00:00:00:00:00 OK PUBLIC 10.147.17.10/24

Troubleshooting

If you cannot connect, work through these checks in order. First verify both devices show as Online and Authorized in the ZeroTier dashboard. Then check that the ZeroTier VPN toggle is active on your iPhone, iOS sometimes disables VPN connections in the background. On the server, verify SSH is listening on all interfaces or specifically on the ZeroTier IP by running ss -tlnp | grep 22. If your server has a firewall like ufw or firewalld, add a rule to allow SSH traffic from the ZeroTier network subnet.

bash

# Allow SSH from ZeroTier subnet (ufw example)
sudo ufw allow from 10.147.17.0/24 to any port 22

# Reload the firewall
sudo ufw reload