44Net Connect/Quick Start: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:31, 28 September 2026

Use this guide to quickly set up your first 44Net Connect tunnel and get your device participating on the Internet as a native 44Net host.

What you need

A 44Net Portal account
A verified amateur radio callsign
A device capable of running WireGuard
Some sort of Internet access

If you haven't set up your Portal account or verified your callsign yet, see 44Net: Get Started for instructions. For a partial list of supported devices and device-specific tutorials, see Supported Platforms.

Create your Connect tunnel

Tip

The Connect dashboard is where you will manage your tunnels, view your assigned 44Net addresses, and access your WireGuard configurations. Consider bookmarking the dashboard for easy access.

Note

The Connect dashboard is separate from the Portal dashboard. You will use your Portal account credentials to log in, but the two dashboards have different functions. The Portal dashboard is for managing your account, verifying your callsign, and accessing support resources, while the Connect dashboard is specifically for managing your WireGuard tunnels and configurations. You will need to log in to both dashboards at different times depending on what you want to do.

Step 1: Sign in to 44Net Connect

Visit The 44Net Connect dashboard.
Click the “Log In to Get Started” button.
Sign in with your 44Net Portal account credentials.

Step 2: Create your first tunnel

On the dashboard page, click the “Create Tunnel” button.

Step 3: Choose region and node

In the list of regions, click the region closest to you.
Nodes available in that region will appear.
Click a node to select it as your endpoint.

You can change endpoints later if needed.

Step 4: Name your tunnel

Enter a name for your tunnel (e.g. “Home Laptop” or “Raspberry Pi”)

Step 5: Save your new tunnel

Check or uncheck the option to receive tunnel details via email.
Click the “Create Tunnel” button.
Review the confirmation dialog and click “Save Changes” to proceed.

Configure your WireGuard client

Step 6: Get your configuration

Scroll down to find your tunnel configuration.
Click the “Copy to Clipboard” button to copy the configuration text.

Step 7: Create a new tunnel

Windows or macOS:

Open your WireGuard client.
Click the “+ Add Tunnel“ button to add a new tunnel.
Delete the default template text and paste in your configuration.
Give your tunnel a name in the “Name” field.
Click the “Save” button.

Linux

Create a new file for your WireGuard configuration, e.g. /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf.
Paste the configuration text into the file and save it.

Other platforms

Use the configuration text with your platform’s WireGuard implementation. Refer to your platform’s documentation for details on how to set up a WireGuard tunnel.

Activate and connect

Step 8: Activate your tunnel

Windows or macOS:

In your WireGuard client, select the tunnel you just created.
Click the “Activate” button to start the tunnel.

Linux

Run the command wg-quick up wg0 (replace wg0 with the name of your configuration file if different).

Other platforms

Use your platform’s method for starting the WireGuard tunnel. Refer to your platform’s documentation for details.

Step 9: Confirm handshake

Windows or macOS:

In your WireGuard client, look for the “Handshake” field in your tunnel status.
If the handshake is successful, you should see a recent timestamp indicating the last successful handshake with the Connect endpoint.

Linux

Run the command wg to check the status of your WireGuard interfaces.
Look for the interface corresponding to your Connect tunnel and check the “latest handshake” timestamp.

Other platforms

Use your platform’s method for checking WireGuard tunnel status and confirm that the handshake with the Connect endpoint is successful.

In the Connect dashboard

Your tunnel status should show as “Active” with a green indicator.

Once the tunnel is active, your system operates as a native 44Net host. Inbound and outbound traffic is routed through the Connect endpoint, giving your device a direct connection to the Internet.

Your device is now reachable on the Internet at its 44Net IP address.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== Get Started with 44Net Connect ==
+<div class="toclimit-3">
+__TOC__
+</div>
+{{DISPLAYTITLE:44Net Connect Quick Start}}
-Before you begin, make sure you have what you need: a 44Net Portal account, a verified amateur radio callsign, a device capable of running WireGuard, and some sort of Internet access. If you haven't set up your Portal account or verified your callsign yet, see [[GetStarted|44Net: Get Started]] for instructions. For a partial list of supported devices, see [[44Net Connect/Supported Platforms|Supported Platforms]].
+Use this guide to quickly set up your first 44Net Connect tunnel and get your device participating on the Internet as a native 44Net host.
-{{Section|class=mw-section--brief|1=
+=== What you need ===
-{{SectionAside|
-{{SectionFigure|file=Connect Welcome Screen.png|width=300px|alt=44Net Connect welcome screen|class=align-right}}
+* A 44Net Portal account
-}}
+* A verified amateur radio callsign
-=== Step 1: Sign in to the Connect dashboard ===
+* A device capable of running WireGuard
+* Some sort of Internet access
+If you haven't set up your Portal account or verified your callsign yet, see [[GetStarted|44Net: Get Started]] for instructions. For a partial list of supported devices and device-specific tutorials, see [[44Net Connect/Supported Platforms|Supported Platforms]].
+== Create your Connect tunnel ==
+{{Info|Tip|The Connect dashboard is where you will manage your tunnels, view your assigned 44Net addresses, and access your WireGuard configurations. Consider bookmarking the dashboard for easy access.}}
+{{Info|Note|The Connect dashboard is separate from the Portal dashboard. You will use your Portal account credentials to log in, but the two dashboards have different functions. The Portal dashboard is for managing your account, verifying your callsign, and accessing support resources, while the Connect dashboard is specifically for managing your WireGuard tunnels and configurations. You will need to log in to both dashboards at different times depending on what you want to do.}}
+{{Step|
+=== Step 1: Sign in to 44Net Connect ===
+{{StepImage|file=Click to Log In.png}}
+{{StepText|
 * Visit [https://connect.44net.cloud The 44Net Connect dashboard].
 * Click the “Log In to Get Started” button.
 * Sign in with your 44Net Portal account credentials.
-{{Info|Tip|The Connect dashboard is where you will manage your tunnels, view your assigned 44Net addresses, and access your WireGuard configurations. Consider bookmarking the dashboard for easy access.}}
+}}
+}}
-{{Info|Note|The Connect dashboard is separate from the Portal dashboard. You will use your Portal account credentials to log in, but the two dashboards have different functions. The Portal dashboard is for managing your account, verifying your callsign, and accessing support resources, while the Connect dashboard is specifically for managing your WireGuard tunnels and configurations. You will need to log in to both dashboards at different times depending on what you want to do.}}
+{{Step|
+=== Step 2: Create your first tunnel ===
+{{StepImage|file=Create Tunnel.png}}
+{{StepText|
+* On the dashboard page, click the “Create Tunnel” button.
+}}
 }}
-{{Section|class=mw-section--brief|1=
+{{Step|
-{{SectionAside|
+=== Step 3: Choose region and node ===
-{{SectionFigure|file=Choose Region and Node.png|width=200px|alt=44Net Choose Region and Node screen|class=align-right}}
+{{StepImage|file=Choose Region and Node.png}}
+{{StepText|
+* In the list of regions, click the region closest to you.
+* Nodes available in that region will appear.
+* Click a node to select it as your endpoint.
+You can change endpoints later if needed.
+}}
 }}
-=== Step 2: Create your first tunnel ===
-* On the dashboard page, click the “Create Tunnel” button.
-* Select an endpoint region and node.
-* Enter a name for your tunnel, click the “Create Tunnel” button, and confirm.
-Don’t worry too much about the endpoint selection. You can change it later if needed, and you can have multiple tunnels to different endpoints if you want. The tunnel name is just for your reference.
+{{Step|
+=== Step 4: Name your tunnel ===
+{{StepImage|file=Name Tunnel.png}}
+{{StepText|
+* Enter a name for your tunnel (e.g. “Home Laptop” or “Raspberry Pi”)
+}}
 }}
-{{Section|class=mw-section--brief|1=
+{{Step|
-{{SectionAside|
+=== Step 5: Save your new tunnel ===
-{{SectionFigure|file=Copy to Clipboard.png|width=200px|alt=44Net Connect welcome screen|class=align-right}}
+{{StepImage|file=Complete Tunnel Creation.png}}
+{{StepText|
+* Check or uncheck the option to receive tunnel details via email.
+* Click the “Create Tunnel” button.
+* Review the confirmation dialog and click “Save Changes” to proceed.
 }}
-=== Step 3: Get your WireGuard configuration ===
+}}
+== Configure your WireGuard client ==
+{{Step|
+=== Step 6: Get your configuration ===
+{{StepImage|file=Copy Configuration.png|width=260px}}
+{{StepText|
 * Scroll down to find your tunnel configuration.
 * Click the “Copy to Clipboard” button to copy the configuration text.
-* Paste the configuration into your WireGuard client (Windows, macOS), or save it as a configuration file (e.g. <code>wg0.conf</code> on Linux, cloud instances, etc.).
+}}
+}}
-The configuration includes your public and private keys, an automatically-assigned 44Net address, and the endpoint information. It’s a standard WireGuard config that you can use with any compatible client or device.
+{{Step|
+=== Step 7: Create a new tunnel ===
+{{StepImage|file=Paste Configuration.png|width=260px}}
+{{StepText|
+==== Windows or macOS: ====
+* Open your WireGuard client.
+* Click the “+ Add Tunnel“ button to add a new tunnel.
+* Delete the default template text and paste in your configuration.
+* Give your tunnel a name in the “Name” field.
+* Click the “Save” button.
+==== Linux ====
+* Create a new file for your WireGuard configuration, e.g. <code>/etc/wireguard/wg0.conf</code>.
+* Paste the configuration text into the file and save it.
+==== Other platforms ====
+* Use the configuration text with your platform’s WireGuard implementation. Refer to your platform’s documentation for details on how to set up a WireGuard tunnel.
-This is the only time you will see your private key in the Connect dashboard. If you lose it, you can generate a new configuration from the dashboard, but you cannot view the same private key again. If you opted to have the configuration sent to you via email, you can retrieve your private key from the email copy as well.
+}}
 }}
-{{Section|class=mw-section--brief|1=
+== Activate and connect ==
-{{SectionAside|
-{{SectionFigure|file=WireGuard macOS Manage Tunnels.png|width=200px|alt=44Net WireGuard macOS Manage Tunnels screen|class=align-right}}
+{{Step|
+=== Step 8: Activate your tunnel ===
+{{StepImage|file=Activate.png|width=260px}}
+{{StepText|
+==== Windows or macOS: ====
+* In your WireGuard client, select the tunnel you just created.
+* Click the “Activate” button to start the tunnel.
+==== Linux ====
+* Run the command <code>wg-quick up wg0</code> (replace <code>wg0</code> with the name of your configuration file if different).
+==== Other platforms ====
+* Use your platform’s method for starting the WireGuard tunnel. Refer to your platform’s documentation for details.
+}}
 }}
-=== Step 4: Activate your tunnel ===
-* Start the WireGuard tunnel (“Activate” in the client, or <code>wg-quick up wg0</code> on Linux).
-''Once the tunnel is active, your system operates as a native 44Net host. Inbound and outbound traffic is routed through the Connect endpoint, giving your device a direct connection to the Internet.''
+{{Step|
+=== Step 9: Confirm handshake ===
+{{StepImage|file=Confirm.png|width=260px}}
+{{StepText|
+==== Windows or macOS: ====
+* In your WireGuard client, look for the “Handshake” field in your tunnel status.
+* If the handshake is successful, you should see a recent timestamp indicating the last successful handshake with the Connect endpoint.
+==== Linux ====
+* Run the command <code>wg</code> to check the status of your WireGuard interfaces.
+* Look for the interface corresponding to your Connect tunnel and check the “latest handshake” timestamp.
+==== Other platforms ====
+* Use your platform’s method for checking WireGuard tunnel status and confirm that the handshake with the Connect endpoint is successful.
+==== In the Connect dashboard ====
+* Your tunnel status should show as “Active” with a green indicator.
+}}
 }}
+Once the tunnel is active, your system operates as a native 44Net host. Inbound and outbound traffic is routed through the Connect endpoint, giving your device a direct connection to the Internet.
+Your device is now reachable on the Internet at its 44Net IP address.
+[[Category:Tutorial]]
+[[Category:How-To]]
+[[Category:Participation Methods]]
+[[Category:44Net Connect]]
+[[Category:Getting Started]]
+[[Category:Device and platform guides]]