node-connect

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Diagnose OpenClaw node connection and pairing failures for Android, iOS, and macOS companion apps. Use when QR/setup code/manual connect fails, local Wi-Fi works but VPS/tailnet does not, or errors mention pairing required, unauthorized, bootstrap token invalid or expired, gateway.bind, gateway.remote.url, Tailscale, or plugins.entries.device-pair.config.publicUrl.

2installs

Sourcesteipete/clawdis

Added on2026-04-20

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add steipete/clawdis node-connect

SKILL.md Content

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Node Connect

Goal: find the one real route from node -> gateway, verify OpenClaw is advertising that route, then fix pairing/auth.

Topology first

Decide which case you are in before proposing fixes:

same machine / emulator / USB tunnel
same LAN / local Wi-Fi
same Tailscale tailnet
public URL / reverse proxy

Do not mix them.

Local Wi-Fi problem: do not switch to Tailscale unless remote access is actually needed.
VPS / remote gateway problem: do not keep debugging
```
localhost
```
or LAN IPs.

If ambiguous, ask first

If the setup is unclear or the failure report is vague, ask short clarifying questions before diagnosing.

Ask for:

which route they intend: same machine, same LAN, Tailscale tailnet, or public URL
whether they used QR/setup code or manual host/port
the exact app text/status/error, quoted exactly if possible
whether
```
openclaw devices list
```
shows a pending pairing request

Do not guess from

can't connect

.

Canonical checks

Prefer

openclaw qr --json

. It uses the same setup-code payload Android scans.

bash

openclaw config get gateway.mode
openclaw config get gateway.bind
openclaw config get gateway.tailscale.mode
openclaw config get gateway.remote.url
openclaw config get gateway.auth.mode
openclaw config get gateway.auth.allowTailscale
openclaw config get plugins.entries.device-pair.config.publicUrl
openclaw qr --json
openclaw devices list
openclaw nodes status

If this OpenClaw instance is pointed at a remote gateway, also run:

bash

openclaw qr --remote --json

If Tailscale is part of the story:

bash

tailscale status --json

Read the result, not guesses

openclaw qr --json

success means:

```
gatewayUrl
```
: this is the actual endpoint the app should use.
```
urlSource
```
: this tells you which config path won.

Common good sources:

```
gateway.bind=lan
```
: same Wi-Fi / LAN only
```
gateway.bind=tailnet
```
: direct tailnet access

gateway.tailscale.mode=serve

or

gateway.tailscale.mode=funnel

: Tailscale route

plugins.entries.device-pair.config.publicUrl

: explicit public/reverse-proxy route

```
gateway.remote.url
```
: remote gateway route

Root-cause map

If

openclaw qr --json

says

Gateway is only bound to loopback

:

remote node cannot connect yet
fix the route, then generate a fresh setup code
```
gateway.bind=auto
```
is not enough if the effective QR route is still loopback
same LAN: use
```
gateway.bind=lan
```

same tailnet: prefer

gateway.tailscale.mode=serve

or use

gateway.bind=tailnet

public internet: set a real

plugins.entries.device-pair.config.publicUrl

or

gateway.remote.url

If

gateway.bind=tailnet set, but no tailnet IP was found

:

gateway host is not actually on Tailscale

If

qr --remote requires gateway.remote.url

:

remote-mode config is incomplete

If the app says

pairing required

:

network route and auth worked
approve the pending device

bash

openclaw devices list
openclaw devices approve --latest

If the app says

bootstrap token invalid or expired

:

old setup code
generate a fresh one and rescan
do this after any URL/auth fix too

If the app says

unauthorized

:

wrong token/password, or wrong Tailscale expectation
for Tailscale Serve,
```
gateway.auth.allowTailscale
```
must match the intended flow
otherwise use explicit token/password

Fast heuristics

Same Wi-Fi setup + gateway advertises
```
127.0.0.1
```
,
```
localhost
```
, or loopback-only config: wrong.
Remote setup + setup/manual uses private LAN IP: wrong.
Tailnet setup + gateway advertises LAN IP instead of MagicDNS / tailnet route: wrong.
Public URL set but QR still advertises something else: inspect
```
urlSource
```
; config is not what you think.
```
openclaw devices list
```
shows pending requests: stop changing network config and approve first.

Fix style

Reply with one concrete diagnosis and one route.

If there is not enough signal yet, ask for setup + exact app text instead of guessing.

Good:

The gateway is still loopback-only, so a node on another network can never reach it. Enable Tailscale Serve, restart the gateway, run openclaw qr again, rescan, then approve the pending device pairing.

Bad:

Maybe LAN, maybe Tailscale, maybe port forwarding, maybe public URL.

node-connect

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Node Connect

Topology first

If ambiguous, ask first

Canonical checks

Read the result, not guesses

Root-cause map

Fast heuristics

Fix style