ZeroTier Support in APdesk and MESHdesk

This is an old revision of the document!

ZeroTier support in APdesk and MESHdesk is different when compared to Wireguard, IKEv2+IPsec or OpenVPN.
With ZeroTier you do not have to worry about the server side since it is hosted by ZeroTier.
Another important point about the ZeroTier VPN connection is that you can not use it to access the Internet.
ZeroTier is typically used to to create a private network where you can access devices on that network.

The MESHdesk firmware includes support for ZeroTier since Jan 2026.
When you build the firmware make sure you include:
- Network → VPN → zerotier
After selecting it also select the following Configuration options:
- Build in debug mode
- Build a self test program
To make the ZeroTier package appear in the available list of packages, you need to install it into the SDK

./scripts/feeds install zerotier

Note that ZeroTier might not fit on devices with limited flash.
Fortunately OpenWrt can also be running as a VM.
In our setup we created a virtual setup in VirtualBox and ran an OpenWrt instance which are then configured using APdesk

To manage ZeroTier networks, you have to register at ZeroTier (https://www.zerotier.com/).
There are free plans available which has certain restrictions in terms of the amount of devices that are allowed on the network.
There are also two versions of the dashboard, the original one is called Legacy Central and the new one is called New Central.
It seems the one you should use depends on when you registered with them.
I tried New Central and could not get to devices listed on Legacy Central.
The screenshots here are from Legacy Central.

ZeroTier Introduction