# WireGuard ## What is WireGuard? WireGuard is a state-of-the-art VPN protocol — modern, extremely fast and very secure, with a tiny, easy-to-audit code base. It is built directly into the Linux kernel and is supported natively across a huge range of platforms and hardware: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, as well as many home and business routers and firewalls (for example MikroTik, OPNsense, pfSense, OpenWrt, Ubiquiti UniFi and FRITZ!Box). Because WireGuard is so widely available, you can connect your SKAARHOJ Controller to almost any existing network — your own router or server, or a commercial VPN provider — using a standard WireGuard configuration. A WireGuard connection is called a *tunnel*. You give the controller a standard WireGuard config (the same `.conf` format used everywhere), start the tunnel, and the controller securely joins the remote network. On a SKAARHOJ Controller this is useful for: - Reaching the controller and the devices on its network remotely over a secure tunnel. - Connecting the controller into an existing company or site VPN. - Routing the controller’s traffic through a VPN endpoint of your choice.

WireGuard is free and open source — there is no account to create and no subscription. You only need a WireGuard configuration from the network you want to join.

## Installing the WireGuard app on your Controller WireGuard is delivered as an installable package in SkaarOS. Open the **Packages** page from the top menu (or browse to `/system/`), find **WireGuard** in the list and install it. [![The SkaarOS Packages page listing the WireGuard package](https://wiki.skaarhoj.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/wg-packages.jpg)](https://wiki.skaarhoj.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/wg-packages.jpg) Click into the package and press **Start** so its status shows **Running**, then refresh the page. The **Open WebUI** button becomes available — click it to open the WireGuard app.

Enable the **Show in Menu** toggle to add a **WireGuard** tab to the top menu bar for quick access.

## Creating a tunnel Open the WireGuard app and, on the **Tunnels** tab, click **New Tunnel**. [![The New Tunnel form with the WireGuard configuration template](https://wiki.skaarhoj.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/wg-new.jpg)](https://wiki.skaarhoj.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/wg-new.jpg) 1. **Tunnel Name** — a short label such as `office`, `home` or `datacenter`. Alphanumeric, dashes and underscores only, maximum 15 characters. 2. **WireGuard Configuration** — paste your standard WireGuard config in the usual `.conf` (wg-quick) format. A template is shown so you can see the expected structure (`[Interface]` and `[Peer]` sections). 3. Click **Create Tunnel**.

Where do configs come from? Generate one on your own WireGuard server or router, or download it from your VPN provider’s portal. The same config you would use on a laptop or phone works here — simply paste the text.

## Managing your tunnels The Tunnels tab lists every tunnel with live status that refreshes automatically. [![The WireGuard Tunnels tab showing an active tunnel](https://wiki.skaarhoj.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/wg-tunnels.jpg)](https://wiki.skaarhoj.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/wg-tunnels.jpg) - An **Active** / **Inactive** badge and the interface name (`wg0`, `wg1`, …). - **Start** / **Stop** to bring the tunnel up or down. - When active: the peer **Endpoint**, the latest **Handshake** time and **Transfer** totals (↓ received / ↑ sent). - **Start on boot** — automatically bring the tunnel up when the controller powers on (shown as an *Auto-start* badge). - **Edit** — change the configuration. Private keys are hidden by default; click **Show Secrets** to reveal them. - **Delete** — remove the tunnel (it is brought down first if it is active). ## WireGuard everywhere Because WireGuard is built into so many devices, you can create the other end of the tunnel almost anywhere — a router at your office, a cloud server, or a commercial VPN service — and connect your other computers and phones to the same network. Official clients and installation guides for every platform are available at [wireguard.com/install](https://www.wireguard.com/install/). Many routers and firewalls can also act as a WireGuard server out of the box — check your device’s documentation.