FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Tailscale natively integrated?

Yes. Installers read the active Tailscale IPv4 address, validate that it belongs to 100.64.0.0/10, and bind MediaMTX plus the dashboard directly to that address. Tailscale is not merely a documented recommendation; the services refuse non-Tailscale bind addresses.

Is any media traffic public?

Not by default. Media listeners use the server's Tailscale address, while MediaMTX API and metrics listen only on localhost. Do not add public port forwarding or public tunnels.

Does it require Docker?

No. It runs natively through launchd on macOS and systemd on Linux.

Does the server transcode?

No. MediaMTX relays/remuxes the H.264/AAC contribution. This keeps CPU and latency low, but sender and receiver codec compatibility matters.

Can multiple phones publish at once?

There is one configured path named live. overridePublisher is enabled, so a new publisher replaces the current one. This is not a multi-camera mixer.

Does it bond cellular and Wi-Fi?

No. Regular SRT with adaptive bitrate is supported. SRTLA or multi-interface bonding requires a separate receiver and is outside the current scope.

Can I watch in a browser?

Yes, through LL-HLS or WebRTC links on the dashboard. Authenticate as studio with the reader password. Browser preview is for confidence monitoring; OBS over SRT is the intended production receiver.

Is recording automatic?

No. Recording is disabled by default and must be explicitly enabled. Existing files are never deleted when recording is disabled. Optional automatic retention is controlled by RECORDING_DELETE_AFTER.

What does “wartet auf Stream” mean?

Both services are healthy, but no publisher is active. This is the normal idle state.

Why does the dashboard use HTTP?

The page is reachable only through the encrypted Tailnet in the intended deployment. Public exposure is unsupported. Some browser features may be limited on private HTTP, so the dashboard includes a clipboard fallback.

Why can every trusted dashboard user see connection URLs?

The Tailnet is the dashboard trust boundary. Use Tailscale grants/ACLs to restrict port 8090 to production devices. Publisher and reader roles remain separate, but the dashboard displays both for setup.

Can I change the Tailscale IP?

Tailscale generally keeps device addresses stable. If the address does change, rerun the installer so all listeners and generated links use the current address.

Can I run it on a Proxmox LXC?

Yes, with a supported Debian/Ubuntu release and /dev/net/tun exposed to the container.

Can I use a normal LAN IP instead?

No. The project deliberately validates and binds a Tailscale IPv4 address. That invariant prevents an accidental all-interface or LAN/public exposure.

Does uninstall remove credentials or recordings?

No. Configuration and state are deliberately retained for recovery. See Updates, backup and recovery.

Where should I start when something fails?

Run irl-serverctl status, then the platform self-test, then follow Troubleshooting. Never post complete stream URLs or credentials.env in a public issue.