Linking external Meshnet devices on Linux

Learn how to expand your Meshnet by linking other users' devices on Linux.

Linking a device of another Meshnet user allows for reciprocal access between your devices, which can be limited by setting specific permissions if needed.

Send an invitation from Linux

To add an external device to your Meshnet, invite its owner using their NordVPN account email:

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Enter the following command, where <email> is the email address of the NordVPN user you're inviting to have access to your Meshnet:

    nordvpn meshnet invite send <email>

    Example

    nordvpn meshnet invite send fernando.thewhale@email.com

  3. Grant or deny the permissions requested for the user’s device by pressing Y or N, respectively, one at a time. Repeat until you see a message confirming that you’ve successfully sent your invitation. Consider the level of access you're comfortable providing:

    • Allow incoming traffic: keep this permission selected to stay accessible via Meshnet.

    • Allow traffic routing: this permission lets the external device route its internet traffic through your device, using it as a VPN server.

    • Allow local network access: this permission lets the external device access other devices on your local network, such as printers or smart home devices.

    • Allow receiving files: keep this permission selected to allow file sending from the invitee.

    Example

  4. Once the device owner accepts the invitation, your devices will be linked. To view connected external devices, enter:

    nordvpn meshnet peer list -filter external

Optional: Withdraw an invitation

Invitations automatically expire after 72 hours if not canceled earlier.

To withdraw a pending invitation, enter this command followed by the email address of the person you've invited:

nordvpn meshnet invite revoke <email>

Example

Accept an invitation on Linux

To complete the device linking process, the recipient needs to accept the invitation in their NordVPN app.

Caution

Ensure that the invitation you accept is from a user you know and trust. For more information, see How to use Meshnet securely.

To accept an invitation on a Linux device:

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. To see your pending invitations, enter the command:

    nordvpn meshnet invite list

  3. Locate the email address of the person who invited you under Received invites.

  4. To accept an invite, enter the following command, replacing <email> with the inviter's email address:

    nordvpn meshnet invite accept <email>

    Example

    nordvpn meshnet invite accept secret.meerkat@meshnet.com

  5. Grant or deny the permissions requested for the inviter's device by pressing Y or N, respectively, one at a time. Consider the level of access you're comfortable providing:

    • Allow incoming traffic: keep this permission selected to stay accessible via Meshnet.

    • Allow traffic routing: this permission lets the external device route its internet traffic through your device, using it as a VPN server.

    • Allow local network access: this permission lets the external device access other devices on your local network, such as printers or smart home devices.

    • Allow receiving files: keep this permission selected to allow file sending from the invitee.

  6. Repeat until you see a message confirming that you’ve successfully accepted their invitation. This will link your device with your peer's device.

  7. To view external connected devices, enter:

    nordvpn meshnet peer list -filter external

If you have Meshnet on multiple devices, you'll need to individually accept the invitation on each device to link them all.

Tip

To display supported commands for managing Meshnet peer devices, enter:

nordvpn meshnet peer --help

Checklist for device linking

If the device is not showing up in your External peers list, refer to the following checklist to address common issues:

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