Add your first device

Two ways in: people sign in, machines use a setup key. Both end with the device on the mesh, or in the Warden inbox if approvals are on.

Install the client

The console's Install page (https://mesh.example.com/install) lists the client for each platform with the exact commands for your server. On Linux, for example:

curl -fsSL https://pkgs.netbird.io/install.sh | sh
sudo netbird up --management-url https://mesh.example.com

On macOS and Windows the desktop app asks where to connect on first launch: pick Self-hosted and enter https://mesh.example.com. See Clients for every platform.

Option A: sign in

netbird up without a key opens the sign-in page in a browser. Sign in with the account you created in the console (or your identity provider). The device is registered to that user.

Option B: setup key

Servers and containers cannot open a browser. Create a key in Settings → Setup Keys, then:

sudo netbird up --management-url https://mesh.example.com --setup-key <key>

Keys can be one-off or reusable, expire, and drop devices straight into groups. Details in Setup keys.

What happens next

• The device appears in Peers with its mesh address (100.x.x.x) and a name under your network's domain.
• With Peer Approval on, it is listed as waiting and sees nothing until you approve it in Warden.
• Once approved (or immediately, if approvals are off) it receives the peers its policies allow. The default policy lets all approved devices reach each other.

Check it

netbird status
ping 100.69.0.5     # another peer's mesh address

netbird status shows Management: Connected and, once another device is reachable, the connection type per peer: P2P for a direct path, Relayed when NAT forced traffic through your relay.