I completely agree, Tailscale will not just solve your issues. If you want to have is as simple as possible for your users you are going to need to expose it publicly for your users. And the reason I posted the comment above is to share a solution that has worked for me to get my users "Smart"TVs to work. Honestly if someone where to make a service that provides a “plex networking” solution for jellyfin I think allot of people would consider using it and leave plex for good!
Yeah then this might not be a great idea for you, unless you have the possibility to fix a machine if you visit. But I want to make it clear this is not a fix all thing just trying to help :D
That doesn’t slove the problem if your Smart TV doesn’t support tailscale or something like Wireguard. Using another machine connected to a VPN like for example Tailscale/Headscale and then using ssh portforwarding allows you to access the service(jellyfin) on the device without support.
It would be like this:
Jellyfin <-- Tailscale/Headscale <— Machine forwarding the jellyfins port <-- Smart TV
This can be done with a command like this:
ssh -L 0.0.0.0:8096:jellyfin_tailnet_ip:8096 -f -N user@machine
If you have a machine at her place that is on most of the time you can have tailscale on that device and then make it ssh into itself with ssh portforwarding on!
Edit: You can also selfhost headscale and do the same as the comment below said
I have done what you are looking for on OPNsense. And I’m pretty sure it can also be done with OpenWRT.
You will need to setup multi WAN and setup some static routes and use your RoadWarrior setup.
Aka you want this:
Phone › Via Wireguard › OpenWRT › Via Wireguard › VPN provider
I don’t have a guide on how to do it but I will try to find one and update this comment if I do. But here are some Guides that might help you in creating it!
MullvadVPNs OpenWRT Guide for Wireguard (Should work with other providers)
I’m also including the guide to setup Roadwarrior & External VPN provider for OPNsense so you can get a idea of how it should be done and work
OPNsense guide I used to create my Wireguard WAN
I did this by using Seer and Jellyfin Enhanced Plugin. Also here is a list of Jellyfin plugins
I can recommend Yet Another Media Server the only down side is that you won’t really learn how to use and manage containers (docker or podman). But this solution is quick and easy it also helps setup a qbittorent container with a VPN. For downloading Linux ISOs. ;D
I use the following
Debian for Laptop Bazzite for Gaming PC HatvesterHCI for Hypervisor Truenas Scale for NAS (VM with disk pass thru) Rocky Linux for Servers (I have created Hardened Images) I use OS-build to create the Rocky Images
Not a ad but want to leave this here because I think it’s relevant. Najalla has a VPN service that is very unique, instead of giving you multiple exit points with different IPs and maybe 1 portforward they give you One static IP with full access to portforwarding for like 5€/Month
I am in no way affiliated with them but I am just a customers of thier service and enjoy it!