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Deploying a server connects a Linux VPS to TunnelFleet and installs the VPN stack you select. Prefer DigitalOcean if you want TunnelFleet to create the machine and install the agent for you. Use Custom VPS when you already have a server elsewhere.

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Before you start

  • An active TunnelFleet subscription or trial (your organization must not be locked)
  • Enough capacity remaining on your plan’s server limit
  • DigitalOcean: a DigitalOcean account with a team you can authorize
  • Custom VPS: a machine with a public IP, root SSH access, and Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS

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DigitalOcean (no SSH)

1

Connect DigitalOcean

Go to Settings → Server providers → Connect DigitalOcean. Authorize TunnelFleet and choose a team. See Server providers.
2

Open Create Server

Go to Servers → Create Server and select the DigitalOcean tab.
3

Choose droplet options

  • Name — permanent DNS subdomain (a random name is suggested)
  • DigitalOcean profile — your connected account
  • Region and Size — where the droplet runs and which plan to use
  • Operating system — Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS
  • Protocols — WireGuard, OpenVPN TCP, and/or OpenVPN UDP
4

Create and wait

Click Create DigitalOcean server. TunnelFleet creates the droplet, waits for a public IP, and runs the agent install automatically. Stay on the provisioning screen until the server is ready — you do not need to SSH or paste an install command.
DigitalOcean bills you for the droplet. Deleting the server in TunnelFleet removes it from the dashboard but does not destroy the droplet — delete that in DigitalOcean if you no longer need it.

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Custom VPS (install script)

1

Open Create Server

Go to Servers → Create Server and select the Custom VPS tab.
2

Fill in server details

  • Name — permanent DNS subdomain
  • IP address — public IPv4 of the VPS
  • Private IP — optional, for private networking setups
  • Operating system — match the OS on the VPS
  • Protocols — WireGuard, OpenVPN TCP, and/or OpenVPN UDP
3

Create

Click Create server. TunnelFleet creates a pending server and shows the install command.
4

Run the install script

SSH into the VPS as root and run the command from the provisioning screen:
Prefer downloading install.sh, checking it against /install.sh.sha256, then running it with those same environment variables. The token is never part of the URL.Watch the dashboard progress through Waiting → Preparing → Installing → Firewall → Finalising.
The custom VPS must have root SSH access. Do not reuse a machine that already runs another TunnelFleet agent for a different server entry.

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Verify deployment

When provisioning finishes:
  1. Server status is ready
  2. Agent shows as online (seen within the last couple of minutes)
  3. Selected protocols show as active
  4. Default user tunnelfleet appears under Users
  5. Hostname resolves under *.server.tunnelfleet.com

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Troubleshooting

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Next steps

Create a VPN user

Add peers beyond the default user.

Download configuration

Get .conf and .ovpn files for your devices.