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Create a Network

A ZeroTier network behaves like a LAN you can use anywhere in the world. Devices join it over the internet, talk to each other directly, and keep working when you move them to a different physical network.

This guide gets two devices connected in about five minutes. Any devices that run ZeroTier will do — laptops, phones, servers, virtual machines.

Central vs New Central

ZeroTier Central is available in two versions. Please follow the appropriate instructions based on which version you are using:

Not sure which version you're using? See How to Check Your Central Version.

1. Create your organization​

  1. Visit central.zerotier.com and log in

  2. Enter an organization name and click Create Organization

    Create Organization

  3. Choose a plan — your organization comes with one Network Group and one Network by default

Choose Plan

2. Get your network ID​

  1. In the left sidebar, expand Networks and click your default network (e.g. my-first-network)
  2. Copy the Network ID from the top of the page — 16 characters, like 6722f92749d059c7

Network ID

Keep this tab open for step 4.

3. Install ZeroTier and join​

Download ZeroTier from zerotier.com/download and install it on each device.

Supported versions

ZeroTier supports the current major release and two major releases prior. Currently supported: v1.16.x, v1.14.x and v1.12.x.

Desktop — click the ZeroTier icon in your menu bar (macOS) or system tray (Windows), choose Join New Network..., paste the Network ID and click Join.

Terminal — works on any platform with the CLI installed:

sudo zerotier-cli join 6722f92749d059c7

Check it registered:

sudo zerotier-cli listnetworks

Until you authorize the device in step 4 it will show ACCESS_DENIED, which is expected:

200 listnetworks 6722f92749d059c7 my-first-network ee:5a:5e:d1:9c:b8 ACCESS_DENIED PRIVATE zt3jn2z57r

4. Authorize your devices​

A device that joins is not connected until you authorize it.

  1. In the Member Devices tab, find the device showing "Not Authorized"
  2. Click the three-dot menu under Actions and select Authorize

Manage Devices Menu

You can also click Authorize in the notification banner that appears when a device joins, though managing devices directly avoids authorizing something by accident.

Authorize Device Banner

tip

If a newly joined device isn't listed, refresh the page.

5. Test your connection​

Note the ZT IP addresses under Member Devices — they look like 10.171.176.172.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 on a second device, then ping one from the other. See Testing from the command line below.

Testing from the command line​

ping ships with every operating system and is the quickest way to prove the network works.

Open Terminal with Spotlight (cmd-space), then send five packets to the other device's ZeroTier IP:

ping -c 5 10.147.17.101

A successful ping looks like this:

PING 10.147.17.101 (10.147.17.101): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.147.17.101: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=15.2 ms
64 bytes from 10.147.17.101: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=12.1 ms
64 bytes from 10.147.17.101: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=11.8 ms

Ping the other device, not the address of the machine you are typing on.

If it doesn't work

Request timeout or 100% packet loss usually means one of:

  • The IP address has a typo — check it against the members list
  • The device is not authorized yet
  • You are pinging your own address

Still stuck? See FAQ & Troubleshooting or contact support.

Windows and ping

Windows Firewall blocks inbound ICMP by default, but ZeroTier enables it for its own interface automatically, so this normally needs no action. To enable it by hand: open Windows Firewall, click Advanced Settings, then Inbound Rules, find File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv4-In), right-click and choose Enable Rule. Microsoft documents this here.

Join multiple networks​

One device can belong to many networks at once — a home network, a work network, a friends network. They do not all have to be networks you created.

Make sure the networks do not use overlapping subnets.

Leaving a network​

  • Click the ZeroTier icon in your menu bar or system tray
  • Click the network name to uncheck it, or use Network Details to uncheck Connected
  • To remove it permanently, use Network Details -> Delete Network

Or from the CLI:

sudo zerotier-cli leave NETWORK_ID

What to do next​

Next steps​