# Tailcat: Tailscale without Tailscale, by Tailscale

DevFeed: [Tailcat: Tailscale without Tailscale, by Tailscale](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/tailcat-tailscale-without-tailscale-by-tailscale-168.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://tailscale.com/blog/tailcat>)

Author: Brad Fitzpatrick

Published: 2026-08-31T14:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Blog on Tailscale](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/blog-on-tailscale.md>)

Topics: [Go Language](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/go-language.md>), [Command-line interface](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cli.md>), [Open Source](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/open-source.md>), [client](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/client.md>), [Encryption](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/encryption.md>), [Server](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/server.md>), [Security](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/security.md>), [Linux](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux.md>), [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [Single sign-on (SSO)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/sso.md>)

Tags: [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [cli](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cli.md>), [encryption](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/encryption.md>), [go](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/go.md>), [identity](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/identity.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [open-source](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open-source.md>), [remix](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/remix.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>)

## AI overview

Tailcat is an open-source Go package and CLI that uses Tailscale's data plane--WireGuard encryption, NAT traversal, and DERP--to provide netcat-like client and server connectivity without the Tailscale control plane, accounts, or administrative controls.

## Source excerpt

A netcat-ish way to use Tailscale's data plane without its control plane