A diagnostic tool for troubleshooting OpenClaw node connection and pairing failures across mobile and desktop companion apps.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install node-connect-smith
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install node-connect-smith using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Node Connect?
Node Connect is a specialized diagnostic utility designed to resolve complex connectivity hurdles within the OpenClaw ecosystem. It systematically addresses pairing failures, unauthorized access errors, and routing discrepancies that occur when syncing Android, iOS, or macOS companion apps with a central gateway. Whether you are dealing with local Wi-Fi limitations, VPS configurations, or Tailscale tailnet complexities, this skill provides a structured path to ensure your AI agent nodes remain synchronized.
By prioritizing a topology-first approach, Node Connect eliminates the guesswork often associated with network debugging. It guides users through verifying their intended route—whether via loopback, LAN, or public reverse proxy—and ensures that the OpenClaw configuration perfectly aligns with the physical network architecture. This precision helps developers quickly move past authentication bottlenecks like invalid bootstrap tokens or gateway binding issues to achieve a stable, functional agent environment using Openclaw Skills.
Node Connect Use Cases
- Troubleshooting failed manual connections between mobile companion apps and an AI gateway.
- Resolving pairing-required or unauthorized errors during the device synchronization process.
- Fixing connection drops when transitioning from local Wi-Fi to a remote VPS or Tailscale network.
- Diagnosing gateway.bind or gateway.remote.url configuration mismatches in complex network topologies.
- Recovering from expired or invalid bootstrap tokens during the initial node setup.
How Node Connect Works
- The skill begins by identifying the intended network topology, such as same-machine loopback, local LAN, Tailscale tailnet, or public proxy.
- It executes a route discovery phase to read core OpenClaw configuration keys and detect any mismatch between the configured route and the intended topology.
- If a mismatch is found, it performs a targeted audit of specific configuration subsets like gateway.bind or publicUrl to pinpoint the source of the failure.
- Once the network route is verified as correct, the skill transitions to authentication and pairing checks, listing and approving pending device requests.
- Finally, it provides a concrete diagnosis and a single targeted fix to align the configuration with the intended network route.
Node Connect Setup
To initialize the diagnostic environment for Openclaw Skills, ensure you have the CLI installed and access to your configuration file. Use the following commands to check your current node and device status:
# List all devices to check for pending pairing requests
openclaw devices list
# Inspect the current gateway binding configuration
openclaw config get gateway.bind
# Check Tailscale status if using a tailnet route
tailscale status --json
Node Connect Data Schema & Taxonomy
Node Connect interacts with the OpenClaw configuration hierarchy and device registry to manage connectivity data. The following table outlines the primary data points used for diagnosis:
| Data Category | Configuration Keys | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway Routing | gateway.mode, gateway.bind, gateway.remote.url |
Defines the physical network interface and routing logic. |
| Network Tunneling | gateway.tailscale.mode, publicUrl |
Manages Tailscale Serve/Funnel or reverse proxy endpoints. |
| Security & Auth | gateway.auth.mode, gateway.auth.token |
Validates authentication methods and token consistency. |
| Device Registry | openclaw devices |
Tracks approved, pending, and rotated device pairing tokens. |
Node Connect Advanced Features
- Multi-topology support including direct tailnet binds, Tailscale Serve, and Tailscale Funnel integration.
- Automated token-drift recovery paths for rotating and re-approving stale device tokens.
- Capability verification for nodes requiring specific command visibility beyond standard companion-app pairing.
- Logic-gated diagnostic branching to prevent speculative command execution and redundant configuration dumps.
- Support for custom reverse proxy and public URL advertising via Openclaw Skills plugin configurations.
SKILL.md
Loading
Related Openclaw Skills
Onchain OS x402 Payment
A specialized skill for signing x402 payment authorizations to access third-party payment-gated resources.
OKX DEX WebSocket Skill
A high-performance skill for managing real-time Decentralized Exchange (DEX) WebSocket sessions and data streams via CLI or custom scripts.
Pilot Relay
A store-and-forward messaging system for AI agents that ensures guaranteed message delivery even when peers are offline.
Time Calc
A high-precision temporal toolkit that uses native shell commands to perform complex date and time calculations without external dependencies.
Tekan AI Video & Image Generator
A comprehensive modular toolkit for automated high-quality video, image, and digital human generation via world-class AI models.
Awesome Design MD
A comprehensive library of DESIGN.md files from 50+ world-class brands allowing AI agents to replicate top-tier visual styles instantly.
Featured*
