A diagnostic skill designed to identify and resolve connection, pairing, and authentication failures between OpenClaw nodes and companion apps.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install yihui-node-connect
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 yihui-node-connect 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 utility within the Openclaw Skills library focused on the network topology and authentication handshake of the OpenClaw ecosystem. It provides developers and power users with a systematic framework to find the one real route from a node to a gateway, ensuring that OpenClaw is correctly advertising that route to companion apps on Android, iOS, and macOS.
By analyzing configurations across local Wi-Fi, Tailscale tailnets, and public reverse proxies, this skill eliminates the guesswork involved in setup failures. It focuses on verifying gateway binds, bootstrap tokens, and device pairing requests to ensure a seamless connection lifecycle.
Node Connect Use Cases
- Troubleshooting failed QR code scans or manual connection attempts on mobile apps.
- Resolving 'unauthorized' or 'bootstrap token expired' errors during device pairing.
- Configuring remote access via VPS or Tailscale when local loopback is insufficient.
- Validating network routes for same-machine emulators or USB tunnels.
- Managing and approving pending device requests within the OpenClaw gateway.
How Node Connect Works
- Define the network topology (Local LAN, Tailscale, Public URL, or Loopback) to prevent cross-contamination of fixes.
- Execute canonical diagnostic commands using the OpenClaw CLI to inspect current gateway modes and bind states.
- Analyze the output of the QR JSON payload to identify the actual gatewayUrl and its config source.
- Map detected errors (e.g., gateway bound to loopback) to specific root-cause resolutions.
- Generate fresh setup codes or approve pending device IDs to finalize the secure handshake.
Node Connect Setup
To begin diagnosing with this skill, ensure your OpenClaw CLI is active and run the following inspection sequence:
# Check core gateway configuration
openclaw config get gateway.mode
openclaw config get gateway.bind
# Inspect QR payload data for the app
openclaw qr --json
# View pending device pairing requests
openclaw devices list
Node Connect Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill interprets and organizes data based on the following configuration keys and system outputs:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
gatewayUrl |
The endpoint the app uses to attempt connection. |
urlSource |
Identifies which config path (LAN, Tailscale, or Public) generated the route. |
gateway.bind |
Determines if the gateway listens on loopback, LAN, or auto-discovery. |
gateway.auth.mode |
Defines the security protocol for incoming node requests. |
pairing_request |
Temporary metadata for devices awaiting administrative approval. |
Node Connect Advanced Features
- Support for Tailscale Serve and Funnel modes to facilitate secure remote access without port forwarding.
- Remote gateway debugging using the
--remoteflag for multi-tier infrastructures. - Heuristic-based analysis to detect loopback conflicts in cross-network setups.
- Automated approval workflows for pending device tokens using the
approve --latestcommand.
SKILL.md
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