# Discovery & Transports

OpenClaw has two distinct problems that look similar on the surface:

1. **Operator remote control**: the macOS menu bar app controlling a gateway running elsewhere.
2. **Node pairing**: iOS/Android (and future nodes) finding a gateway and pairing securely.

The design goal is to keep all network discovery/advertising in the **Node Gateway** (`openclaw gateway`) and keep clients (mac app, iOS) as consumers.

## Terms

* **Gateway**: a single long-running gateway process that owns state (sessions, pairing, node registry) and runs channels. Most setups use one per host; isolated multi-gateway setups are possible.
* **Gateway WS (control plane)**: the WebSocket endpoint on `127.0.0.1:18789` by default; can be bound to LAN/tailnet via `gateway.bind`.
* **Direct WS transport**: a LAN/tailnet-facing Gateway WS endpoint (no SSH).
* **SSH transport (fallback)**: remote control by forwarding `127.0.0.1:18789` over SSH.
* **Legacy TCP bridge (deprecated/removed)**: older node transport (see [Bridge protocol](/gateway/bridge-protocol)); no longer advertised for discovery.

Protocol details:

* [Gateway protocol](/gateway/protocol)
* [Bridge protocol (legacy)](/gateway/bridge-protocol)

## Why we keep both "direct" and SSH

* **Direct WS** is the best UX on the same network and within a tailnet:
  * auto-discovery on LAN via Bonjour
  * pairing tokens + ACLs owned by the gateway
  * no shell access required; protocol surface can stay tight and auditable
* **SSH** remains the universal fallback:
  * works anywhere you have SSH access (even across unrelated networks)
  * survives multicast/mDNS issues
  * requires no new inbound ports besides SSH

## Discovery inputs (how clients learn where the gateway is)

### 1) Bonjour / mDNS (LAN only)

Bonjour is best-effort and does not cross networks. It is only used for "same LAN" convenience.

Target direction:

* The **gateway** advertises its WS endpoint via Bonjour.
* Clients browse and show a "pick a gateway" list, then store the chosen endpoint.

Troubleshooting and beacon details: [Bonjour](/gateway/bonjour).

#### Service beacon details

* Service types:
  * `_openclaw-gw._tcp` (gateway transport beacon)
* TXT keys (non-secret):
  * `role=gateway`
  * `lanHost=<hostname>.local`
  * `sshPort=22` (or whatever is advertised)
  * `gatewayPort=18789` (Gateway WS + HTTP)
  * `gatewayTls=1` (only when TLS is enabled)
  * `gatewayTlsSha256=<sha256>` (only when TLS is enabled and fingerprint is available)
  * `canvasPort=18793` (default canvas host port; serves `/__openclaw__/canvas/`)
  * `cliPath=<path>` (optional; absolute path to a runnable `openclaw` entrypoint or binary)
  * `tailnetDns=<magicdns>` (optional hint; auto-detected when Tailscale is available)

Disable/override:

* `OPENCLAW_DISABLE_BONJOUR=1` disables advertising.
* `gateway.bind` in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` controls the Gateway bind mode.
* `OPENCLAW_SSH_PORT` overrides the SSH port advertised in TXT (defaults to 22).
* `OPENCLAW_TAILNET_DNS` publishes a `tailnetDns` hint (MagicDNS).
* `OPENCLAW_CLI_PATH` overrides the advertised CLI path.

### 2) Tailnet (cross-network)

For London/Vienna style setups, Bonjour won't help. The recommended "direct" target is:

* Tailscale MagicDNS name (preferred) or a stable tailnet IP.

If the gateway can detect it is running under Tailscale, it publishes `tailnetDns` as an optional hint for clients (including wide-area beacons).

### 3) Manual / SSH target

When there is no direct route (or direct is disabled), clients can always connect via SSH by forwarding the loopback gateway port.

See [Remote access](/gateway/remote).

## Transport selection (client policy)

Recommended client behavior:

1. If a paired direct endpoint is configured and reachable, use it.
2. Else, if Bonjour finds a gateway on LAN, offer a one-tap "Use this gateway" choice and save it as the direct endpoint.
3. Else, if a tailnet DNS/IP is configured, try direct.
4. Else, fall back to SSH.

## Pairing + auth (direct transport)

The gateway is the source of truth for node/client admission.

* Pairing requests are created/approved/rejected in the gateway (see [Gateway pairing](/gateway/pairing)).
* The gateway enforces:
  * auth (token / keypair)
  * scopes/ACLs (the gateway is not a raw proxy to every method)
  * rate limits

## Responsibilities by component

* **Gateway**: advertises discovery beacons, owns pairing decisions, and hosts the WS endpoint.
* **macOS app**: helps you pick a gateway, shows pairing prompts, and uses SSH only as a fallback.
* **iOS/Android nodes**: browse Bonjour as a convenience and connect to the paired Gateway WS.
