Getting Started with DigitalOcean and Twingate

Overview

This guide explains how to set up Twingate to securely access your DigitalOcean environment using a cloud-init script and doctl. By integrating Twingate with DigitalOcean, you can ensure that your private resources remain protected while enabling seamless remote access.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• A DigitalOcean account with API access.
• The doctl CLI tool installed and configured with your DigitalOcean credentials.
• A Twingate account with access to the Admin Console.
• Basic familiarity with DigitalOcean Droplets and cloud-init.

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Installation Steps

1. Generate Connector Access and Refresh Tokens

Start by generating new Access and Refresh tokens for a Connector. Follow these steps:

• Log in to the Twingate Admin Console.

  

• Navigate to Remote Networks.

  

• Select the Remote Network you want to add a Connector to.

  

• Add a Connector or select one that hasn’t been deployed yet.
• Select the See More option.

  

• Select the DigitalOcean option.

  

• Scroll down to Step 2 and click Generate Tokens.

  

• Authenticate when prompted to complete token generation.
• Scroll down to Step 4 to copy the installation command.

  

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2. Deploy the Connector using doctl

Paste the command from Step 1.8 into your terminal of choice.

Verify that the doctl command finishes successfully. This will create a new Droplet with the Twingate Connector installed and configured using cloud-init.

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3. Verify Installation In DigitalOcean and the Twingate Admin Console

DigitalOcean

• Log in to your DigitalOcean Control Panel.
• Navigate to the Droplets section.
• Locate the Droplet created for the Twingate Connector.
• Verify that the Droplet is running.

  

Twingate Admin Console

• Navigate back to the Admin Console.
• Navigate to Remote Networks.
• Select the Remote Network you added your new Connector to.
• Select the new Connector.
• Verify that the Controller and Relay statuses are connected.

  

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Token Errors: Ensure the Access and Refresh tokens are correctly entered in the cloud-init script.
• Copy / Paste Errors: Depending on how your terminal interprets white spacing, copying to a separate script may be necessary.
• Connectivity Problems: Verify that the Droplet was created successfully using doctl compute droplet list and check that the Twingate Connector service is running.
• doctl Not Found: Ensure you have installed and authenticated the doctl CLI tool. Visit the DigitalOcean documentation for installation instructions.

If issues persist, take a look at the troubleshooting docs

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Next Steps

Once Twingate is configured, you can explore additional resources to enhance your setup:

• Connector Management: Learn how to manage and monitor your Twingate Connectors.
• Setting Up Resources: Learn how to configure Twingate Resources to gain access to private applications and services.