AWS re:Invent 2025 - Secure, Easy and Performant VPC Resource Connectivity with Tailscale (CDN201)

Secure, Easy and Performant VPC Resource Connectivity with Tailscale

The Pain of Connecting to Private VPC Resources

• Connecting to private VPC resources is fraught with complexity:
  • VPC peering or transit gateways are required to connect VPCs
  • Limited visibility and control over connectivity
  • Costly operations like NAT gateways for cross-VPC traffic
  • Frustrating VPN experiences with connectivity issues and reboots

The Power of WireGuard

• WireGuard is a modern, lightweight connectivity solution designed for today's dynamic networks
• Key features:
  • Fewer bottlenecks, allowing full mesh connectivity
  • Smaller codebase for better performance and predictability
  • Self-healing connectivity that doesn't require reboots
  • Built-in cryptography and identity management

Tailscale: Simplifying Secure Connectivity

• Tailscale is built on top of WireGuard, providing an easy-to-use solution for secure connectivity
• Key capabilities:
  • SSO-driven identity embedded in the client
  • Works on any OS, device, or location without complex setup
  • Automatic NAT traversal, no need to open ports or firewall changes
  • Identity-based access control, not IP-based

Real-World Use Cases

1. Remote Employee Access: Secure remote access to internal applications and resources
2. Secure Automation: Enabling CI/CD pipelines and workflows to access internal systems
3. Workload Connectivity: Securing and connecting AI/ML workloads across cloud boundaries
4. Edge and IoT: Enabling remote management and telemetry for distributed devices
5. Home Lab and Personal Use: Tailscale's generous personal tier for home and hobby use

Doing it Right vs. Doing it Wrong

• Avoid too many layers of indirection and single points of failure
• Security should be based on identity, not IP whitelisting
• Prioritize a seamless developer experience for better productivity

Customer Success Stories

• Cribble grew 25x with no dedicated IT resources, thanks to Tailscale
• Hugging Face saved 240 hours annually on user onboarding
• Callite saved 1,000 hours annually with fewer VPN issues
• Instacart saw a 90% reduction in internal support requests

Technical Performance

• 4x reduction in latency and 22x increase in throughput compared to traditional VPNs
• Ability to saturate 10Gbps network interfaces with fully encrypted connectivity

Pricing and Availability

• Tailscale offers a generous free personal tier (up to 3 users, 100 devices)
• Booth 1818 has a special 3-month starter tier offer for conference attendees