Node Connect

Goal: fix one exact client against one exact Gateway, then prove that client's fresh connection.

1. Lock the target

Record the target environment/profile, OpenClaw binary, config/state root, Gateway URL/port, and service before changing anything.

• Use the named deployment wrapper/profile for every config, log, service, device, and node command.
• Never drift to a bare openclaw, proof environment, or similarly named deployment.
• If the global executable is stale, invoke the target through its owner.
• Verify status, config, logs, and process identity describe the same Gateway.

Identify the target Gateway before changing pairing or auth.

2. Classify the client

Classify from the request and Gateway log before choosing commands:

• Control UI browser: the user says browser, dashboard, Control UI, or webchat; logs show client=openclaw-control-ui or mode=webchat.
• Native mobile/node: the official app shows Connect, Scan QR, or setup code; logs/request metadata show a native client or role=node.

A phone can be either client. Do not use openclaw qr or openclaw nodes status for a phone browser; those belong to native mobile/node pairing.

3. Observe the failing attempt

Run these through the locked target:

openclaw gateway status --deep
openclaw logs --follow --json
openclaw devices list
openclaw config get gateway.mode
openclaw config get gateway.bind
openclaw config get gateway.remote.url
openclaw config get gateway.auth.mode
openclaw config get gateway.auth.allowTailscale
openclaw config get gateway.tailscale.mode

Have the client retry once while logs are live. Correlate its client ID, mode, platform, address, auth result, device ID, user, and close code. Ignore other paired devices.

Interpret the first failed transition:

• No matching Gateway attempt: route, DNS, TLS, origin, or proxy problem.
• token_missing, password_missing, mismatch, or Tailscale identity failure: auth failed before pairing, so an empty pending list is expected.
• pairing required: route and auth succeeded; approve the exact pending request.
• client connected: match conn, client, mode, and role to the exact client. Admission precedes the hello response; if followed by 1006, preserve auth/pairing and inspect hello delivery, lifecycle, transport, proxy, or reconnect. Older builds use overlapping authenticated user connected / webchat connected records that omit ephemeral clients.
• 1006 without a matching application-level admission record does not prove auth/pairing; inspect the earlier handshake transition.

4. Prove the route

Choose one topology: same machine, LAN, tailnet, or public reverse proxy. Do not mix them.