Configure Clients

GUI Clients (Mac, Windows, Android, iOS/iPadOS)

Each respective client has a preferences window with all currently available configuration parameters. In your desktop client, click the menu bar or system tray icon, select “More” in the menu, and click “Preferences”. In the mobile apps, navigate to the “Settings” screen. To troubleshoot connection or configuration issues, see Client Logs for how to view logs on each platform.

Preferences

The following preferences control how your client handles DNS resolution and network routing. Understanding these settings helps you configure Pangolin to work best with your network setup.

Enable Aliases (Override DNS)

When enabled, the client uses custom DNS servers to resolve internal resources and aliases. This overrides your system’s default DNS settings. Queries that cannot be resolved as a Pangolin resource will be forwarded to your configured Upstream DNS Server. When to use it: This is required if you use aliases on resources in Pangolin. Aliases are friendly domain names assigned to private resources. Pangolin resolves these alias addresses over a private DNS server running in your client. How it works: The client loops back to itself to resolve the alias. This is why you may see your DNS server as an unfamiliar address (often like 100.90.128.x) when this is enabled. When a request doesn’t resolve to a Pangolin resource and is bound for another website (like google.com), it falls back to your configured upstream DNS server.

DNS Over Tunnel

When enabled, DNS queries are routed through the tunnel for remote resolution. To ensure queries are tunneled correctly, you must define the DNS server as a Pangolin resource and enter its address as an Upstream DNS Server. When to use it: Tunnel DNS is used when you want to send all DNS queries over the tunnel to a private resource made available in Pangolin. For example, if you host a DNS server like Pi-hole, you could define a private resource for Pi-hole on your remote network. Then in the Pangolin client, you would enable Tunnel DNS and set the host of the Pi-hole private resource as the tunnel DNS server. How it works: When a request needs to be resolved, Pangolin sends it over the tunnel to the site of the private resource with your DNS server. You must enable DNS Over Tunnel and also set the upstream DNS server to your private DNS server. This requires aliases “override DNS” to be enabled as well. This is because the client must take control of your DNS settings to route queries through the tunnel to your private DNS server.

You cannot use an alias name for your DNS server. It must be the IP address of the resource. This is because it’s pointing to the DNS server, so the DNS server can’t resolve itself.

Primary Upstream DNS

This is the DNS server that will be used if Override DNS is enabled or DNS Over Tunnel is enabled. It serves as the primary resolver for queries that cannot be resolved as Pangolin resources. Not used when override DNS (aliases) are disabled.

Secondary Upstream DNS

This is a fallback DNS server that the system can use if the primary server is unavailable. Ordering and priority of the server is not guaranteed, but it provides redundancy for DNS resolution. Not used when override DNS (aliases) are disabled.

Match Domains

By default, when match domains are not set, all DNS queries are sent to the configured upstream DNS server. Match domains let you whitelist which domains should be sent to the upstream DNS server. When match domains are set, only matching queries go to upstream DNS; all other requests use the system’s DNS servers. When to use it: When you have a private or corporate DNS server for specific domains (for example, *.proxy.internal or corp.example.com) and want everything else resolved by the system DNS as usual. How it works: With no match domains configured, every query is forwarded to your Upstream DNS Server. With match domains set, only queries that match the list are forwarded upstream; the rest use the system’s default DNS servers.

MTU

You can set the maximum transmission unit (MTU) for the client’s internal WireGuard interface. This value is client-wide: every site the client connects to must use the same MTU on the site (Newt) side, or you can see fragmentation, failed handshakes, or unstable tunnels. See the mtu option on Configure Sites and set the same value on each of those sites.

Changing MTU is advanced and not recommended for most users. Only change it when you have a specific, well-understood reason (for example, a constrained network path or a requirement from your infrastructure team). If you do change it, you must update every connected site to the identical value.

Windows Client (Advanced)

On Windows, the Pangolin GUI reads configuration from two pangolin.json files:

User config: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pangolin\pangolin.json (for example, C:\Users\USER\AppData\Local\Pangolin\pangolin.json)
Global config: %ProgramData%\Pangolin\pangolin.json

All config keys in the Config object below can be set in either file. If the same key exists in both places, the user config value overrides the global value. This lets administrators define global defaults while still allowing per-user overrides when needed.

Config

object

JSON configuration for the Windows Pangolin client stored in pangolin.json.

Show Config

dnsOverride

boolean

When true, matches the Enable Aliases (Override DNS) preference and lets the client take over DNS resolution for Pangolin resources.

dnsTunnel

boolean

When true, matches the DNS Over Tunnel preference and sends DNS queries through the Pangolin tunnel.

primaryDNS

string

Primary upstream DNS server used when override/tunnel DNS is enabled.

secondaryDNS

string

Optional secondary upstream DNS server used as a fallback when the primary is unavailable.

dnsMatchDomains

array of strings

Optional whitelist of domains sent to the configured upstream DNS server. When unset, all queries go to upstream DNS. When set, only matching queries use your Upstream DNS Server; all other requests use the system’s DNS servers. Supports wildcards such as *.proxy.internal.

defaultServerURL

string

When set, skips the deployment option screen during login; all login flows start directly with this server URL.

authPath

string

Optional path appended to the server URL for authentication, for example /auth/org/my-org to always send users to a specific organization or branded login page. Most deployments should leave this unset.

userSettingsDisabled

boolean

When true, hides and disables the settings form in the GUI so users cannot change these values themselves.

openStatusTabOnConnect

boolean

When true, opens the Status tab immediately after clicking Connect so users can watch connection feedback while the tunnel is starting.

mtu

integer

MTU for the internal WireGuard interface. Changing this is advanced and not recommended unless you have a clear reason; if you set a non-default value, configure the same MTU on every site this client connects to—see Configure Sites.

preferLocalRoutes

boolean

When true, prioritizes local routes over remote ones by adding an arbitrary metric to the WireGuard routes. This is useful when you want to ensure that local network traffic (for example, to a printer or NAS) is not routed through the Pangolin tunnel.

As a system administrator, you can script placing pangolin.json in %ProgramData%\Pangolin\ to set global defaults, and/or in each user’s %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pangolin\ folder for per-user overrides and targeted rollout behavior.

For enterprise customers, contact us if you need a custom MSI installer with baked-in configuration; we can maintain custom installers as an add-on to your enterprise license.

Windows client log level

logLevel is a global-only setting. To configure it for the Windows client, edit %ProgramData%\Pangolin\pangolin.json. For example:

{ "logLevel": "debug" }

The default log level is info.

Mac Client (Advanced)

On Mac, the Pangolin GUI reads configuration from ~/Library/Application Support/Pangolin/pangolin.json.

Config

object

JSON configuration for the Mac Pangolin client stored in pangolin.json.

Show Config

dnsOverrideEnabled

boolean

When true, matches the Enable Aliases (Override DNS) preference and lets the client take over DNS resolution for Pangolin resources.

dnsTunnelEnabled

boolean

When true, matches the DNS Over Tunnel preference and sends DNS queries through the Pangolin tunnel.

primaryDNSServer

string

Primary upstream DNS server used when override/tunnel DNS is enabled.

secondaryDNSServer

string

Optional secondary upstream DNS server used as a fallback when the primary is unavailable.

dnsMatchDomains

array of strings

tunnelMTU

integer

Android Battery Optimization

To ensure Pangolin functions correctly in the background on Android devices, it’s recommended to disable battery optimization for the app. This prevents the operating system from restricting its background activities, which could lead to disconnections.

Open the Settings app on your Android device.
Navigate to Apps & notifications (or simply Apps on some devices).
Find and select the Pangolin app from the list of installed apps.
Tap on App battery usage.
Select Allow background usage and enable if disabled.
From the options menu, choose Unrestricted.

Pangolin CLI

Refer to the documentation in the official repository for the available commands, default values, and more.

Olm (Advanced, Deprecated)

Olm CLI (advanced use only)

We recommend using the Pangolin CLI for both user and machine clients if you’re looking for a CLI interface. Olm is the underlying client for the Pangolin CLI.

Olm is a command-line client for connecting machine clients in Pangolin. You can configure it using command-line flags, environment variables, or a configuration file. Expand the section below to view all available configuration options.

CLI Arguments and Options

Flags

string

required

Olm ID generated by Pangolin to identify the client.Example: 31frd0uzbjvp721

secret

string

required

A unique secret used to authenticate the client ID with the websocket.Example: h51mmlknrvrwv8s4r1i210azhumt6isgbpyavxodibx1k2d6

Keep this secret private and secure. It’s used for authentication.

endpoint

string

required

The endpoint where the Pangolin server resides for websocket connections.Example: https://pangolin.example.com

org

string

Organization ID to connect to.

user-token

string

User authentication token.

mtu

integer

MTU for the internal WireGuard interface.Default: 1280

dns

string

DNS server to use to resolve the endpoint.Default: 8.8.8.8

upstream-dns

string

Upstream DNS server(s), comma-separated.Default: 8.8.8.8:53

match-domains-dns

string

FQDN wildcard patterns (using * and ? wildcards, comma-separated, e.g. *.proxy.internal,*.host-0?.autoco.internal) to check against local records/upstream DNS. Queries for domains that don’t match any pattern are sent directly to the host’s own system DNS servers instead of being resolved as Pangolin resources.Default: (empty, matches every domain)

log-level

string

The log level to use for Olm output.Options: DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, FATALDefault: INFO

ping-interval

string

Interval for pinging the server.Default: 3s

ping-timeout

string

Timeout for each ping.Default: 5s

interface

string

Name of the WireGuard interface.Default: olm

enable-api

boolean

Enable API server for receiving connection requests.Default: false

http-addr

string

HTTP server address (e.g., ‘:9452’). When unset, the HTTP API is not started and the socket API (see socket-path) is used instead.Default: (not set)

socket-path

string

Unix socket path (or named pipe on Windows).Default: /var/run/olm.sock (Linux/macOS) or olm (Windows)

disable-holepunch

boolean

Disable hole punching.Default: false

override-dns

boolean

tunnel-dns

boolean

match-domains-dns

string

Optional comma-separated whitelist of domains sent to the configured upstream DNS server. When unset, all queries go to upstream DNS. When set, only matching queries use your Upstream DNS Server; all other requests use the system’s DNS servers. Supports wildcards such as *.proxy.internal.

disable-relay

boolean

Disable relay connections.Default: false

prefer-local-routes

boolean

Environment Variables

All CLI arguments can be set using environment variables as an alternative to command line flags. Environment variables are particularly useful when running Olm in containerized environments.

When both environment variables and CLI arguments are provided, CLI arguments take precedence.

PANGOLIN_ENDPOINT

string

Endpoint of your Pangolin server (equivalent to --endpoint)

OLM_ID

string

Olm ID generated by Pangolin (equivalent to --id)

OLM_SECRET

string

Olm secret for authentication (equivalent to --secret)

ORG

string

Organization ID to connect to (equivalent to --org)

USER_TOKEN

string

User authentication token (equivalent to --user-token)

MTU

integer

MTU for the internal WireGuard interface (equivalent to --mtu)Default: 1280

DNS

string

DNS server to use to resolve the endpoint (equivalent to --dns)Default: 8.8.8.8

UPSTREAM_DNS

string

Upstream DNS server(s), comma-separated (equivalent to --upstream-dns)Default: 8.8.8.8:53

MATCH_DOMAINS_DNS

string

FQDN wildcard patterns, comma-separated (equivalent to --match-domains-dns)Default: (empty, matches every domain)

LOG_LEVEL

string

Log level (equivalent to --log-level)Default: INFO

PING_INTERVAL

string

Interval for pinging the server (equivalent to --ping-interval)Default: 3s

PING_TIMEOUT

string

Timeout for each ping (equivalent to --ping-timeout)Default: 5s

INTERFACE

string

Name of the WireGuard interface (equivalent to --interface)Default: olm

ENABLE_API

boolean

Enable API server for receiving connection requests (equivalent to --enable-api)Set to “true” to enableDefault: false

HTTP_ADDR

string

HTTP server address (equivalent to --http-addr)Default: (not set)

SOCKET_PATH

string

Unix socket path or Windows named pipe (equivalent to --socket-path)Default: /var/run/olm.sock (Linux/macOS) or olm (Windows)

DISABLE_HOLEPUNCH

boolean

Disable hole punching (equivalent to --disable-holepunch)Set to “true” to disableDefault: false

OVERRIDE_DNS

boolean

Override system DNS settings (equivalent to --override-dns)Set to “true” to enableDefault: true

TUNNEL_DNS

boolean

Route DNS queries through the tunnel (equivalent to --tunnel-dns)Set to “true” to enableDefault: false

MATCH_DOMAINS_DNS

string

Optional whitelist of domains sent to the configured upstream DNS server (equivalent to --match_domains_dns). When unset, all queries go to upstream DNS.

PREFER_LOCAL_ROUTES

boolean

DISABLE_RELAY

boolean

Disable relay connections (equivalent to --disable-relay)Set to “true” to disableDefault: false

CONFIG_FILE

string

Set to the location of a JSON file to load secret values

Loading secrets from files

You can use CONFIG_FILE to define a location of a config file to store the credentials between runs.

$ cat ~/.config/olm-client/config.json
{
  "id": "spmzu8rbpzj1qq6",
  "secret": "f6v61mjutwme2kkydbw3fjo227zl60a2tsf5psw9r25hgae3",
  "endpoint": "https://app.pangolin.net",
  "org": "",
  "userToken": "",
  "mtu": 1280,
  "dns": "8.8.8.8",
  "upstreamDNS": ["8.8.8.8:53"],
  "matchDomainsDNS": [],
  "interface": "olm",
  "logLevel": "INFO",
  "enableApi": false,
  "httpAddr": "",
  "socketPath": "/var/run/olm.sock",
  "pingInterval": "3s",
  "pingTimeout": "5s",
  "disableHolepunch": false,
  "overrideDNS": true,
  "tunnelDNS": false,
  "disableRelay": false,
  "tlsClientCert": "",
  "preferLocalRoutes": false
}

This file is also written to when olm first starts up. So you do not need to run every time with —id and secret if you have run it once!Default locations:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/olm-client/config.json
Windows: %PROGRAMDATA%\olm\olm-client\config.json
Linux/Others: ~/.config/olm-client/config.json

API

Olm can be started with a HTTP or socket API to configure and manage it. See the API documentation for more details.

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GUI Clients (Mac, Windows, Android, iOS/iPadOS)

Preferences

Enable Aliases (Override DNS)

DNS Over Tunnel

Primary Upstream DNS

Secondary Upstream DNS

Match Domains

MTU

Windows Client (Advanced)

Windows client log level

Mac Client (Advanced)

Android Battery Optimization

Pangolin CLI

Olm (Advanced, Deprecated)

Flags

Environment Variables

Loading secrets from files

API

​GUI Clients (Mac, Windows, Android, iOS/iPadOS)

​Preferences

​Enable Aliases (Override DNS)

​DNS Over Tunnel

​Primary Upstream DNS

​Secondary Upstream DNS

​Match Domains

​MTU

​Windows Client (Advanced)

​Windows client log level

​Mac Client (Advanced)

​Android Battery Optimization

​Pangolin CLI

​Olm (Advanced, Deprecated)

​Flags

​Environment Variables

​Loading secrets from files

​API

GUI Clients (Mac, Windows, Android, iOS/iPadOS)

Preferences

Enable Aliases (Override DNS)

DNS Over Tunnel

Primary Upstream DNS

Secondary Upstream DNS

Match Domains

MTU

Windows Client (Advanced)

Windows client log level

Mac Client (Advanced)

Android Battery Optimization

Pangolin CLI

Olm (Advanced, Deprecated)

Flags

Environment Variables

Loading secrets from files

API