An Android phone acts as a secure bridge between a distant server and camera recorder on a local network, with a friendly white robot following the connection

Turning an Android Phone into a Remote LAN Probe with Tailscale and Hermes

The Goal I wanted to disable audio recording on one security camera. The RXCamView app could mute live playback, but that does not stop the recorder from saving audio. For that I needed the recorder’s web interface. Small problem: I did not know its IP address. I had only my Android phone on the same Wi-Fi network, while Hermes was running on a server somewhere else. That phone was already connected to my Tailscale network. Could Hermes use it as a remote nmap probe? ...

November 1, 2026 · 5 min · Thomas Faddegon