diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index 78c7439..b6abeaf 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ set -uo pipefail
 STEP_NAMES=()
 STEP_STATUS=()
 STEP_DETAIL=()
+KNOWN_HOSTS=()
 
 step_ok()   { STEP_NAMES+=("$1"); STEP_STATUS+=("OK");       STEP_DETAIL+=("${2:-}"); echo "[OK]       $1"; }
 step_skip() { STEP_NAMES+=("$1"); STEP_STATUS+=("SKIPPED");  STEP_DETAIL+=("${2:-}"); echo "[SKIPPED]  $1 - ${2:-}"; }
@@ -27,6 +28,30 @@ print_summary() {
     exit 1
   fi
   echo "All steps OK or already satisfied."
+  echo
+  echo "================== next steps ======================"
+  echo "1. Check you're actually on the tailnet:"
+  echo "     tailscale status"
+  echo
+  if [ "${#KNOWN_HOSTS[@]}" -gt 0 ]; then
+    echo "2. Open VS Code, Ctrl+Shift+P -> 'Remote-SSH: Connect to Host...',"
+    echo "   and pick one of the hosts this run found on your tailnet:"
+    for h in "${KNOWN_HOSTS[@]}"; do
+      echo "     - $h"
+    done
+    echo "   (a host you expect but don't see here just isn't on the tailnet"
+    echo "   right now - check it's powered on and connected, then re-run"
+    echo "   this script to refresh the list)"
+  else
+    echo "2. No other tailnet peers were found yet. Once your home machine is"
+    echo "   online and joined to the tailnet, re-run this script to add it,"
+    echo "   then use VS Code's 'Remote-SSH: Connect to Host...' to reach it."
+  fi
+  echo
+  echo "3. Once connected, File > Open Folder to browse that machine's"
+  echo "   filesystem and get to your project - same as opening a folder"
+  echo "   locally, just on the remote host."
+  echo "====================================================="
 }
 
 # ---------- phase 0: environment ----------
@@ -227,6 +252,7 @@ EOF
 )
   while read -r name dns; do
     [ -z "$name" ] && continue
+    KNOWN_HOSTS+=("$name")
     new_block+=$(cat <<EOF
 
 Host $name