How to connect to FreeNas11 server from anywhere.

Ben_RK_711

Cadet
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Jan 29, 2020
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1
Hi,

If have a Freenas11 Server running with SMB shares.
I would like to figure out if there is a way to set it up so that i can access the SMB shares from anywhere.
 

Kris Moore

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iXsystems
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You'd probably want to setup WireGuard or OpenVPN to create a virtual network and then browse SMB via that.
 

Redcoat

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Feb 18, 2014
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Following Kris's lead here - search the forum for "VPN" and you'll find a multitude of threads discussing the use of VPN for secure remote access.
 

garm

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Except the WireGuard discussion might not be in full swing as it just arrived OTB in FreeNAS 11.3
 

LVLouisCyphre

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Dec 22, 2019
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SSH tunnel or OpenVPN. Keep in mind that you need enough bandwidth to effectively use it. It most likely will not work with satellite ISPs as you're lucky to get 1 Mbps upstream. Most broadband connections typically have enough bandwidth. The reverse goes where you are. If you don't have decent WiFi, it won't work either. You will also need the appropriate rules in your firewall. I'm sure there's an OpenVPN guide, handbook and (*channeling Carl Sagan*) billions and billions of YouTube videos on how to configure your firewall. VPN is pretty much the industry standard solution.
 
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Yorick

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Nov 4, 2018
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Instead of using SMB via VPN, wouldn’t an owncloud setup be simpler? What am I missing?
 

sretalla

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Maybe you are right.
You are linking to an article covering privacy VPNs, not VPNs for access to home/private networks and equipment from outside.

The OP seems to want something like Nextcloud/Owncloud unless there's a specific need to use SMB.
 

castle

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Mar 1, 2019
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@ricardos

Setting up VPN is pretty straight forward; especially now with the OpenVPN community plugin, not that I've ever tried the plugin myself, but setting up and maintaining a secure owncloud installation is probably a lot more difficult. WireGuard, as mention by @Kris Moore, is also an alternative (which I will be looking into myself).

good luck!
 
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Patrick M. Hausen

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OpenVPN has two features that make it preferable over Wireguard specifically in a home lab setup:
  • it can run over TCP - slower, with problems over bad Internet connections, yes - but most probable to work from any hotel/conference/public WLAN
  • it can share port 443 with an SSL enabled web server via SSLH
Kind regards,
Patrick
 

Patrick M. Hausen

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Well, OpenVPN works just fine natively in a FreeBSD jail. I only run VMs if the application absolutely demands a different OS. E.g. for me currently two instances of Confluence (Linux) and one Windows VM for tax declaration software and stuff.
 
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Check to see if your modem has VPN server functionality already built-in. Mine does (Fritz!Box series). It works well and trivial to set up for Windows and Android clients. Also for MacOS and others, but I haven't tried.
 
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