Author Topic: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...  (Read 5385 times)

citizenklaw

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Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« on: January 18, 2009, 08:05:17 AM »
   

Folks,

 

I'm thinking of getting a NAS device and I have a question regarding remote access to the NAS.  I like the fact that you can access your storage from anywhere, but I'm weary of using it through Buffalo.  The question is: how can I set up remote access on my own (through FTP or any other mapping), how secure is it (SSL encryption) and how stable is the connection.  I've read here opening port 9000.  How about DynDNS?  Anyone has used that?  How about SSL using this method?

 

I'm potentially looking to map a drive / connection in Vista and Ubuntu remotely, leave all my files at home and access them remotely, and securely, through the net.  


TroyWolf

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2009, 12:19:02 PM »
   

Hopefully someone with more real experience will reply, but I offer these tidbits....

 

Yes, DynDNS or likewise will work with all the ways you'd want to connect. There is nothing about DNS to be incompatible with how you connect since it merely tells one device the IP Address of another device.

 

I own a pair of Linkstation Pro 1TB NAS units. So these are all I'm familiar with in the Buffalo line of products. I am using the FTP access for one share on one of the units. It seems to work well.

 

Both Windows and Linux offer the ability to "mount" or "map" an FTP share to the local filesystem.

 

I don't think (but also don't know) these units support secure FTP. Of course if you have the know-how and equipment, you can setup a VPN to your home network and use that to provide encryption.

 

In my humble opinion, these units are pretty weak when it comes to the Internet sharing capabilities, but it's nice to at least have the built-in FTP. Compare these to the Linksys router for example. With that, you can configure and require HTTPS (SSL) access, specify a custom port number.

 

With browsers supporting FTP natively and Operating systems supporting FTP in their mounting/mapping capabilities, there is a lot you can do with the basic FTP on the Buffalo. 


citizenklaw

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2009, 06:14:25 PM »
   

Yeah, I'm more concerned about security and encryption in transit.  I wouldn't want to try to access this drive from a remote location in the clear, regardless of the files I have in it.

 

I'm wondering if the buffalonas web address that buffalo provides is just a.) a redirector to the device itself (like DynDNS) and b.) can the web address be mapped through any client (Windows, Linux (Gnome)) etc.


Colin137

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2009, 06:50:47 PM »
Buffalonas.com will redirect the name to http://public_ip_address:external_port_number/

orbojeff

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2009, 03:47:57 AM »
   can you map a drive?

Colin137

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2009, 10:57:59 AM »
The device is not meant to allow mapped drives remotely. I suppose if you forwarded the Windows File and Print Sharing port to the Linkstation, you could do it, but I don't recommend this because File and Print sharing is optimized for LAN connections, and may be unreliable over a WAN link.

TroyWolf

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2009, 11:39:54 AM »
   

See my post earlier in this thread about mapping a "drive" to an FTP accessible directory. Would this meet your need?

 

I've use this functionality in Windows XP, and it worked well. There would be a delay when first opening the mapped "drive". Once open, navigating was relatively responsive and best of all, I could work with the "folder" like any other local folder. That is, drag & drop, etc.

 

Is this prone to problems? Probably. Should you expect it to work as reliably and as fast as a normal, local drive? Of course not.

Message Edited by TroyWolf on 01-30-2009 11:41 AM
Message Edited by TroyWolf on 01-30-2009 11:41 AM

Colin137

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2009, 12:17:51 PM »
Good call, TroyWolf, I completely forgot about that ability. Just keep in mind FTP is inherently insecure, as it sends data and passwords in plaintext. Webaccess is a better choice if security is an issue, since you can set it to use SSL.

TroyWolf

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2009, 12:35:05 PM »
   

Of course, if you have the ability to do so, you can create a VPN. Then none of your applications need to have security/encryption built in. They just work normally and the VPN "transparently" encrypts everything between the 2 endpoints.

 

However, configuring a VPN is probably out of scope for most people.

 

Another option, if you are a geek, is to setup a cheap Linux (or other OS) SFTP (secure FTP) server. Mount your Buffalo shares so they are accessible via your custom FTP server. This of course means not using the handy built-in ftp of the Buffalo and requires a computer to be on all the time to manage it.

 

....Hmmm...a POSSIBLE option that would use your existing hardware and not require a computer to be on would be to use your Internet router as the FTP server. Replace your Internet router firmware with dd-wrt. Then figure out how to configure the proFtpd server that is part of the very latest dd-wrt. It appears that dd-wrt does support the ability to mount shares on your network...so....like I said, this one could require some geekin' out to get working. (I use dd-wrt to turn a Linksys wireless router into a wireless bridge, but it can do so much more.)

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page 

 

 

 

 


cvarner

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2009, 02:31:00 PM »
   

Ok, I've seen quite a few people reference setting up a VPN tunnel to gain access to a Linkstation. I have such a tunnel established between 2 routers. However, the best I can accomplish so far is only to ping the IP of the device. FTP and NASNavigator2 draw a blank. HTTP gives a 404 error. Am I missing something or are the different subnets getting in the way?


Colin137

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Re: Thinking on getting NAS - Remote access question...
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2009, 08:17:13 PM »

It makes sense that NASNavigator doesn't work, your VPN gateway or endpoint probably won't pass UDP broadcasts through.

 

The fact that HTTP gives you a 404 error means it's connecting to something.... What VPN solution are you using?