TerraMaster Forum

I have been trying to find a way to remotely connect to my F2-423 from outside my network. TNAS.online works fine for general access, file transfers etc. but videos are unplayable (immense lag and buffering) and a media server accessible from outside my LAN was the main reason I got this NAS. So lets get to the problem part:
I am using a 5G router and unsurprisingly my ISP uses CGNAT which means no outside access. Googling and asking around I was recommended to use a VPN server so I downloaded the VPN server app from TOS. I had already set-up a DDNS too if that matters at all. But I just can't get any client to connect to the VPN server no matter what protocol or settings I use. I already port forwarded the PPTP port to the local IP of my NAS. Every time the connections fail regardless of platform (tried from 2 different PCs and an Android phone). And now I am thinking this whole thing is dumb because I have to use the WAN IP of the router to connect to the VPN anyway which as previously mention is behind CGNAT. So how is the VPN server even a solution to this problem if I can't connect anything to it?

I am sure I am getting something wrong here so any help figuring it out would be appreciated.

The easiest would be to setup Tailscale.

bugacha wrote: ↑06 Dec 2024, 22:23 The easiest would be to setup Tailscale.

Terramaster support also said the same but I have no idea how to use that. Guess I have more reading to do now...

But still if anyone has thoughts about the VPN server let know.

section94 wrote: ↑06 Dec 2024, 21:32 And now I am thinking this whole thing is dumb because I have to use the WAN IP of the router to connect to the VPN anyway which as previously mention is behind CGNAT. So how is the VPN server even a solution to this problem if I can't connect anything to it?

You are right, A local VPN server is not a solution unless ...
IPv6? (each machine should have unique identity on line)
Get a fixed IP from ISP. (Which is what I do, but not for VPN necessarily) Mine costs about £2/month add on.

A lot of ISP's have gone CGNAT route. {Same for mobile phone co's if anyone thinks that might be a solution - I have a cellular connection in event of broadband going out but it's no joy for inbound.}

Tailscale seems like a reasonable solution as it does bypass CGNAT and port forwarding. I'm sure there may be other similar services - maybe more local to you? And I believe Tailscale uses Wireshark.

Gremlin wrote: ↑06 Dec 2024, 23:58

section94 wrote: ↑06 Dec 2024, 21:32 And now I am thinking this whole thing is dumb because I have to use the WAN IP of the router to connect to the VPN anyway which as previously mention is behind CGNAT. So how is the VPN server even a solution to this problem if I can't connect anything to it?

You are right, A local VPN server is not a solution unless ...
IPv6? (each machine should have unique identity on line)
Get a fixed IP from ISP. (Which is what I do, but not for VPN necessarily) Mine costs about £2/month add on.

A lot of ISP's have gone CGNAT route. {Same for mobile phone co's if anyone thinks that might be a solution - I have a cellular connection in event of broadband going out but it's no joy for inbound.}

Tailscale seems like a reasonable solution as it does bypass CGNAT and port forwarding. I'm sure there may be other similar services - maybe more local to you? And I believe Tailscale uses Wireshark.

Thanks for making it clearer. I know very little about networking in general as you can probably tell so my next noob question is: How would I get an IPv6 address?

section94 wrote: ↑07 Dec 2024, 01:40

Your isp either supplies it or it does not. Depends on whether they have adopted the newer protocol and whether your intermediate equipment (router, switches, etc) support it.

Gremlin wrote: ↑07 Dec 2024, 02:53

section94 wrote: ↑07 Dec 2024, 01:40

Your isp either supplies it or it does not. Depends on whether they have adopted the newer protocol and whether your intermediate equipment (router, switches, etc) support it.

I am not getting one with my current ISP but I am about to switch soon to one I already have on my phone and this one gets both IPv4 and IPv6 according to whatismyip. If all goes well with this, do I have to force the router somehow to only get the IPv6 in my APN settings?

UPDATE:
Installed Tailscale on the NAS, my phone and my laptop and even that can't connect directly to the NAS (when I ping it, it pongs back only through relays and then says "direct connection not established)

section94 wrote: ↑07 Dec 2024, 16:25 UPDATE:
Installed Tailscale on the NAS, my phone and my laptop and even that can't connect directly to the NAS (when I ping it, it pongs back only through relays and then says "direct connection not established)

Did you configure exit node ?

bugacha wrote: ↑07 Dec 2024, 17:20

section94 wrote: ↑07 Dec 2024, 16:25 UPDATE:
Installed Tailscale on the NAS, my phone and my laptop and even that can't connect directly to the NAS (when I ping it, it pongs back only through relays and then says "direct connection not established)

Did you configure exit node ?

Can't figure out how. I want to do it on the NAS. On the console its says "Re-run tailscale up with the --advertise-exit-node flag to enable this option." Where do I do that?