Hi All,

What should I be looking at to gain remote access to my shared folders? The easiest option would be for me to share via my CloudFlare setup but I'm not sure if that's possible. Any guidance appreciated as it's been on my to do list for years and just haven't gotten around to it. I don't need something that looks incredible, just simple access as it's not often that I need/want to access remotely but when I do, it's frustrating that I can't.

Thanks!

3 minutes ago, JRubenol said:

Hi All,

What should I be looking at to gain remote access to my shared folders? The easiest option would be for me to share via my CloudFlare setup but I'm not sure if that's possible. Any guidance appreciated as it's been on my to do list for years and just haven't gotten around to it. I don't need something that looks incredible, just simple access as it's not often that I need/want to access remotely but when I do, it's frustrating that I can't.

Thanks!

Depends, remote access for media or just for general file access?

Media mostly. Locally I use Kodi for everything for frontend, but remotely, happy to basically use whatever will be functional. Looks like WireGuard plays nice with CloudFlare, I'm even willing to just download stuff if I'm remote, so long as I can access.

I should probably say, I prefer not downloading locally before playing but if that's all I can do, I'll survive.

I have been using Tailscale to share Media remotely. It is fully integrated into the current release of Version 7. Google "tailscale integration into Unraid" for complete information to setting it up.

And here is a link to the Doc's

https://docs.unraid.net/unraid-os/system-administration/secure-your-server/tailscale/

Looking at it, how does that functionally play out for you? You can navigate to your shared folders with your file browser remotely and then play media? A webUI that you access? Just curious what the final product looks like.

Very quick explanation. I am security conscience so I have all my shares Private.

I have set up a Share User (kodi_vpn_user) and permitted that user to only have access to the Media Share. (My choice)

I have mapped that share as a Drive on my Windows computer (Y:\ in my case) This is what I use for Kodi access since I use a common database (using the mysql Docker on the Unraid server) for all of the Media content so I only have to update and maintain a single KODI database.

I also have pinned the IP address (consider this to be the Unraid server name on Tailscale) to Windows file explorer. See Below:

With this setup, Kodi works identically as a it does on the LAN.

(I have blocked out the tailscale IP address of my Unraid server because it is a public IP address!!!)

BTW, I thought the instructions for setting Tailscale up seemed complicated when I first read them. But once I started to actually do it, it went very smoothly and everything worked the first time.

EDIT: This screenshot was actually taken off a Windows 11 client that has access to my Unraid server only via Tailscale!

Edited September 23, 2025Sep 23 by Frank1940

Appreciate the time you took to explain this. On my to do to try to set this up this weekend. Big difference on my side is I'm completely running Linux but, that shouldn't be an issue. Looks totally manageable.

What I would expect with setting KODI for use with Linux is that it will mirror what you have done for the Linux clients on your LAN except that the server has a different IP address.

IF you are using a advancedsettings.xml file, you will have to change it to account for the new Location of your Unraid server. (There is a KODI users forum if you are having problems although I have found that the WIKI is very comprehensive IF you use GOOGLE to search for what you are looking for!)

My plan is to just have a separate VPN user in Kodi so I don't have to mess with the backend SQL db in my home. I think I can have a separate user and have a local configuration that points to a mounted folder (pointing to unraid server). I have tailscale installed now but am having a hard time accessing my media share (from my phone, remotely). Trying to resolve that now. I can access the unRaid login page successfully so I know tailscale is up and running, just not having any luck accessing my media shares.

Ok I'm hitting a roadblock that I feel like I need some advice.

Tailscale is installed both on my Android device and my unRaid server

I am able to access the login page for unRaid remotely using the tailscale IP address

Problem: When I try to access my share ("MyMedia") using an Android file browser that allows SMB access, I get errors about not being able to connect.

I then went and added subnet (for time being): 192.168.0.0/24 to my tailscale settings to see if I needed to advertise that subnet to have access to my share. That didn't resolve anything.

Help appreciated, I feel like I'm close but missing one step that I can't figure out.

Look and post here about your problem:

https://forums.unraid.net/forum/111-tailscale/