Hi all, I'd like to configure my unRaid server to be accessible from the web - mostly so I can listen to my music while I'm traveling or transfer files between computers.

 

I have no clue where to start.... help?

You'll need a way to keep the bad guys off your server. This is important if you're going to open up your LAN to the world.

(This level of security is not built in to unRAID.)

 

You'll need something that you can access remotely from your phone (etc.) to browse your unRAID server's media library.

 

You'll need a way to 'find' your home LAN while you're out and about. (your internet IP address (probably called the 'gateway' address on your router) changes from time to time.)

There are some softwares that can do this for you...

 

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/UnRAID5_Plugins

 

The simplest all around answer is to set up a VPN service. Then from your phone or remote locations, you 'VPN' into your home LAN. This keeps out anyone who doesn't know the password, and restricts the VPN connection to the parts of your LAN (such as your tunes.)

 

MUSIC:  What do you use now to listen to your music stored on unRAID?

I'd start with setting up something that looks like a 'jukebox' for your LAN. Get your smartphone working over WiFi in your house to start. Check out this list of 'plugins' that could help.  Plex and Subsonic come to mind immediately, but there are others. Note that some of them charge a (small) fee if you want them to tackle the problem of making the content available while you're out traveling. (they don't 'VPN', so they're not as secure, but they'll open up parts of your LAN so you can access your stuff.

 

FILES:    You want to share files between computers...Actually, simplest and easiest is to get a free account at Box or Dropbox. They'll give you GIGS of free storage and will keep all your computers synced up.  There is a 'dropbox' plugin available for unRAID...I've not used it, so can't offer much support on the unRAID plugin.  Search the forums for the dropbox plugin. Other ways to access files will require a VPN service.

EDIT ^^^^^ Dales states it better than I do... I use a free service from no-ip.com to give me a permanent name to my dynamically changing outside ip address.

 

The question you ask is a little vague and fraught with danger is not done correctly.

 

In my case, there is very little security to my unRAID server. Basically only computers inside my network can see it, without any passwords or restrictions. Opening the file system to the outside scares me greatly. In order to do file maintenance remotely, I use VNC software on one of desktop computers to remote login to my desktop.

 

You state wanting to listen to music away from home... Subsonic allows you for this... you will need to open the correct port in your router to accept incoming traffic to the Subsonic server software.

 

Goos luck.

 

 

Here's a sample thread of the current discussions about security:

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=31451.msg284817;topicseen#msg284817

 

As you'll read, this is a hot topic...not just with unRAID, but across the net.

You must have some sort of security setup, otherwise, you'll have hacker banksters taking over your LAN to steal your Target credit cards!

 

If you decide, for example, that you want to use Subsonic for tunes while traveling, get to know how the security should be setup, and if you have any questions, ask.