Is it possible to access the files on the array and make changes to them like copying around, deleting etc remotely? If yes, is there a guide for this?

Can you be more specific as to what you want? Since unraid is a NAS, you typically access it from other machines remotely anyway, using SMB or NFS or AFP. As written, your question doesn't parse for me beyond what everyone uses unraid for anyway.

If by remotely you mean from outside your local network, then you need VPN.

 

What I and some others have done is to use Teamviewer on another computer on the local network. This allows me to control that computer remotely from my laptop connected to the internet at some other location, and gives me access to anything that computer has access to. Teamviewer has a free version and is very easy to use.

 

Search the forum and google for other ideas about VPN. There are some plugins here for putting OpenVPN on unRAID. Some routers also come with VPN capability.

If by remotely you mean from outside your local network, then you need VPN.

Quick (or not so) clarification. When you google VPN setup in general, and even here on the forums, you will likely find 2 different use cases that are being discussed. The setup you want has a VPN server with the endpoints only on your devices, so you run it on both your router or server, and on the client you want to access the internal network.

 

The second use case generally requires a paid subscription to a VPN provider, and they set up an endpoint somewhere else on the internet in general, so all your traffic appears to be coming from somewhere else to circumvent censure or law enforcement activity. This is NOT what you need for safely accessing your server from outside your LAN, and in fact will expose your server to the internet with no protection if you don't set it up properly. Several people have posted here about their unraid server coming under attack after improperly setting up a VPN service.

jonathan, thanks for the very precise explanation.

 

Your understanding is correct though my question was quite poorly phrased. More specifically, will I be able to perform file actions by using VPN? Like copying, moving, deleting files on the tower and not just access to the web UI?

jonathan, thanks for the very precise explanation.

 

Your understanding is correct though my question was quite poorly phrased. More specifically, will I be able to perform file actions by using VPN? Like copying, moving, deleting files on the tower and not just access to the web UI?

A properly set up VPN will allow you exactly the same access as if you were inside the local network. Think of it as an extremely long ethernet cord connecting to the same local switch that the unraid tower and the rest of your local machines connect to. The speed will be much lower, unless you happen to be in one of the few locations in the world that have gigabit internet service, and you have that service at both ends of the VPN.

 

You still have not clarified what you mean by file operations on the tower. Are you wanting to copy the files from one folder on the server to another? Or are you wanting to copy the files from and to your remote location?

 

A more precise example of what you want to do may help people give you ideas on the best way to accomplish what you want. A VPN is only one of many ways to work with a remote machine, and may not be the easiest or best way to accomplish what you want. trurl's example of Teamviewer installed on another machine inside the network is perfect for many scenarios. I personally have a VPN, and Teamviewer, and several other options set up, depending on what I'm trying to do.

I do not want to use team viewer because I do not want to access another computer on the network. I want to be able to talk to the unRaid server directly.

 

You still have not clarified what you mean by file operations on the tower. Are you wanting to copy the files from one folder on the server to another? Or are you wanting to copy the files from and to your remote location?

 

Basically I wanted to be able to move around files on the server itself. From one share to another, delete old files etc. Consider it remotely managing the libraries for my parents' machine which is not in the same geographical location as me. But by asking what you did, do you mean there is a possibility I could possibly transfer files from my server to theirs or something like that? Actually since you mention that, I could perhaps do that using like a dropbox or some similar app as long as I have access to midnight commander on the remote tower. Is my understanding correcct?

 

 

Setting up  vpn would be the way to go in your case in my opinion, I do the same and I use that.

 

Benefit of a setting up a vpn server inside your own network (because that is what you do) has the added benefit of beiing able to reach everything your own network (but you could also limit it to the unraid box).

 

I have a vpn server and after connecting it I can check status of sabnzbd, sickbeard transmission, couchpotato, and I can also access the unraid filesystem.

 

I can use that vpn from my own for doing quick checks and small actions but I can also do it from a regular pc and then you can actually just browse to your network folders and copy and move between as you wish.

 

The best way to explain it is already stated: After connecting the vpn it is like the remote pc you are using is on your home network.

 

Next choice is what vpn server you want to install, there are a few choices:

 

openvpn (certificate based)

L2TP/IPSEC (using userid, password and secretkey)

PPTP (using userid and password)

 

I would advice L2TP / IPSEC if you have the choice, PPTP works fine also but it (apparently) quite easy to " hack into". OpenVPN certificates are a bit harder to setup.

 

You also have to choose where you want to host the vpn server, you can try one of the docker containers / plugins (I am not knowlegeable there), you can setup a seperate syste for it (only pratical if you have the possibility to run virtual machines (I used to do this, had a seperate ubuntu vm with a vpn server on there). You can also use your own router (if it has this functionality), if you have the choice I would advise that, simply because those systems usually do not crash and run for years without getting resets.

 

Thanks for the info! That sounds like just what I would like to have. So this has to be set up on the router or on the unRAID server? In either case, can someone please point me to some suitable guide please?

Thanks for the info! That sounds like just what I would like to have. So this has to be set up on the router or on the unRAID server? In either case, can someone please point me to some suitable guide please?

 

I think it could be either depending on what the capabilities of your router are. I actually have a Raspberry Pi on my network which is setup as my VPN & Print Server, so I'm not well versed in VPN plugins for unRAID.  If you want to go thought route I know at least one plugin exists but I'm not sure if it's a server or client (or both) plug in. http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=35435.0

 

 

Thanks for the info! That sounds like just what I would like to have. So this has to be set up on the router or on the unRAID server? In either case, can someone please point me to some suitable guide please?

 

I have it set up on the router, it can also be setup on your server..

 

To do it on your routeyour first need to figure out if that is even possible, not all routers can do it..

 

To put it on your unraid system you would need to get a "docker" for it, OR (as i said) use a vpn on a vmware server if you have one running..

 

For the dockers I am not knowledgable... For the vmware I am but if you are running that you should have no problem setting it up yourself.. If you are not running vmware then this is not an option.. will be to big a task for what you need..

Thanks for the info! That sounds like just what I would like to have. So this has to be set up on the router or on the unRAID server? In either case, can someone please point me to some suitable guide please?

 

I think it could be either depending on what the capabilities of your router are. I actually have a Raspberry Pi on my network which is setup as my VPN & Print Server, so I'm not well versed in VPN plugins for unRAID.  If you want to go thought route I know at least one plugin exists but I'm not sure if it's a server or client (or both) plug in. http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=35435.0

 

That plugin is for openVPN server and that should work..  I would advise to go to that thread if you run into issues getting it to work..

I am running unRAID 6 and have already migrated from plugins to docker. Can I use this - http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=36334.msg338046#msg338046 ?

Looks like it, try it out.