The Asus RT-N16 Gigabit Wireless N Router comes with the ability to plug in a USB hard drive and access that hard drive through FTP.

 

Is there any way to connect an UnRaid server to a USB port?  I know other NAS boxes with USB output can do it, but not sure about UnRaid.

 

Any feedback?  This would be a safe (I think) way to access UnRaid files over the internet.

I dont think this is possible, but I am wondering why you would even want to do this.  It is better to plug the unRAID box into the router via ethernet, and faster.

Why the heck would you want this? Just plug the unRAID server via cat6 to some wired network port of your router! What are you trying to achieve?? VERY dumb devices are going to plug to that USB port on your router.

I want to be able to use the Asus RT-N16 router's built-in FTP capabilities.  I don't think you can use the FTP feature on an ethernet connection, only on the USB connection to the router, but maybe I am wrong.

 

 

unRAID has an FTP server built into it.  Do some searching on the forum to find it.  I can and do access my unRAID server via sftp connection from outside my network.

I don't have enough linux knowledge to set it up safely, have been told on this site many times that it will be too insecure with my limited FTP knowledge.

 

Unless there is a step-by-step guide for the process?  I'm hoping there is, I'm sure there are lots of people in the same boat as me who want to access their unRaid files outside of their home network.

Rest assured that the router's USB/ftp wouldn't be more secure!

Do you know how to set your router up to forward FTP to the unRAID server?

 

If so there are many guides on setting up FTP but keep in mind, if the FTP port is open to the internet, then you will have many people banging on your door and trying to fish for passwords.

 

Do you have user security set up on unRAID?

Unless there is a step-by-step guide for the process?  I'm hoping there is, I'm sure there are lots of people in the same boat as me who want to access their unRaid files outside of their home network.

 

This is a very dangerous idea and regardless what guides you will follow will leave you with an insecure install, regardless if you do this on the router, on the unRaid box, etc. Just because even the best guide won't make you a security expert. Even if you manage to make it work at all, it will surely be open to attacks. Really, the best you can do is find some local expert or friend to set this up for you. And do sftp instead, no ftp at all. I wouldn't even consider using non-privilged ftp port nor another, better ftp daemon, just use sftp with unRaid and set some port forwarding on your router. And better you, perform some hardening of unRaid. It has so many holes, even . is in the root path. I guess, it's just not designed to be exposed on the internet.

I'll have to research sftp. 

 

I haven't bought the router yet, but I can't find any reviews on how secure or insecure the FTP server with the Asus RT-N16 router is.

 

It uses AiDisk to setup the FTP settings combines with Asus's DDNS service.  So I'm not sure if Asus's DDNS service increases security or what, I don't have the knowledge, I just want to access my files through the internet, why is it so hard!?

This is not hard, hard is keeping your files secure.

I was hoping that a router with ftp server capabilities would be secure.

 

Wouldn't it be a huge liability to ASUS if their service was not secure, given how easy they make it to setup with their AiDisk utility and domain name service?

 

I think I will get the router, and use an external hard drive with the router's FTP server capability, and test it out with unimportant data.

 

If it seems to work, is there any way that I can have one of my user shares replicate itself onto the external hard drive so I can access it via FTP, but still have my unRaid server not open through FTP?  There must be some backup software or something that can do it?

The hard part is making it secure so that you dont make you internal network a target to outsiders.  There are a lot of things that you can do to help with this but it is better that you read up on them yourself and then come back here if you have any questions.

 

Like I mentioned earlier I have sftp setup, along with ssh, and VPN.  All of these allow me to get to my files from outside my network in a fairly secure manner.  I won't pretend it is the be all end all, but I have tried to obfuscate it as much as possible.

 

 

EDIT FOR THE ABOVE STUFF YOU JUST POSTED:

You are adding a layer of complexity to your setup that makes it even harder.  Look into a router that supports ddwrt (i have a Linksys WRT320N) so you can flash that firmware on there.  I did that and have not been happier with myu setup.  I VPN into the router and access my network like I am sitting at home.

prostuff1, which ddwrt release are you using with your WRT320N?

I'll have to do some research on DD-WRT, thank you.

 

*edit*

 

I like the printer server and bittorent functions of the asus rt-n16, looks like it can be DD-WRT flashed but you lose some of the other functionality from the router.

prostuff1, which ddwrt release are you using with your WRT320N?

DD-WRT v24-sp2 (01/02/10) vpn

(SVN revision 13575M NEWD-2 K2.6 Eko)

Where I live the WRT320N is $20 more than the asus RT-n16, and does not come with a printer server, or usb hard drive capability.  The I am very curious to try bittorent on the RT-n16 to the usb hard drive, means I don't have to leave another computer running which would be cool.

 

Is it possible to run 2 routers? 

yes, possible, but again you could be adding more complexity to your network then it is really worth.

 

You could run bittorrent on the unRAID server via the many packages that allow you to install it. Look through the customization thread to get an idea.

I like the printer server and bittorent functions of the asus rt-n16, looks like it can be DD-WRT flashed but you lose some of the other functionality from the router.

 

Do you want a router, or do you want a swiss army knife server?

 

 

Look, a router is a roter. A print server is a print server, better yet just get a printer with built in network. Don't try to put every functionality into the router, it just makes things more complicated. All the other functionality is available with unRaid, just spet some time researching.

Does anyone know if vsftpd is compiled in with tcp_wrapper support?

 

If so the ftp functionality can be locked down to communicate with very specific IP addressing.

Same goes for ssh/sftp functionality (only that one is a little more work in scripts/setup).

 

One point to consider, unRAID needs a root password and you should be running user level security.

 

ssh/sftp is more secure as your traffic is encrypted, but with tcpwrapper support, ftp should be somewhat useful.

 

Either way the router or the host should be locked down to IP addressing for port communications if any ports are forwarded.