NAS 323 Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

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NAS 323

Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

Use your NAS as a VPN Server and connect

to it using Windows and Mac

A S U S T O R C O L L E G E

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A S U S T O R C O L L E G E / 2

NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course you should be able to:

1. Be able to use your ASUSTOR NAS as a VPN server and connect to it using Windows and Mac.

PREQUISITES

Course Prerequisites:

None

Students are expected to have a working knowledge of:

N/A

OUTLINE

1.

Configuring Your VPN Server

1.1 Enabling and configuring PPTP connections 1.2 Enabling and configuring OpenVPN connections

2.

Connecting to Your VPN Server Using Windows and Mac

2.1 Connecting to your VPN server via PPTP 2.1.1 Connecting using Windows 7 2.1.2 Connecting using a Mac

2.2 Connecting to your VPN server via OpenVPN 2.2.1 Connecting using Windows 7

2.2.2 Connecting using a Mac

2.3 Configuring the gateway and routing for the VPN client 2.3.1 Configurations using Windows 7

2.3.2 Configurations using a Mac

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

1. Configuring Your VPN Server

In the following example, we wil configure ASUSTOR NAS’s VPN Server.

Before you begin, log in to ADM from your Web browser and then search for and install [VPN Server] from [App Central].

1.1 Enabling and configuring PPTP connections

STEP 1

Enabling PPTP service: You can use the toggle found under [PPTP] to enable PPTP service.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 2

Adding a new user: Select [Privilege]  [User]  [Add]. In the graphic below, we have chosen to add the account “vpn” as an example. After you have chosen the user that wish to add, click on [Save].

Select the [PPTP] checkbox and then click on [Apply]. Now, the “vpn” user account will be able to utilize PPTP connections.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 3

Configuring advanced settings: Select [Settings]  [PPTP]. Here, you will be able to configure settings for [Dynamic IP address], [Max. client number], [Authentication], [Max. MTU], [Max.

MRU] and [DNS server]. Make sure to click on [Apply] after you have made any changes to the settings.

1.2 Enabling and configuring OpenVPN connections

STEP 1

Enabling OpenVPN service: You can use the toggle found under [OpenVPN] to enable OpenVPN service.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 2

Adding a new user: Select [Privilege]  [User]  [Add]. In the graphic below, we have chosen to add the account “vpn” as an example. After you have chosen the user that wish to add, click on [Save].

Select the [OpenVPN] checkbox and then click on [Apply]. Now, the “vpn” user account will be able to utilize PPTP connections.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 3

Configuring advanced settings: Select [Settings]  [OpenVPN]. Here, you will be able to configure settings for [Dynamic IP address], [Transmission Protocol], [Port], [Max. client number], [Checksum (Digest)], [Encryption (Cipher)], [DNS server], [Redirect gateway] and [VPN link compression]. Make sure to click on [Apply] after you have made any changes to the settings.

Note: Click on the [Download configuration file] button to download the configuration file for OpenVPN clients. You must import this file to your VPN client in order to successfully create OpenVPN connections.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

2. Connecting to Your VPN Server Using Windows

and Mac

2.1 Connecting to your VPN server via PPTP

2.1.1 Connecting using Windows 7

STEP 1

Select [Control Panel]  [All Control Panel Items]  [Network and Sharing Center]  [Set up a new connection or network].

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 2

Select [Connect to a workplace]  [Next].

STEP 3

Select [No, create a new connection]  [Next].

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 4

Select [Use my Internet connection (VPN)].

STEP 5

Enter the IP address of your ASUSTOR NAS into the [Internet address] field and then click on [Next].

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 6

Enter a username and password in the appropriate fields and then click on [Connect]. You will now be able to access your ASUSTOR NAS through Windows.

Note: If you are unable to connect to your VPN server, please ensure that your VPN settings are identical to your VPN server settings.

For example, in the graphic below, we check that the [Type of VPN] is Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), that the [Data encryption] method is PAP or MS-CHAP v2 and that they have been allowed under the [Allow these protocols] radio button.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 1

From the Apple menu, select [System Preferences…].

STEP 2

Select [Network].

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 3

Click on the [ + ] button and then select [VPN] for Interface, [PPTP] for VPN Type, fill in the Service Name as “VPN (PPTP)” and then click on [Create].

STEP 4

Enter your [Server Address] and [Account Name], select “None” for [Encryption] and then click on [Connect]. Please ensure that your VPN client settings and VPN server settings are identical.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 5

Enter the name and password for your VPN server and then click on [OK].

STEP 6

You should now be successfully connected and should be able to access your ASUSTOR NAS using your Mac. You can disconnect the connection at any time by clicking on the [Disconnect]

button.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

2.2 Connecting to your VPN server via OpenVPN

2.2.1 Connecting using Windows 7

STEP 1

Download and install the OpenVPN program from the OpenVPN website.

STEP 2

Extract the OpenVPN configuration file that you have downloaded from your ASUSTOR NAS’s VPN server (see section 3.2). Open the [asustor.ovpn] file, change the IP address for the VPN server and then save the changes. In the graphic below, we have changed the IP address of the VPN server to 172.16.2.102.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 3

Copy the [asustor.ovpn] and [ca.crt] files to the (C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config\) folder.

STEP 4

Open [OpenVPN GUI].

You should now be able to see the [OpenVPN GUI] icon in your system tray. Double-click on it.

STEP 5

Enter the username and password for your ASUSTOR NAS VPN server and then click on [OK].

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 6

After successfully connecting, you should be able to see that the OpenVPN GUI icon in your system tray has turned green. You should now be able to access your ASUSTOR NAS using Windows.

STEP 1

Download tunnelblick.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 2

Install [Tunnelblick].

After installation, click on [Launch].

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 3

Click on [I have configuration files].

If you have already download the configuration file from your ASUSTOR NAS’s VPN server, click on [OpenVPN Configuration(s)].

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

You should now be able to see the newly created [Empty Tunnelblick VPN Configuration]

folder on your desktop. Copy the configuration file from your ASUSTOR NAS’s VPN server to this folder.

Open the [asustor.ovpn] file and then change the IP address for your ASUSTOR NAS VPN server.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

After saving the changes to the file, change the name of the folder to “ASUSTORVPN.tblk”.

Tunnelblick VPN configurations should have now been installed successfully.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 4

From the Mac menu bar, click on the [Tunnelblick] icon and then select [Connect ASUSTORVPN].

STEP 5

After successfully connecting, you will be able to see the connection status and time in the menu bar as shown in the graphic below.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

2.3 Configuring the gateway and routing for the VPN client

When using a VPN client, the system will automatically forward your VPN server’s default gateway. Under these circumstances, you will not be able to connect to the Internet. Therefore, we must change the VPN gateway and routing in order to connect to the Internet.

2.3.1 Configurations using Windows 7

STEP 1

Right-click on your VPN connection and then select [Properties]. Select [Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)] and then click on [Properties].

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

STEP 2

Click on [Advanced…].

STEP 3

Uncheck the [Use default gateway on remote network] checkbox.

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NAS 323: Using Your NAS as a VPN Server

2.3.2 Configurations using a Mac

STEP 1

Open [Terminal] and then enter the command “ifconfig-a”. You will now be able to see your VPN server’s IP address. Note that the Mac operating system only provides this gateway for connecting to a VPN server and cannot connect to the Internet. Therefore, we will have to manually enter the IP address for the ASUSTOR NAS.

STEP 2

Please replace either 10.0.1.6 or 10.0.1.5 with the IP address of the ASUSTOR NAS. Executing the commands below will allow you to connect to the Internet.

sudo route add –net 172.16.1.216/16 10.0.1.6 OR

sudo route add –net 172.16.1.216/16 10.0.1.5