Home Network Secure Remote Access 11 November 2022 at 11:45AM in Techie Stuff 10 replies 141 views

Chickereeeee

I have a NAS containing photos, videos etc and also back-ups to home PCs. 
I would like to allow remote access for family to photos/videos, but obviously I want to keep it secure. Is there a easy way to do this? The NAS has secure access features, but I do not trust these. VPN services seem to be mostly for protecting outgoing connections, spoofing country location etc, and seem overkill for my requirement.

Ideally, I am thinking of an app running on remote pc/android phones communicating with software on the home router (or separate hw), without needing a VPN service in between.

Any suggestions?

victor2

Chickereeeee said:

I have a NAS containing photos, videos etc and also back-ups to home PCs. 
I would like to allow remote access for family to photos/videos, but obviously I want to keep it secure. Is there a easy way to do this? The NAS has secure access features, but I do not trust these. VPN services seem to be mostly for protecting outgoing connections, spoofing country location etc, and seem overkill for my requirement.

Ideally, I am thinking of an app running on remote pc/android phones communicating with software on the home router (or separate hw), without needing a VPN service in between.

Any suggestions?

It will only be as secure as the device accessing it. What about putting the photos and videos on something like Google Photos and sharing them through that? Bit more work to setup, but it won't compromise your NAS security.

The_Fat_Controller

Google Drive allows a good amount of free cloud storage, upload the files and then send a link to anyone you wish to share them with.

As for backups, better to use a standalone USB drive.

Chickereeeee

Thanks, but I don't want to use Google Drive, or any other cloud service. Partly because home videos etc would exceed the allowance, partly because I want them to have ad-hoc access (without using my Google account). Partly because I don't want everything on Google (they have enough as it is!)

Chickereeeee

victor2 said:

It will only be as secure as the device accessing it. 

Doesn't that go for any VPN?

flaneurs_lobster

Chickereeeee said:

Thanks, but I don't want to use Google Drive, or any other cloud service. Partly because home videos etc would exceed the allowance, partly because I want them to have ad-hoc access (without using my Google account). Partly because I don't want everything on Google (they have enough as it is!)

Stick anything you want to share on a memory stick and send it to them in the post.

debitcardmayhem

owncloud or nextcloud perhaps. Often people use raspberry pis too

Chickereeeee

I'll answer my own question.

Get a router with VPN server  and DDNS capability. Manufacturer (e.g. Asus) should provide the DDNS service.

debitcardmayhem

Chickereeeee said:

I'll answer my own question.

Get a router with VPN server  and DDNS capability. Manufacturer (e.g. Asus) should provide the DDNS service.

Thats what I have , but I wasn't aware you were prepared to go to that length/cost. If your current modem/router can be set up for modem only mode then you don't need to buy a modem/router just the router models.

Chickereeeee

debitcardmayhem said:

Chickereeeee said:

I'll answer my own question.

Get a router with VPN server  and DDNS capability. Manufacturer (e.g. Asus) should provide the DDNS service.

Thats what I have , but I wasn't aware you were prepared to go to that length/cost. If your current modem/router can be set up for modem only mode then you don't need to buy a modem/router just the router models.

Well, soon to migrate to full fiber, so then I will get a 'proper' router...!

googler

I don't mean to slight your family, but are you SURE they will actually want to log in to your machine to view photos etc on a basis regular enough to justify your efforts? 

I spent a considerable amount of time for my in-laws, transferring old cine film to video files, and copying camcorder tapes to DVD so that they could all view them. 

They got looked at shortly after I did them, but I'd wager they're all on the shelf and gathering dust now.