Windows File Manager with myqnapcloud

[riwalker]

Does no one have any idea how I can connect from windows file manager, to my QNAP NAS, via a mapped drive letter ?
I have another VPN to corporate, hence the open VPN would not work, it seemed to clash ?
so surprised QNAP does not provide any tools to do this.

[pwilson]

Does no one have any idea how I can connect from windows file manager, to my QNAP NAS, via a mapped drive letter ?
I have another VPN to corporate, hence the open VPN would not work, it seemed to clash ?
so surprised QNAP does not provide any tools to do this.

There is no reason why you can't have multiple VPN connections.
Why do you need a depreciated "Mapped Drive". The 90's are over. UNC Paths are the norm in this century.

No information provided, so we can't help.

You should be able to access \\10.8.0.1\share via Windows Explorer under OpenVPN.

[riwalker]

as listed above, I need a mapped drive to use backup and sync tools

If the OpenVPN will work OK with Junos Pulse 5.0 simultaneously, then I can retry
On last install, it seems there were all kinds of 'fixes' I had to apply, and even a dos batch file

http://www.vpntutorials.com/tutorials/o ... windows-8/
I veen did the step for enabling "RAS Connection Manager"

I can connect OK, I see in the NAS Client 'Connection List' my client IP address:64293, and assigned VPN Client address 10.x.x.x
but when i try and enter the address in file manager, it cannot connect.

It even broke my corporate Junos, and I had to beg IT to reinstall and claim ignorance !

if there is a abc install for OpenVPN without any manual tweaks to batch files that works, happy to retry
it should not be this hard for NON IT professionals to connect to a home NAS with a drive letter !!!!!

[pwilson]

as listed above, I need a mapped drive to use backup and sync tools

Code: Select all

net use p: \\10.8.0.1\Public /persistent:yes /user:riwalker password

Welcome back to the '90's.

If the OpenVPN will work OK with Junos Pulse 5.0 simultaneously, then I can retry
On last install, it seems there were all kinds of 'fixes' I had to apply, and even a dos batch file

http://www.vpntutorials.com/tutorials/o ... windows-8/
I veen did the step for enabling "RAS Connection Manager"

I can connect OK, I see in the NAS Client 'Connection List' my client IP address:64293, and assigned VPN Client address 10.x.x.x
but when i try and enter the address in file manager, it cannot connect.

It even broke my corporate Junos, and I had to beg IT to reinstall and claim ignorance !

if there is a abc install for OpenVPN without any manual tweaks to batch files that works, happy to retry
it should not be this hard for NON IT professionals to connect to a home NAS with a drive letter !!!!!

I know nothing about "Junos Pulse 5.0". As long as it doesn't use Port 1194/UDP, it should be compatible with OpenVPN running concurrently. If Junos does use 1194/UDP, simply configure OpenVPN on the NAS to use a different port instead:



Setup port forwarding for whatever UDP port you configure for OpenVPN on the NAS.

[kenniani]

You can use webdrive, it will add a drive letter to your computer and it connect to your NAS with (S)FTP.

I am using this a long time and works correctly, the only problem is that you cannot connect your NAS with SFTP without the admin login, so other users then admin needs to connect over the insecure FTP.

[schumaku]

..., the only problem is that you cannot connect your NAS with SFTP without the admin login, ...

Ever considered making use of WebDAV over https instead? It's available for all users, it does support either the classic WebDAV and the fully transparent Shared Folder Access Rights.

.., so other users then admin needs to connect over the insecure FTP.

FTPES was invented a long time ago ... complain to the makers of this kind of software for the lack of FTPES support.

[terrybuck]

Hi, I want to do exactly the same thing, why is it so complicated.

I also have a ReadyNas from Netgear, that works by installing a connection app first on client. Then you can see folders it in Windows explorer.

But i think Qnap is a better faster product than ReadyNas.

Please can someone help. All we want to do is easy connect from internet using Windows explorer.

Thanks Terry

[terrybuck]

Hi

I have been onto support and they gave me an easy fix for this on my TS-453 Pro.

All i did was setup myqnapcloud, then setup a PPTP VPN server on the qnap. Then on client i used windows VPN to connect to my server name . Then in windows explorer went to \\10.0.0.1, bingo!!

please note when doing this everything is case sensitive.

Thanks Terry

[riwalker]

The problem is with VPN, as I tried OpenVPN, is that it works like DHCP, where there is a pool of addresses set for clients to logon
I have multiple clients, and hence each time I logon, the client is provided a new Ip address
therefore when you use windows file manager to assign a drive letter by mapping the drive, the next logon can no longer logon to that address as its changed

also, many companies and the university ban all PPTP connections, hence wont work

The solution that was suggested above and by customer services was to enable WebDAV
this works, but you need NetDrive which is $40 for each client !
The free tools like Cyberduck are client FTP like application that do not allow file manager drive assignment
there is a fix to reduce windows security in the registry for simple authentication 9which I did), but win10 / word 2010 will not allow access to non SSL protected mapped drives
plus access takes forever - its slowwwww - some bug in windows

Hence I'm stuck. Only solution seems to be $40 each client for NetDrive

[dolbyman]

never used webdav .. but that seems to work just fine without any 3rd party software

https://kb.iu.edu/d/araf

[schumaku]

The problem is with VPN, as I tried OpenVPN, is that it works like DHCP, where there is a pool of addresses set for clients to logon
I have multiple clients, and hence each time I logon, the client is provided a new Ip address

A problem that does not exist: The NAS will keep the same IP address - in the VPN subnetwork (defined by the .2....xxx client pool) always the .1 address.

therefore when you use windows file manager to assign a drive letter by mapping the drive, the next logon can no longer logon to that address as its changed

No, it does not .... And mapping DOS drives is a method from the late 1980ties - unless you have legacy software requiring thisl, alwa<ys access the a NAS like \\10.0.0.1\ for example - over the network. And again - the NAS does _always_ keep .1.

also, many companies and the university ban all PPTP connections, hence wont work

That's a common situation - most organisations don't not allow establishing VPN connections for the obvious security reasons.

[riwalker]

Agree, OpenVPN does connect, even though the client gets a different IP address, you can still map drive letters to the server IP, for example Z: \\10.8.0.1\Docs etc
even with the minor irritation of having to enter credentials to logon

so the issue remains that most orgs ban VPN, and explicitly for my daughter, if it is used, it is sufficient to throw you out of the university, explicitly banned and examined for
so what now ?

[schumaku]

you can still map drive letters to the server IP, for example Z: \\10.8.0.1\Docs etc - even with the minor irritation of having to enter credentials to logon

Either the Windows user does make use of the same user account for the desktop login as also configured for the NAS access ahd you get a smooth workgorup single sign on, or you have to enter the credentials. Can't see any irritation - for the Windows system (in case you make use of the credentials store) its a different system.

so the issue remains that most orgs ban VPN

Evne in Internet times, they want people to work on busines jobs, not on their private NAS, and certainly don't want their proprietary and confidential business information leaked...

and explicitly for my daughter, if it is used, it is sufficient to throw you out of the university, explicitly banned and examined for

Well - I do't go to discuss information security and IT network usage policies. It's strange that VPN is banned, while https is allowed, including day Dropbox Google Drive, or iCloud Drive and Photos to name a few - typically.

So if https is allowed, and the https traffic is not cracked into pieces and analyzed, and they allow to connect to DDNS domains, there is nothing that stops your daughter form using WebDAV over https (required by Windows anyway) ... what is again technically a private SSL connection. Oh well.... Here is a Windows 10 system with a QNAP NAS somewhere "out there" (the name is faked) added as a Web Network location ..

QNAP Add Network Location - WebDAV Share on Windows 10.PNG

QNAP WebDAV Share on Windows 10.PNG

...and yes, this does require an individual authentication, and does not allow this MeSsDOS drive letters.

[dolbyman]

you could always encapsulate a tunnel via http

http://http-tunnel.sourceforge.net/

kind of extreme lengths to go through though

[riwalker]

as an FYI for those following this blog.

WebDAV is OK, but really needs $40 license for NetDrive which I'm not paying for.
the free tools are useless, as they have a FTP like client, which do not permit Windows File manager use and drive letter mapping

hence OpenVPN seems to be the only viable solution (Until QNAP man up and provide a utility (Not QSYNC) which allows us to map a cloud drive with Windows drive letter)
The latest version of OpenVPN client 2.3.8 has a bug (waiting for 2.4) hence you have to a) install as administrator, b) run as administrator - otherwise when you try and connet, you get a bunch of errors assigning IP to the TAP driver.
You can do b) by either setting a Task Scheduler to always run as administrator, or b) right click on C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\bin\openvpn-gui.exe , then 'properties', 'Compatibility' and select 'Run as administrator' - had to do this step on Win7, Win 8.1, and Win 10