Local NAS-based music via the Internet?

Hello Hook

I don't feel the need to access my digital music store over the scary old Internet and risk all those hackers exploiting the inbound connection by circumventing my firewall, application proxy and intrusion prevention system and trying to sneak on to my Vortexbox. For a start they could then blackmail me when they find my secret stash of Andy Williams albums hidden 10 layers deep in the VB's FLAC directory; I've even retagged them as Liberace to try to fool any snooping script kiddies because if it got out then I'd never live it down. 

As you'll appreciate not a risk I could afford and so much easier to record my albums on cassette and play them back on the trusty old Sony Walkman .... 

There is no reason though why you couldn't set up a DAAP over an IP Security (IPsec) tunnel from your MacBook Air with a suitable encryption device back to your home with a similar encryption device. You could use something like a SG Micro at the remote end and SG Desktop at home. With this set-up I would feel as hacker safe as I could. Effectively it creates a black network (Internet) and a red network (your network) and the SG Micro lets you extend it to wherever you want. Assumes a wired connection at this time. 

I refused to use my personal iPad for work when I found the company wished to put its security policy software on it, which gave them rather more control than I wished to let them have - the same would apply to an iPhone. I prefer to keep my work and personal devices separate even though carrying two devices is a pain. 

Another way is to use a potable very-small-aperture terminal like this one HERE though the Walkman Pro is cheaper and sounds better. 

All the best, Guy 

Many NAS devices have the option of allowing external (or "web-side") access.

This is specifically to allow remote access to files on the device.

It's a readily available and popular feature.

I'm more familiar with Synology than Qnap, but it'll be a viable option, I'm sure.

The authentication method used will dictate the ease of set up.

Usually, DDNS is used.

This may be achieved without cost, through providers such as DynDNS (which, I think, is the suggested service by Qnap themselves anyway)

It allows your web facing device to have an IP address reachable at a "human friendly" web address, such as dyndns.com/hooksNAS.

Of course, authentication is required to access, so its not open to anyone who happens to know your "special address"

It does not require a static IP address at the device, as the device may dynamically update the DDNS server with its IP address, as and when it changes.

Hopefully, I can pass you this link with getting into trouble!?

http://www.qnap.com/pro_application.asp?ap_id=111

It'll save trying to explain any more, as it is much simpler to achieve than it sounds!

Or, setting up a VPN is a fairly easy option.

It's extremely secure.

EDIT: Hold your horses!!

Qnap has an app specifically for accessing your multimedia files remotely, via a portable device.

It's called Qmobile - looks like your sorted, assuming you have a compatible model Qnap

Here's their page about it:

http://www.qnap.com/pro_application.asp?ap_id=430

Of course, authentication is required to access, so its not open to anyone who happens to know your "special address"

Hmmmm ...

> Or, setting up a VPN is a fairly easy option. It's extremely secure.

An IPsec VPN can be very secure if you set it up properly - the easiest way is to dedicated encryption devices such as SG Micro and SG Desktop. If you do that then you'll have no problem. You can set it up your router to do IPsec, but that relies on the router software and your skills at configuring it. 

I still think it is easier to carry a Walkman or an iPod. 

Qnap has this already built in, download the app for your iphone.

Obviously your iphone needs internet access to work. The music needs to be in the qmultimedia folder.

Works flawlessly for me, access to thousands of tracks on my ipad at work.

Guy -

With all of those deep, dark secrets, no wonder you are so security conscious!

And I hear what you are saying about keeping work and personal devices separate.  I do so when it comes to laptops, but just couldn't for my cell phone.  Would be way to hard (and expensive) maintaining two separate numbers!

Also, thanks a lot for the link -- looks like a perfect solution for my next trip to Nepal...or Bora Bora. 

Reality & Garyi -

Thanks so much for the heads-up on Qmobile!  The setup instructions do not look too intimidating, so will give it a try...

...once I've thought through the security aspect.  Guy makes some very good points.

It would appear that up until the start of this month, Qmobile was http only.  Will require more research, but it sounds like people who are just now trying to use Qmobile with a PPTP VPN client are having mixed results. 

Early days then, but perhaps not too far off from being doable...and relatively safe? Hope so.

Thanks again fellows!

Hook

PS - Guido - not having much luck googling SG Micro and Desktop.  Can you point me more directly to the product you are referring to?  My router, a Cisco/Linksys E4200, is supposed be able to do VPN and IPsec, but I would be interested in learning about alternatives. Thanks man.

Hi Hook

PlugPlayer sounds interesting. I too have a QNAP NAS (TP-219P II) and wonder if PP will work with Twonky? I prefer not to have my PC running if possible.

Peter

Hi Peter -

It should...but I have not tried it.   I see Twonky in Plugplayer's list of devices, but my music files are apparently not in the directory where Twonky is looking for them, because when I just browsed, there was nothing there.  I am guessing it is as Garyi says above, and I would need to move my files under the qmultimedia folder for Twonky to see them.

This is all just standard UPnP stuff, so I am pretty sure that if you do have your QNAP and Twonky set up properly, Plugplayer should just work.

Good luck!

Hook

SGs (click here) are a bit up from Cisco routers for IPsec VPN and approved for use in my projects. If you're confident in setting it up you can use the E42009 to give you security features that would keep a commercial body like a bank happy, I can do likewise with my SRX100, but these rely on software. You can't configure the SG to let rogue traffic through.    

Thanks Guy -- interesting products. 

I think I am going to take a shot at configuring my E4200 for VPN access.  I used to be pretty good at this kind of stuff (having spent my first ten years at Sun in development and technical consulting), but am very rusty now.   Fortunately, I work with some extremely talented technical guys, and one has offered to assist if need be.  

Thanks for making the security aspect of this stuff front and center.  I am sure there are thousands of hackers world-wide who have nothing better to do than to troll for easy targets.  I see no reason to make it easy for them!

ATB.

Hook

> having spent my first ten years at Sun in development 

Then my good Sir, you should have no problem whipping the router in to shape. 

Solaris was one of my most favourite operating systems. 

The only small problem you may encounter is the IPsec standard is so popular everybody started developing their own special flavour; consequently not all VPN clients on access devices work with every VPN concentrator (router). However, I feel confident you'll crack it. 

You just need a shared secret at both ends and they'll negotiate the rest for themselves thanks to the work of Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman who were credited with writing the algorithm in 1976 for calculating encryption keys even though we all know it was really British signals intelligence officer, Malcolm J. Williamson (no relation to ISB's Robin as far as I know) who really invented it in 1972, but GCHQ kept in under wraps. 

Still now the world is a peaceful place and we no longer have wars and such like and everybody gets on with one another, we can all share the algorithm. 

Unfortunately despite living in enlightened times, as you say, it is still true some folk have nothing better to do than disrupt what many of us try to do to make life better for ourselves and others - a good text, although somewhat dated now, is the 

As yet nobody has managed to hack in to my Cassette player, so I feel almost safe. 

All the best, Guy