Remote Access to home network- VPN or VNC

RHH

Hi

What are people using for remote access to their home networks?

Pi - VPN?

VNC via Real VNC cloud ?

Have used both but keen to know what others are using and why.

thanks

Lee_Bo

I'm using OpenVPN.  Let's me connect to my local file server when I'm away from home if I need access to any photos (which is nice to be able to do as a photographer).

Pooh

I'm currently using OpenVPN via my Synology NAS. It's not the best but I was given the NAS for free - and one does not turn down free 12 bay NAS's!

kltaylor

Depends on your level of technology, but I suggest owning your own VPN and use that.

I've set up a VPN service on my Raspberry Pi, literally cost less than $100 for time and device, and it's a great way to ensure that your connection is secure.  However, I would also use VNC (depends if you have any 'Home' version of OS) just ensure that ports 5800 and 5900 are NOT in the router as a port forward, making it local only.

So my vote, VPN, RDP, and VNC ...

kltaylor

Pooh said:

I'm currently using OpenVPN via my Synology NAS. It's not the best but I was given the NAS for free - and one does not turn down free 12 bay NAS's!

12 Bay?!

I'm jealous, I only have the 5 bay!

Pooh

Got real lucky as well @kltaylor , one week after getting it, it died with a known issue with the CPU. As luck would have it, it still had 2 months left on the warrenty so it got replaced FoC!

kltaylor

Pooh said:

Got real lucky as well @kltaylor , one week after getting it, it died with a known issue with the CPU. As luck would have it, it still had 2 months left on the warrenty so it got replaced FoC!

They've been really good about warranty issues and such ... still jealous though

TheCustomCave

I use things like Anydesk for remote access to VMs.

I use the standard DSM login, or any of the DS apps for my Synology servers.

Teamviewer was my go-to but that's become more and more sketchy of late, especially for thinking I'm a corporate environment if I go in the opposite direction to my usual remote direction.

adam

Raspberry Pi with openssh installed. The openssh client for android is great and fast to connect. Once you have a vpn setup everything is so much more simple; no more constant router changes to open specific ports to devices on your network.

It also allows me to relax about the somewhat questionable security of some of my networked devices as they are all behind the vpn but naturally still accessible remotely. So much better than having them all exposed to the Internet on their own ports.

kltaylor

TheCustomCave said:

I use things like Anydesk for remote access to VMs.

I use the standard DSM login, or any of the DS apps for my Synology servers.

Teamviewer was my go-to but that's become more and more sketchy of late, especially for thinking I'm a corporate environment if I go in the opposite direction to my usual remote direction.

I've switched away from AnyDesk since it seems to be one of the 'go-to' apps for scammers.  There's a YouTube personality named scammerrevolts that does his best to fight back, but TeamViewer and Anydesk are two of the top remote access applications that they tend to use a lot.

kltaylor

adam said:

Raspberry Pi with openssh installed. The openssh client for android is great and fast to connect. Once you have a vpn setup everything is so much more simple; no more constant router changes to open specific ports to devices on your network.

It also allows me to relax about the somewhat questionable security of some of my networked devices as they are all behind the vpn but naturally still accessible remotely. So much better than having them all exposed to the Internet on their own ports.

I love the Raspberry Pi.

That's how I have my VPN setup, using PiVPN.  If you know your way around Debian Linux/Pi, and your router with port forwards and such, it's an easy install and use.

Dougie

I use OpenVPN (I've got a routing tunnel so can appear to be in the UK from anywhere in the world). SSH (it's set-up to only allow ssh keys and fail2ban is doing intrusion detection) and RealVNC (on some of my RPis (the limit is five machines without needing to pay a licence fee)). So I can get connected home in multiple ways. 

OpenVPN is the most versatile. PiVPN is the easiest way to get OpenVPN running for the non-expert user.

Xenophod

@RHH I've got a linux box at home with ssh nat'd out via my router. I usually just ssh into that if I need anything at home. But sometimes I'll tunnel through ssh to browse the web when at work and they block a site I need. Here's a link to a site that shows you how to setup a tunnel for your browser: https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-setup-ssh-socks-tunnel-for-private-browsing/  

I more recently setup an OpenVPN server on the same linux box so I can use an open VPN client on my phone or computer to get into my network. If your ISP changes your IP address frequently, you'll need a way to find your IP address. A dynamic DNS service can help, I just setup a script on the linux box to check the public IP, if it changes, it'll send a push notification out through https://www.pushingbox.com/  but I've been thinking about using IFTTT for that instead.

I haven't used VNC to do anything in a long time and I've never used the Cloud option. Is that free?  If not, setting up an OpenVPN server is probably the best way to go, once you VPN in, you can VNC without any extra cost.

Navek

I recently acquired a piece of hardware a Netgear VPN firewall Just haven't gotten a chance to set it up yet its a model that netgear no longer offers support for but that is just cuz they have newer ones available and this one is outdated. I'm wondering if I should just go the pivpn route or should I go ahead and set up the Netgear hardweare I glanced at the set up there are some specific steps and certain order of said steps to be take otherwise getting a outside connection will not be achieved any one have any experience with said hardware and what do you guys recommend?

Jackwong64

I am just using default RDP port, RDP to my VM, I just need that VM for IE and some PC apps.

RTR_fing

Initially used VPN on a Synology NAS but decided I wanted a dedicated 'thing' for VPN so now run a Raspberry Pi with PiVPN.  

RWild

I use RealVNC and VMWare to access machines locally and RealVNC for remote access.  VNC Connect is pretty handy but I have a number of older machines 

RWild

Fat-fingered that post . . .   As I was saying, I have a number of older machines that must use direct connections and thus I have to use reserved IPs to maintain consistent addresses and port forwarding to get to the correct machine when coming in remotely.  Has been a pain at times to preserve those setting in the routers.

Minimart

I have several (32) Pis and use RealVNC for all of them. I have 2 that are registered for cloud connect and use them to hop to the others when I am away from home.

kltaylor

The only thing that I wish VNC would implement is 2FA.

As such, I'm using a remote service called DWService.net.

It's a service that only asks you to donate to them but also has 2FA so that I am ensured that my account stays with me. 

Romulus

My Asus router has OpenVPN server support so I use that  to remote back into my network.

Jack

I have a VPN service running on my UniFi Security Gateway and once connected to that I use VPN, RDC, Web based admin or Terminal depending on the device I am wanting to use. Works well as I don't need to open lots of ports. 

Bruce2

For a few years in the past,  I enabled the VPN server function on an iMac desktop computer and forwarded appropriate ports through my router to allow external connections to the iMac and the all the devices on my home network. 
For the recent year and currently, I am using the VPN service on my Unifi Security Gateway.  Both VPN options provided reliable access to my home network when traveling in my home country or internationally.  This allows me to configure my home IP cameras for LAN access only, so they do not transfer any or video over the Internet (except via my VPN) or store any in the cloud.

Yes

I'm also using OpenVPN running on my synology NAS. Has never let me down (yet) 🤞

Pooh

@Yes - I have that configured but I had the devil of a time getting the connection to stay using the client on my iDevicen. You using Android or iOS? If iOS, what client?

Yes

https://community.fing.com/discussion/comment/5012#Comment_5012

I'm connecting most daily from Windows, Android and IOS. Connecting is always quick and stable.

These are the clients I'm using:

IOS: OpenVPN Connect

Android: Open VPN for Android

Windows 10: openvpn community client from openvpn.net 

I'm using Let's Encrypt certificates on the NAS.

kltaylor

Yes said:

@Yes<;\/a> - I have that configured but I had the devil of a time getting the connection to stay using the client on my iDevicen<\/i>. You using Android or iOS? If iOS, what client?","bodyRaw":"@Yes - I have that configured but I had the devil of a time getting the connection to stay using the client on my iDevicen<\/i>. You using Android or iOS? If iOS, what client?","format":"Wysiwyg","dateInserted":"2019-10-04T15:56:14+00:00","insertUser":{"userID":262,"name":"Pooh","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031733\/uploads\/userpics\/905\/n5TB2DXZIK1VH.jpeg","dateLastActive":"2019-10-04T17:21:07+00:00"},"url":"https:\/\/community.fing.com\/discussion\/comment\/5012#Comment_5012","embedType":"quote"}"> https://community.fing.com/discussion/comment/5012#Comment_5012

I'm connecting most daily from Windows, Android and IOS. Connecting is always quick and stable.

These are the clients I'm using:

IOS: OpenVPN Connect

Android: Open VPN for Android

Windows 10: openvpn community client from openvpn.net 

I'm using Let's Encrypt certificates on the NAS.

Excellent choices for sure.

I had a friend tell me over the weekend that he was presented with a Cease and Desist letter from his ISP.  He's a team lead for a large corporation, IT management and had to explain to the company that several companies including Microsoft uses shared connection technology to deliver faster patch updates, etc.

I offered to him a connection to my VPN server which is hosted on my Raspberry Pi, fast enough that there is very little notice using it while gaming.