If you’re running a Synology NAS to host your website or other online services, you may be concerned about security and reliability. One solution to both of these problems is to use Cloudflare Tunnel. In this blog post, we’ll explain what Cloudflare Tunnel is and how to set it up using the Docker package on your Synology NAS.
What is Cloudflare Tunnel?
Cloudflare Tunnel is a service that allows you to securely expose your local web server to the internet. It creates a secure, encrypted connection between your web server and Cloudflare’s edge network. This means that your website is not directly exposed to the internet, which can help prevent attacks and increase reliability. With Cloudflare Tunnel, you can keep your website or other online services on your local network, while still making them accessible to the public.
The benefits of using Cloudflare Tunnel are numerous. For one, it can help protect your website from attacks, such as DDoS attacks or brute-force login attempts. Additionally, it can improve reliability by allowing you to keep your website or other services on your local network, where they may be more secure and easier to manage. Finally, it can help improve performance by using Cloudflare’s global network to deliver your content to users all over the world.
Setting up Cloudflare Tunnel on your Synology NAS using Docker
To set up Cloudflare Tunnel on your Synology NAS, you’ll need to use Docker. Docker is a platform that allows you to run applications in containers, which are isolated from the rest of your system. This makes it easier to manage and deploy applications, as well as to ensure that they are running securely.
Here are the steps to set up Cloudflare Tunnel using Docker on your Synology NAS:
Step 1: Install Docker
The first step is to install Docker on your Synology NAS. You can do this by opening the Package Center and searching for “Docker”. Once you’ve found it, click “Install” and wait for the installation to complete.
Step 2: Create a Docker container for Cloudflare Tunnel
The next step is to create a Docker container for Cloudflare Tunnel. To do this, you’ll need to use a Docker image that contains the Cloudflare Tunnel client. You can find a suitable image on Docker Hub, which is a repository of Docker images.
Open the Docker application and go to the “Registry” tab. Search for “cloudflare/cloudflared” and select the latest version. Click on “Download” to start the download process.
Step 3: Configure Cloudflare Tunnel
Once you’ve created a Docker container for Cloudflare Tunnel, you’ll need to configure it. To do this, you’ll need to create a configuration file that tells the Cloudflare Tunnel client how to connect to your web server. You’ll also need to create a Cloudflare account and register your domain name.
To create a configuration file, create a new text file and enter the following information:
yamlCopy codetunnel: <your-tunnel-name> credentials-file: /config/cloudflared/credentials.yml ingress:- hostname: <your-domain-name> service: http://<your-local-ip>:<your-local-port>
Replace <your-tunnel-name> with a name for your tunnel, such as “my-tunnel”. Replace <your-domain-name> with your domain name, such as “example.com”. Replace <your-local-ip> and <your-local-port> with the IP address and port number of your web server, respectively.
Next, you’ll need to create a Cloudflare account and register your domain name. Once you’ve done this, go to the “Domains” tab in the Cloudflare dashboard and click “Add Site”. Follow the prompts to add your domain name and configure your DNS settings.
Step 4: Create a Cloudflare Tunnel account and authenticate
Now that you’ve created your Cloudflare account and registered your domain name, you’ll need to create a Cloudflare Tunnel account and authenticate your domain. To do this, go to the “Tunnels” tab in the Cloudflare dashboard and click “Create Tunnel”.
Enter a name for your tunnel and select the domain name you registered earlier. Follow the prompts to authenticate your domain and download your credentials file.
Step 5: Upload credentials file to Synology NAS
Upload the credentials file to the Synology NAS. You can do this via the Synology File Station or other file transfer tool.
Step 6: Run the Cloudflare Tunnel Docker container
Go to the Docker application, select the Cloudflare Tunnel container, and click “Action” > “Run”. On the “Advanced Settings” tab, set the “Configuration file” to the path of the configuration file you created earlier.
In the “Volume” section, click “Add Folder” and select the folder where you uploaded the credentials file. Set the “Mount path” to “/config/cloudflared” to allow the Cloudflare Tunnel client to access the credentials file.
Click “Apply” to start the Cloudflare Tunnel Docker container.
Step 7: Test your Cloudflare Tunnel
Once the Docker container is running, you can test your Cloudflare Tunnel by accessing your website from a different network. Enter your domain name in a web browser and verify that your website loads correctly.
Conclusion
Setting up Cloudflare Tunnel using Docker on your Synology NAS can help improve the security, reliability, and performance of your website or other online services. With Cloudflare Tunnel, you can keep your services on your local network, while still making them accessible to the public. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily set up Cloudflare Tunnel and start enjoying the benefits of a secure, reliable, and fast online presence.