Linking TrueNAS configuration to personal domain

[Ralphshep]

Hello,

I’m trying to link the TrueNAS configuration site to my domain using Cloudflare tunnel so I can make it accessible remotely, more specifically for ZFS replication to create an off-site backup server.

So far I have been able to link my domain to my TrueNAS server but I get the following error:

“Connecting to TrueNAS ... Make sure the TrueNAS system is powered on and connected to the network.”

I’m assuming this is ether due to an SSH error (http/https) or because my custom domain is not an “approved” domain to access the TrueNAS configuration. I see there is an “Additional Domains” field under the Global network configuration settings, and I’ve added my full domain there but it still doesn’t seem to work.

Any ideas?

 

[Nick2253]

So, there's some ambiguous or potentially wrong language being used here, and I'd like to clarify everything before I point you down the wrong rabbit hole.

First off, when you say "link...to my domain", I immediately think "bind to AD domain". However, what I think you're trying to say is "point your personal domain name to your TrueNAS system via the Cloudflare Tunnel". If this is the case, what exactly have you accomplished when you say "..I have been able to link my domain..."? And where are you getting your error?

Second, you mention an SSH error. I'm assuming here you meant SSL? SSH is "Secure Shell", a cryptographic protocol for communicating between systems (largely a replacement for telnet). SSL is "Secure Socket Layer", a now-depricated cryptographic protocol for communicating between systems (largely used for web technologies). Today, TLS is the cryptographic protocol that replaced SSL, though SSL is often times (incorrectly) used as a label for TLS. Assuming you mean SSL here, do you have signed certificates set up for your TrueNAS system using your personal domain name?

And last, what do you mean by "approved domain"?

I think it would help if you describe a little more about exactly what you're trying to accomplish here, and how you're using Cloudflare to accomplish this. In general, exposing the web UI is not a recommended configuration, because it's not explicitly hardened for web-facing threats. That's not to say it's inherently insecure, just that it's not specifically hardened for that role.

 

[Ralphshep]

Thanks for the response,

Let me clarify some things:

My ultimate goal is to use ZFS replication to backup my home TrueNAS server to a TrueNAS server in another location (not on the same network). This will serve as an off-site backup of my home TrueNAS Server. I would also like to use it as a way to remotely manage these servers in the case I need to fix the configuration.

I watched THIS video to learn how to create a new SSH Connection. I would go to my TrueNAS server and create a new SSH Connection using the URL of my backup TrueNAS server and log in using the root account on my TrueNAS backup server.

This works over a local network, but I need these two servers to be able to see and communicate with each other across completely different networks.

So, I was going to link both servers to my web domain (ie. example.com) using Cloudflare as my DNS provider and Cloudflare tunnel to link my domain to my local sever (Basically using Cloudflare tunnel as a DDNS alternative).

I was successfully able to link my domain to my TrueNAS servers using TrueNAS.example.com to access my main server and TrueNAS-Backup.example.com to access my backup server. However, whenever you visit those sites you get the following error:

Connecting to TrueNAS ... Make sure the TrueNAS system is powered on and connected to the network.

I'm not sure if this is an SSL error or if I have to add my domain to the global network configuration settings within each of the TrueNAS configuiration dashboards.

Lastly, is there a better solution to my problem?

Thanks

 

[Nick2253]

Lastly, is there a better solution to my problem?

Yes, significantly.

What I would do is configure your home TrueNAS server (or some other device on your home network) as a VPN server, and then have your other TrueNAS connect to the VPN. That will effectively place that remote TrueNAS device on your local network, and you'll be able to access all services.

There's a reason VPN is built into TrueNAS: it specifically *is* hardened to be web-facing.

Configuring OpenVPN

Provices information on how to configure Open Virtual Private Network (OpenVPN) services on your TrueNAS.

www.truenas.com