EASY Remote Access How to setup CloudFlare Tunnels
Description
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Notes
00:00 Introduction to Cloudflare Tunnels
- Fast, secure remote access even behind CGNAT or Starlink
- No need to expose NAS directly to the internet
- Setup on Synology NAS (works with Docker on other devices too)
- Provides signed SSL certificates without port forwarding
00:52 What Are Cloudflare Tunnels
- Web firewall that exposes local network services to the internet without port forwarding
- How it works:
- Run a Cloudflare daemon (typically in Docker container) on local network
- Daemon creates encrypted connection to Cloudflare servers
- Traffic flows through encrypted tunnel to your NAS
- Public IP never exposed
- 01:38 Works even without a public IP address (like Starlink)
- Use cases:
- Share files via Synology Drive
- Host websites on NAS
- Supports SSH and web traffic
- 01:58 Note: Does not work with Synology Drive Share Sync
- Security considerations:
- 02:12 Can limit access similar to a VPN using web authentication
- Less secure than a full VPN - not for highly sensitive data
- Good middle-ground solution for employee access to non-critical resources
02:56 Requirements
- Domain registered with Cloudflare
- NAS or device capable of running Docker
- 03:28 For Synology: Container Manager must be installed
- Uses Cloudflare free tunnel (no cost)
03:47 Setup Process
03:47 Creating the Tunnel in Cloudflare
05:04 Installing Cloudflare Daemon on NAS
- Open Container Manager (or Docker for older DSM versions)
- Search registry for "cloudflare" → Download cloudflared image
- 05:25 Run container with these settings:
- Name: Match your tunnel name
- Enable auto-restart
- Run on host network
- 06:05 Replace default command with tunnel run token
- 06:32 Container will quickly connect; delete token file after
06:46 Configuring Public Access
08:05 Configuring Synology Drive Port
- Edit Synology Drive application settings
- Set custom HTTPS port (e.g., 2345)
- 08:31 Route specific port only to Synology Drive
- Add this port to tunnel configuration
08:56 Advanced Settings
- Enable "No TLS verify" - skip SSL certificate verification on NAS
- Assumes local network is secure
- 09:19 Save tunnel configuration
09:31 Testing and Using
- Access Synology Drive globally with signed SSL certificate
- 09:40 Configure Synology Drive to use tunnel URL for all shared links
- Go to Drive admin console → Settings → Sharing
- Enable sharing link customization
- Force HTTPS
- Create custom URL
10:42 Adding Authentication and Access Control
- Security concern: Service is publicly accessible if URL is known
- Solution: Create access groups and policies
- 11:04 Create new access group
- 11:25 Example: "Space Rex Employees" - restrict to specific email domains
- Multiple configuration options available
- 12:01 Create application policy
- Set application name (e.g., "Synology Drive")
- Set session duration (e.g., 24 hours)
- Configure identity providers
- Link to access group
- 13:10 Result: Email verification required to access service
- 13:40 Provides middle-layer security without requiring full VPN setup
14:20 Summary
- Cloudflare Tunnels provide powerful customization and access control options
- Extensive authentication methods available
- Much more functionality beyond basics covered in this tutorial
EASY Remote Access How to setup CloudFlare Tunnels
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Description
Notes
00:00 Introduction to Cloudflare Tunnels
00:52 What Are Cloudflare Tunnels
02:56 Requirements
03:47 Setup Process
03:47 Creating the Tunnel in Cloudflare
05:04 Installing Cloudflare Daemon on NAS
06:46 Configuring Public Access
08:05 Configuring Synology Drive Port
08:56 Advanced Settings
09:31 Testing and Using
10:42 Adding Authentication and Access Control
14:20 Summary