How to Configure NordVPN on QNAP

You can set up NordVPN on QNAP by creating an OpenVPN connection manually. That means you can pick any of NordVPN's 5,000+ servers and instruct your NAS to encrypt your traffic without geographical limitations. In other words, no matter what kinds of data you store on your QNAP, all your incoming and outgoing traffic will be encrypted.

We'll also note that NordVPN doesn't provide a list of supported QNAP devices. However, the only requirement here is OpenVPN. So, as long as your QNAP supports that protocol, you won't have an issue setting up or running NordVPN.

How to Configure NordVPN on QNAP

To configure NordVPN on QNAP, you need to subscribe and pick a VPN server. Then, you'll get its OVPN (OpenVPN) file, using which you'll set up a QNAP VPN connection. We'll cover QNAP 4.2.1 and 4.4.2 versions in this guide.

Configure NordVPN on QNAP 4.2.1

You need to set up NordVPN on QNAP 4.2.1 using the Qfinder app, which is how you'll upload the required OpenVPN certificates to your NAS device. Follow these steps:

1. Sign up for NordVPN using your computer and a Web browser.

2. Access the control panel of your NAS device. For that, use the Qfinder app provided along with the QNAP NAS system.

3. Run Qfinder first; when it detects your QNAP device connected to your local network, you can see it listed under the NAS device section. 

4. Double-click on it next, and the control panel page will appear in your default browser. 

5. Log into your QNAP control page with administrative privileges.

6. Next, click here to download the .ovpn server configuration file for the one in your preferred location; you've to click on the "Show available protocols" option to get these config files.

7. Create a second text file, 'nordvpnpass.txt,' comprising your NordVPN service username and password.

8. To get your NordVPN service credentials, you've to access your online account dashboard and navigate to the Advanced Configuration tab. 

9. Next, access your QNAP UI and open File Station. From there, navigate to /Download/ directory and click the '+' button at the top of the window to create a new folder named VPN.

10. You've to move the .ovpn and nordvpnpass.txt files to this directory within the VPN folder. 

11. Once done, create another text file named ca.crt, which needs to contain the CA certificate of the server you're using. 

12. Access your QNAP user interface and move to Control Panel> Applications> VPN Client.

13. From the VPN client menu, choose Add and select OpenVPN from the drop-down. 

14. Next, fill in the OpenVPN client settings as mentioned below:

• Profile Name: Anything you like.
• Server Address: The IP address of the VPN server you want to connect to.
• Server Port: Choose UDP or TCP as per your preference; select port number 1194 for UDP and 443 for TCP.
• Username: Your NordVPN service username.
• Password: Your NordVPN service password.
• Encryption: Pick High (AES 256 bit).
• Certificate: Browse the ca.crt file that you created earlier and upload it here. 
• Enable compressed VPN link: Check.
• Use default gateway on remote network: Check.
• Allow other network devices in the same subnet to connect to the VPN through the NAS: Check.
• Reconnect when the VPN connection is lost: Check.

15. Hit the Create button next. 

16. You've to connect to your QNAP disk station via SSH tunnel after that. To do so, use Putty or WinSCP client for Windows and Terminal for Mac OS X as well as Linux. 

17. Once you access the app, enter the local IP address of your QNAP in the Host Name (or IP address) section and click Open. 

18. Now, enter the username and password that you use to get administrator access to your QNAP account. 

19. Next, use the below command to open the vpn_openvpn_client.sh file.

vi /etc/init.d/vpn_openvpn_client.sh

20. Once done, press A. 

21. After that, change the beginning of this .sh file as mentioned below:

change this script from 

#!/bin/sh
VPN_CONF="/etc/config/vpn.conf"
VPN_NUM="$2"
VPN_CONF_S=1
VPN_CONF_E=10

to

#!/bin/sh
OPENVPN=/usr/sbin/openvpnclient
PIDFILE="/var/run/openvpn.client.pid"
OPENVPN_CONF="/share/Download/VPN/us119udp.ovpn"
OPENVPN_CONF_PATH="/etc/openvpn"
VPN_CONF="/etc/config/vpn.conf"
VPN_NUM="$2"
VPN_CLIENT="OPENVPN_CLIENT""${VPN_NUM}"
MAX_VPN_INDEX="255"

22. When done, press Esc and enter the command ':wq' to save the changes that you've made to this file. 

23. Once done, connect to NordVPN using the below command:

openvpn --config /share/Download/VPN/us936.nordvpn.com.udp.ovpn

Configure NordVPN on QNAP 4.4.2

You can configure NordVPN on QNAP 4.4.2 using QVPN. Before that, you need to pick a server and obtain its OpenVPN files. Go through the following steps:

1. Subscribe to NordVPN using your computer and any Web browser.

2. Now, you've to access your QNAP and choose QVPN Service.

3. Move on to the VPN Client option next and pick VPN Connection Profiles.

4. Click the Add button after that, and choose OpenVPN from the dropdown list. 

5. Next, click here to download the appropriate .ovpn configuration file for the VPN server in the location where you want to connect to; you can find these files under the Show available protocols option. 

6. Once downloaded, import those files to the control page of your device.

7. Now, enter your NorVPN service credentials, i.e., username and password.

8. Once you enter the details, click Apply.

9. VPN Connection Profiles will be previewed; select the NordVPN profile and click Use VPN as NS Default Gateway. 

10. Toggle the switch next to Enable VPN Gateway. You'll be connected to NordVPN. 

Final Thoughts

So, you've created a new default gateway for your QNAP NAS device. With NordVPN in place, you now have complete protection for your data, ensuring that your QNAP traffic is encrypted at all times. However, you can do even more with NordVPN.

Your subscription to NordVPN gives you 6 simultaneous connections. So, why not protect your other devices as well, going beyond your QNAP? Our central guide on how to set up NordVPN will help you do that just.

That's all on how to configure NordVPN on QNAP. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments section below. Finally, thanks for reading!