Home / Guides / How do I set up a home VPN to access my network remotely?

Why would I want a VPN into my home network?

A home VPN gives your laptop or phone a protected route back to your network when you are away. It can help you access files on a NAS or use services that you normally keep private. You still need permission and a normal account for the service you access.

A commercial VPN usually routes you through the provider’s servers. A home VPN connects to equipment you operate at home. It does not make the home network anonymous, and its usefulness depends on the home connection and keeping the server running.

What do I need before I start?

• An always-on Raspberry Pi, supported NAS or router with maintained VPN software.
• Access to your router’s settings, and a reserved local IP for the VPN server.
• A way for the outside world to reach it. With carrier-grade NAT, ordinary port forwarding will not work; ask your ISP about a public address or choose a suitable relay-based solution.
• A public IP or dynamic DNS hostname. Dynamic DNS follows address changes; it does not bypass carrier-grade NAT.

PiVPN’s official FAQ covers changing IPs, router checks and testing from mobile data. Back up important NAS data before changing its configuration.

Should I use WireGuard or OpenVPN?

Both can provide a VPN connection, but server support matters. WireGuard uses per-device keys and small configuration files. OpenVPN has broad client support and is built into Synology’s VPN Server package. Use a supported, maintained configuration rather than selecting an older protocol just because it is listed. See the WireGuard quick start and OpenVPN Connect documentation.

How do I install PiVPN on a Raspberry Pi?

1. Install and update an operating system supported by the current PiVPN release. Connect the Pi to your network and reserve its local address in your router.
2. Read PiVPN’s installation guide, then use its official installer. It offers WireGuard or OpenVPN and asks for network, DNS and connection settings.
3. Choose the public IP or dynamic DNS hostname clients will use. Record the VPN port and protocol you selected.
4. Forward that VPN port in the router to the Pi and allow it through the relevant firewall. Do not expose file-sharing ports or a NAS administration page to the internet.

PiVPN is the Raspberry Pi route in this guide. Its Docker support is experimental, so these installation steps are not a promise of native PiVPN support on a Synology or UGREEN NAS.

How do I run a VPN server on a Synology NAS?

On a compatible model, install VPN Server from Package Center. Enable OpenVPN, configure the permitted users and local-network access, then export its client configuration. Follow Synology’s OpenVPN setup instructions for your DSM version, including the router and firewall rules. The exported profile needs the public hostname or address clients can actually reach.

Synology’s VPN Server package lists OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec and PPTP. Native WireGuard support is not listed there. A separate container route has different requirements and maintenance responsibilities.

Can I run WireGuard on a UGREEN NAS?

A supported Docker-capable UGREEN model can be a candidate for a WireGuard container. Check the precise model first: UGREEN’s Docker guidance lists supported ranges and exceptions. A NAS purchase alone does not guarantee compatibility with a particular VPN image.

Use the chosen project’s maintained instructions, such as wg-easy’s official documentation, and confirm its requirements for the NAS processor, kernel, network permissions and storage. Create persistent configuration storage, configure client access to the home LAN and forward only the VPN port. Keep the management dashboard private. If this is unfamiliar, the Raspberry Pi route may be easier to maintain separately from valuable NAS data.

How do I connect my laptop or smartphone?

For PiVPN WireGuard, create one profile per device with pivpn add. Import the resulting configuration into the official WireGuard app on your laptop. On a phone, pivpn -qr displays a code the app can scan. Treat the QR code and configuration as credentials, not screenshots to share publicly. See PiVPN’s client instructions.

For OpenVPN, import the server’s exported .ovpn profile into OpenVPN Connect and supply the account or certificate details required by your server. Use a separate account or certificate for each person or device where supported, so access can be revoked independently.

Should all my internet traffic go through home?

A split tunnel routes selected home-network traffic through the VPN while other traffic uses the connection you are on. A full tunnel routes general internet traffic through home too. Configure the routes, DNS and IPv6 behaviour to match your intention, using your server’s instructions. A split tunnel can work correctly without changing the public IP shown by this website.

How do I check it works and keep it maintained?

Test from mobile data or another network, then try reaching a home device using its private address. If that works but a name does not, check DNS. If two networks use the same private address range, routing can conflict. For a full tunnel, compare the public IP, but remember that this alone is not a complete security test.

Update the server, router and apps, keep a protected backup of the configuration and revoke a lost device’s profile. Check periodically that you can still connect from away. A home VPN is useful infrastructure that needs maintenance.

Where can I find Raspberry Pi and NAS hardware?

Check what you already own before buying. For a Pi, confirm whether the listing includes a power supply, storage and case. For a NAS, check the exact model’s current software support and whether drives are included.

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