“Hello everyone, I am Jony, a wall-breaking designer, a versatile architect who enjoys web technology, AICG, playing with NAS, and sharing experiences for efficient work and a happy life!”Follow me 📌, star it ⭐, don’t miss out on exciting content 🎉!
In today’s increasingly digital life, more and more people are equipping themselves with NAS for centralized management of photos, videos, work documents, and other digital assets.
Of course, we are not satisfied with just accessing our NAS data within the local area network; we want to access it smoothly anytime and anywhere. However, given the current state of the domestic network, public IPv4 addresses have become an extremely scarce resource for ordinary home broadband users. The configuration and use of IPv6 still have some barriers: first, the external environment may not support it, and second, setting up domain names and DDNSGO is not something everyone can easily handle.
I have also experimented with configuring IPv6 public direct connections and DDNS access; see here:
👉Public direct connection to home NAS is really nice! A guide to configuring IPv6 for home networks
👉No cost, unlimited flow, unlimited access! Three simple methods to easily access home NAS via IPv6
👉Are you really planning to apply for a free domain name just to play with NAS?
👉How do you access your home NAS externally without a public IPv4 address?
Many NAS systems now come with remote access features that allow web access through NAT traversal. Traditional NAT traversal solutions can solve the “can I access it” problem, but they are often limited to web access and lack versatility.
The ideal solution is to make your home NAS, company computers, mobile phones, and tablets seem to be in the same local area network, allowing direct access to the NAS’s SMB service through <span>\virtualIPolder</span>. This is a necessity for me because I have a lot of work materials on my NAS that I need to access from both home and work.
This capability is the core value that “remote networking” aims to achieve.
What is Remote Networking?
Remote networking essentially builds a Virtual Private LAN between multiple physically dispersed devices through software or services. In this virtual network, each device is assigned a fixed private IP address (e.g., 10.147.0.10), allowing direct communication between them as if they were plugged into the same switch.
The mainstream remote networking technologies currently fall into two categories:
- • P2P Direct Connection: Two devices attempt to bypass an intermediate server to establish a direct connection. This method has low latency and high bandwidth, making it an ideal mode for accessing NAS. However, the success rate is limited by the network environment of both parties (e.g., NAT type, firewall policies).
- • Relay Forwarding: When P2P fails, data is relayed through the vendor’s cloud server. While this ensures connectivity, the speed is limited by the relay bandwidth and may increase latency.
Excellent networking tools typically adopt a hybrid strategy that prioritizes P2P and falls back to relay when necessary, while automatically optimizing paths in the background. Additionally, most tools use encrypted tunnels (e.g., WireGuard, AES) to ensure data security and avoid transmitting sensitive files in plaintext over the public network.
There are many remote networking tools available on the market, but their quality and usability vary widely. Jony is concerned about the following points: whether they can be used for free, whether they support Chinese, whether they are easy to set up, and whether they can provide stable and high-speed access to NAS.
To this end, I recently searched through several AI tool platforms and compiled about 20 remote networking tools. After comparison and selection, I found the following 8 that look promising or are relatively well-known.
8 Free Remote Networking Tools Reviewed
1. ZeroTier ZeroTier is a benchmark project in the field of open-source virtual networking, with the core idea of “one global network.” After creating a network ID on the official website, all devices install the client and join that ID to obtain a virtual IP in the same subnet and communicate with each other. It supports almost all mainstream platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Synology DSM, Docker, etc., and has a mature ecosystem. However, the interface is in English, and first-time users need to register an account at my.zerotier.com. In China, if both parties’ networks support UPnP or IPv6, the success rate of P2P direct connections is relatively high, with speeds close to local bandwidth; otherwise, it will fall back to the official Planet relay, resulting in a noticeable speed drop. If you have the capability and conditions, you can build your own Moon node to improve connection quality in China.
2. Tailscale Tailscale is known for its extreme simplicity, using the high-performance WireGuard protocol with almost no configuration required. After logging in with a Google or Microsoft account, all devices automatically appear in the same network, supporting MagicDNS for automatic hostname resolution. The free version allows up to 3 users and 100 devices, providing a smooth experience. However, due to its control platform relying on overseas services, frequent disconnections or login issues may occur in most domestic network environments. Although P2P direct connection performance is excellent, stability is severely limited, making it more suitable for users with stable international network channels.
3. EasyTier EasyTier is a lightweight open-source networking tool led by domestic developers, providing complete Chinese documentation and a simple graphical interface. It supports P2P hole punching and allows users to choose between using public relays or self-built relay servers (e.g., deployed on Alibaba Cloud’s lightweight application server). This means you can fully control the data path and avoid relying on third-party cloud services. In tests with self-built relay scenarios, cross-city connections were stable, with a high direct connection rate. The Windows client supports one-click joining by scanning a QR code or entering a network ID, making it user-friendly for non-technical users. Due to its active project status and good community support, it has become a leader among domestic open-source networking tools.
4. Oray (蒲公英) As a well-established product under Beirui, Oray is known for its “zero configuration” feature. Users only need to download the client, log in, and join an existing network to complete the networking process in three steps. It provides a fully Chinese interface, with official plugin support for Synology and QNAP NAS, making it easy for older users to operate. It supports 3 authorizations, with a forwarding speed limit of 2Mbps per node.
5. Node Xiaobao (节点小宝) Node Xiaobao is a domestic tool highly praised by NAS users in recent years, focusing on unlimited P2P direct connections. Its self-developed protocol performs excellently under mainstream operators like China Telecom and China Unicom, successfully establishing direct connection channels in most home and company broadband combinations, with transmission speeds reaching the maximum upstream bandwidth. It has a fully Chinese interface, can be used for free, and has no device quantity limit, but the free version only supports two devices online simultaneously, making NAS access feel like local access. Currently, it has no obvious functional shortcomings and is considered a “high cost-performance choice” for individual users in China.
6. Starry Sky Networking (星空组网) Starry Sky Networking adopts an SD-WAN architecture, intelligently attempting P2P connections and automatically switching to domestic relay servers when P2P fails. The free version supports up to 20 devices, with a relay bandwidth limit of 10Mbps, using AES-256 encryption to comply with domestic data regulations. Its web console supports device grouping, permission management, and online status monitoring, making it suitable for mixed-use scenarios in homes and offices. In tests with cross-province connections, if both parties use China Telecom broadband, the P2P success rate is relatively high; if mobile networks are involved, it often goes through the relay. Overall performance is stable, with comprehensive Chinese support, making it an ideal option for balanced users.
7. Flying Mouse Networking (飞鼠组网) Flying Mouse Networking is an emerging domestic tool that emphasizes a “one-click networking” experience. After installing the client, users can join the virtual LAN by entering the network ID, and the assigned virtual IP can be used directly for ping, SMB access, and other operations. The interface is fully in Chinese, and the official website provides detailed NAS access guides. In typical home (China Telecom gigabit) and company (China Unicom hundred megabit) environments, the P2P direct connection success rate is good, with fast transmission speeds. Additionally, it has good compatibility for mobile network switching (e.g., switching from WiFi to 5G), making it suitable for users who travel frequently.
8. MoleSDN MoleSDN is a domestic tool focused on simplifying the networking process, emphasizing “install and use.” Users do not need to create accounts or complex configurations; after starting the client, they automatically join the default network and are assigned a virtual IP. The fully Chinese interface is intuitive and easy to understand, making it suitable for ordinary users who know nothing about networking. Its underlying technology uses UDP hole punching, combined with intelligent relay fallback, allowing effective connections in most scenarios. Speed varies significantly due to network environment differences, and stability is slightly inferior to Node Xiaobao or Starry Sky Networking, but it still has practical value as a lightweight solution.
Horizontal Comparison of 8 Remote Networking Tools
To facilitate comparison, I used AI tools to organize a comparison table, as follows (swipe left and right on mobile to view the complete table).
| Tool Name | Networking Method | Free Device Limit | P2P Direct Connection Capability | Chinese Support | Usability | Stability | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZeroTier | P2P + Planet Relay | 10 devices | ★★★★☆ | ❌ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Tailscale | WireGuard P2P | 100 devices (3 users) | ★★★★☆ | ❌ | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| EasyTier | P2P + Custom Relay | Unlimited | ★★★★☆ | ✅ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Oray | P2P Attempt + Forced Relay | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ | ✅ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Node Xiaobao | Self-developed P2P Direct Connection | Unlimited (2 devices simultaneously) | ★★★★★ | ✅ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Starry Sky Networking | Intelligent P2P + Domestic Relay | 20 devices | ★★★★☆ | ✅ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Flying Mouse Networking | P2P Optimization | No specific limit | ★★★★☆ | ✅ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| MoleSDN | UDP Hole Punching + Relay | 3 | ★★★☆☆ | ✅ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ |
Note: The data in the above table is collected and organized from publicly available information on the internet by Tongyi Qianwen and manually verified by Jony, but the ratings are subjective. As for connection speed and stability, since I do not fully trust the data provided by AI and have not completely tested it, I will not include it for now to avoid misleading. I have tested some of the tools on this list and plan to test the rest one by one, which will take some time. I will provide feedback based on the actual test results later.
The above 8 remote networking tools were selected by Jony based on existing information. Since they have not been fully tested, I do not make recommendations at this time. If you have used any of them and found them useful, please vote. If you have any complaints or better recommendations, feel free to leave a message for me and other friends for reference.
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