A NAS usually enters the home as a storage box. RAID protects disks, snapshots protect versions, and file sharing makes folders available on the network. They’re useful, but the feature that changed things for me was remote access. A NAS is a good storage device, but if you want it to replace certain cloud subscriptions, you need your data – whether it’s files, photos, videos, music or anything else – to be available even when you’re not at home, and remote access does exactly that.
Many NAS operating systems They now have built-in remote access features. For example, in my NAS UGREENThere is a feature called UGREENlink that allows you to remotely access services and files over the Internet. You can also enable remote access through tools like Tailscale, but the point is that this feature makes a NAS as useful as it should be.
Remote Access changes the default relationship with the NAS
You start using it better
Without remote access, the NAS remains connected to the home network. You use it when you are on that network or you build another system to reach it from outside. With built-in remote access, the NAS is available wherever you have an Internet connection.
On my UGREEN NAS, remote access is managed through UGREENlink in UGOS Pro. Configuration begins in the Control Panel in the remote access settings. After logging into a UGREEN account and enabling UGREENlink, the NAS generates a remote access link and client ID that can be used to access the system over the Internet.
Once enabled, the NAS can be accessed through the UGREEN NAS app or a web browser without the need for manual port forwarding or public IP configuration on the router. Files, photos, videos and other services hosted on the NAS remain accessible remotely through the same interface used on the local network.
The UGREEN NAS app is available on most major platforms including iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, and macOS, while TV support is available through Apple tvOS and Android TV. UGREEN also provides browser-based access via the web interface, so the NAS can still be accessed remotely even without installing a dedicated desktop application.
Remote access is built into most NAS operating systems
Either UGREEN or Synology
UGREEN is not alone here. Synology offers QuickConnect, a way for client applications to connect to a Synology NAS over the Internet without the hassle of setting up port forwarding rules. QuickConnect can be used to access the NAS over the Internet and share files. This gives Synology users a remote source access path that bypasses the network setup that many home users prefer to avoid. Synology then layers products like Synology Photos and Synology Drive on top of that access model, which is how the company turns remote access into viewing, sharing, syncing, and backing up photos across web, desktop, and mobile clients.
QNAP does something similar with myQNAPcloud. It allows you to create a personal cloud and remotely access a NAS with a few simple steps. It is an integrated way to access the NAS over the Internet, share files and manage access without converting the configuration to a network project.
TrueNAS handles remote access differently compared to systems like UGREEN NAS or Synology. Instead of providing a built-in cloud-style remote access feature in the operating system, it relies more on networking tools like Tailscale, ZeroTier, or WireGuard for external access.
When you need to remotely access more than just photos and videos
While most NAS operating systems now have built-in remote access functionality, you I still need tools like Tailscale to access self-hosted applications or anything else that the operating system does not have an application for. Most of these operating systems cover photos, videos, movie streaming, and file sharing, but beyond that, let’s say you host a document manager or note-taking app yourself. To access those tools remotely, you’ll still need to set up remote access with a third-party solution like Tailscale.
Setting up Tailscale on a NAS doesn’t require much effort. You install the Tailscale client on the NAS, sign in with an identity provider, and then add your phone, laptop, and desktop to the same back network. Once a device is authenticated, Tailscale automatically adds it to the network unless device approval is enabled, and the same account can cover multiple devices on the platforms you actually use. Setup requires no router work, meaning you don’t start by opening ports, creating firewall rules, or setting up a separate VPN server.
Once Tailscale is implemented, it covers services that are not within the NAS vendor’s own application stack. This includes self-hosted tools like document managers, notes apps, and private web apps, which are often the first things you leave behind once you start using a NAS for more than just backing up photos and sharing files.
The NAS may already handle standard applications, but Tailscale keeps the rest of the home server accessible in the same way from outside the house.
