Is this a router-side problem or a NAS-side problem?

[ACBlank]

Hi all,

I'm having an issue, and I'm not sure if it's router-side or NAS-side. Let me know if I'm in the wrong forum and I will relocate this post.

I can't connect to my NAS over DDNS with Asustor's EZConnect. The reason I'm inclined to believe it's router-side is as follows:

• Everything goes without error on the NAS setting up the DDNS, and I get the issue whether I use Asustor's DDNS or another DDNS service.
• Green checks on the EZConnect and Manual Connect pages of the NAS settings.
• I can connect to the NAS using Asustor's EZConnect software utility, but not using the DDNS-based URL.

Router-side, I've tried disabling firewall, disabling and re-enabling UPnP, and manually forwarding the required ports. I can connect to my router over WAN using DDNS just fine.

Is there some sort of firewall or security block that I'm missing?

Hardware/firmware are below:

• Asus router RT-AC3100
• Asuswrt-Merlin Version: 384.4_2
• Asustor NAS 3202T
• Asustor ADM version: 3.1.1RGG1

 

[jeff3820]

You need to open the appropriate port to allow access from the WAN side of the router. UPNP will not help you here as UPNP requests are only LAN side, not WAN side. With a bit of searching, it looks like ASUS uses port 8000 with TCP requests...open that port using the IP address of your NAS and you should be good to go.

https://www.asustor.com/en/online/College_topic?topic=224

 

[ColinTaylor]

You need to open the appropriate port to allow access from the WAN side of the router. UPNP will not help you here as UPNP requests are only LAN side, not WAN side.

This is exactly the scenario UPnP was designed for.

 

[mikelees2]

You need to find the port that the NAS is using for whatever you are trying to get to in the NAS. Then goto the router under the wan tab and forward that port to the IP of the NAS. Remember to leave the Source IP field blank when setting up the port forward.
That should get you there.
Repeat the process for each port you want to access in the NAS.

 

[jeff3820]

Colin, he is trying to access remotely via WAN...the router will block those requests. IF the request came from the LAN side then UPNP could work. UPNP was a Microsoft invention to make the Xbox work for them. Xbox makes requests on LAN side.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Colin, he is trying to access remotely via WAN...the router will block those requests.

Indeed.

IF the request came from the LAN side then UPNP could work. UPNP was a Microsoft invention to make the Xbox work for them. Xbox makes requests on LAN side.

UPnP was not invented by Microsoft for the Xbox. It predates the existence of the Xbox by a number of years. UPnP is a collection of protocols that help devices connect to each other. UPnP is this context is shorthand for the IGD Protocol via UPnP (NAT traversal). The purpose of the IGD Protocol is to allow devices on the LAN (in this case his NAS) to talk to the IGD and create/delete their own port forwarding rules. This means the rules don't have to be created manually by a person. So the rules are setup from the server on the LAN side, not the client on the WAN side.

 

[ACBlank]

@jeff3820 and @mikelees2, I have the ports I need manually forwarded, but it's still an issue:

 

[modemboy]

Have you tried the url with you external ip address rather than the DDNS name? That will let you know if it's a DDNS issue or port issue.

 

[ACBlank]

Have you tried the url with you external ip address rather than the DDNS name? That will let you know if it's a DDNS issue or port issue.

Doesn't work over external IP. I can, however, access my router via the WAN IP.

 

[ElectronDF]

This is just a guess, but can you be sure that your ISP allows that port to go through to you? I can't VNC on a port I made up, so I had to pick another. I am sure the ISP thought the port was not a normally used port and blocked it. Try using a port number that you know your ISP doesn't block and then find one that will work.

 

[ACBlank]

This is just a guess, but can you be sure that your ISP allows that port to go through to you? I can't VNC on a port I made up, so I had to pick another. I am sure the ISP thought the port was not a normally used port and blocked it. Try using a port number that you know your ISP doesn't block and then find one that will work.

It was working previously, until maybe November. I've been trying to figure it out myself (and with Asustor support, though they've been unhelpful so far). I can access my router using its DDNS on port 8443.

On CanYouSeeMe.org, 8443 is open, but none of the NAS ports are. Changing the port on the NAS doesn't help, nor does turning off the firewall on my router.

I can connect remotely using the EZ-Connect application, but not over DDNS or with the WAN IP, and I can connect locally using the local IP. So I'm not sure where the wall I'm hitting is.

EDIT: Using the port scanner tool at portchecker.co, 21/22 common ports (SSH, FTP, SMTP, etc) are closed - the only open one is port 80. So it seems like a firewall issue somewhere?

EDIT 2: Opening a DMZ to the NAS on the router didn't help. I'm getting a modem upgrade from the ISP tomorrow anyway, so I'll see if that changes anything.

 

[ElectronDF]

Sorry to mention things that too simple, but are you absolutely positive your NAS has same IP as your forward table? (Is it manually assigned?)

 

[ACBlank]

Sorry to mention things that too simple, but are you absolutely positive your NAS has same IP as your forward table? (Is it manually assigned?)

Yeah, it's a manual, static IP.

 

[ACBlank]

Update: No change with the new modem. I made sure to turn off all firewalls before turning off the modem's wifi functionality (since, for whatever reason, I can't change any modem settings once the wifi has been disabled.)

Plugging the NAS directly into the modem didn't help either.