Updated on: July 23, 2024
Only 3 Steps (Quick + Easy) to Set Up a VPN on QNAP in 2024:
- 1. Sign up for a good QNAP VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN, as it provides industry-leading security and privacy features, and it also has the fastest speeds on the market.
- 2. Manually set up the VPN on your QNAP NAS. It’s best to use an OpenVPN connection since the protocol provides great security. Just download the provider’s OpenVPN server files and create an OpenVPN profile on your QNAP NAS using the QVPN app.
- 3. Connect to the VPN. Use the QVPN Service app to establish a connection to the VPN server you picked. And that’s it — you can now securely share files and streaming videos with your NAS.
Setting up and using a VPN on your QNAP NAS isn’t very difficult. It seems tricky at first, but you actually only need to perform a manual setup that won’t take you more than 15 minutes. I’ve outlined all of the steps you need to take in this quick guide (it should only be a 5-minute read at most).
Finding a good QNAP VPN might be a bit hard, though — that’s mostly because many VPNs don’t provide support materials that show you what you need to do. Also, many VPNs are not suitable to be used with a QNAP NAS because they lack important security features and have slow speeds. But, luckily, all of the VPNs I listed here provide very good customer support, high-end security and privacy, and fast download and streaming speeds. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
What Are the Benefits of Installing a VPN on QNAP?
- Enhanced Security. A VPN encrypts your internet connection. This means that any data you send or receive through your QNAP device, including sensitive documents and photos, are protected from cybercriminals. Even if they were to intercept the data, all they would get is unreadable gibberish.
- Protect Your Privacy. When you connect to a VPN server, your real IP address is hidden behind an IP address owned by your provider, so your online activities can’t be traced back to you.
- Stop ISP Throttling. ISPs may deliberately slow a user’s internet speeds if they’re using “too much” data. A VPN hides your activities from everyone, including your ISP, which prevents them from throttling your QNAP speeds.
- Bypass Geo-restrictions. By connecting to servers in different countries, a VPN can access services or websites that are blocked in your region.
Best VPNs for QNAP in 2024
Quick summary of the best VPNs for QNAP:
- 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for QNAP (industry-leading security & super-fast speeds).
- 🥈2. CyberGhost VPN — Good QNAP VPN with a huge server network for avoiding overcrowded servers.
- 🥉3. NordVPN — Secure VPN with advanced features + fast speeds for all online activities.
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
How to Install a VPN on QNAP (Step-By-Step Guides)
VPNs usually don’t have dedicated apps for QNAP devices, you need to perform a manual setup instead on your QNAP NAS using the QVPN app and the OpenVPN protocol. The setup process isn’t that complicated (and it’s the same for all VPN providers) — just follow the steps below:
1. Get Your VPN’s OpenVPN Configuration Files
The process differs from vendor to vendor, but you’ll normally be able to download the files from your VPN account dashboard — you just have to pick the VPN server location you want to use first, and then download its OpenVPN config files.
If you’re not sure how to do this, just check the provider’s support articles. Alternatively, contact the VPN’s support reps via live chat or email (all the VPNs I recommend in this article have good live chat support).
2. Install QVPN on Your QNAP NAS
Start by logging into QTS as an administrator, then open the App Center. After that, click on the magnifying glass icon and type QVPN in the search box that pops up.
Once the QVPN app shows up in the results, click on Install. Once the installation window appears, pick a volume to install QVPN to, then hit OK. Now, just wait for the installation process to finish (it shouldn’t take more than 2–3 minutes).
3. Set Up the OpenVPN Connection
Open QVPN and head to VPN Client > VPN Connection Profiles. Now, click Add, then select OpenVPN. A File Explorer window will pop up — when that happens, just find the OpenVPN configuration file you downloaded from the VPN provider, then select it and click Open.
You’ll now have to complete several empty fields:
- Profile Name — Type in a name to help you identify this VPN profile.
- Username — Type in your VPN account username.
- Password — Type in your VPN account password.
- Specify the subnet mask — Set this to 255.255.0.
I also recommend enabling this option: Reconnect when the VPN connection is lost. So that you avoid potential traffic leaks if the VPN randomly disconnects.
When you’re done, just hit Create.
4. Connect to the VPN
Open up QVPN Service, then select the VPN profile you previously created. Now, click on Use VPN as NAS Default Gateway. A new window will now open — just toggle the on/off switch to the green on position next to Enable VPN Gateway.
When you’re done, click Apple — QVPN Service will now establish the VPN connection on your QNAP NAS.
5. Test the VPN Connection
To do this, you’ll need to use a third-party torrent IP leak testing tool. There are many such tools online, but I like using Bash.ws the most.
Just open the torrent IP leak testing tool, then copy-paste the torrent link you’re provided with. After that, open Download Station on your QNAP NAS, click the plus icon, and hit Input URL. Now, just paste the torrent link there, then click Next, and finally hit Apply.
Now, go back to the torrent IP leak testing tool, and see which IP addresses show up. The second IP that is displayed needs to be different from the first one — that’s how you know the VPN connection is working.
Tried Installing a VPN on QNAP, But It’s Not Working? Try These Troubleshooting Steps
Upgrade to QTS 5.1
You should make sure you’re using the latest QTS version, which right now is 5.1. Slightly older versions are okay too, like 5.0.1 and 5.0.0. If you’re using a version that’s 4.5.4 or older, you might experience issues. My research shows that QTS versions below version 5.0.0 have trouble establishing VPN connections.
Double-Check the VPN Login Details
It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re inputting your VPN login details when setting up the OpenVPN connection. So, double-check the info you typed in or copy-pasted to make sure it’s the same login you use for your VPN account.
Contact the VPN’s Customer Support
If you still can’t get the VPN to work, I recommend just reaching out to your VPN provider’s support reps. They should be able to troubleshoot your connection to see what might be wrong, and provide you with helpful advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install a VPN on QNAP?
Not directly, as most VPNs don’t have a QNAP app. Instead, you need to manually configure a VPN connection on your QNAP NAS via the OpenVPN protocol, which is much easier than it sounds. Basically, you just need the QVPN app and a VPN’s OpenVPN server configuration files to set up the connection — I recommend using ExpressVPN, as it has servers in 105 countries, excellent security, and super-fast speeds.
Can I use a free VPN on QNAP?
You can try, but I don’t recommend it. While you might be able to set up a free VPN on a QNAP NAS, your experience won’t be that great — many free VPNs lack essential security features, limit data usage, and have very slow speeds. It’s much better to just use a paid premium VPN (like ExpressVPN) instead.
Why isn’t my QNAP VPN working well?
There might be a few reasons why your VPN connection on QNAP is experiencing errors. You might either be running an outdated QTS version (you need to use QTS 5.0.0 or higher), or you might have used the wrong VPN login credentials when setting up the VPN connection.
Why should I use a QNAP VPN?
The main reason to use a QNAP VPN is to secure your traffic — the VPN will encrypt all your QNAP data, making it completely unreadable. Doing that will also prevent internet service providers (ISPs) from throttling your QNAP speeds when you consume too much data.