Secure Remote Access: LinkStar + Tailscale VPN

Step 1: Download and create an account with Tailscale on your machine.

Step 2: Create NAS.

To create a NAS (Network-Attached Storage), follow these steps:

1. Begin by referring to the guide provided by Seeed Studio https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/OpenWrt-Getting-Started/ for detailed instructions on installing their OS on the LinkStar device. This guide includes information on dependencies, so you don't need to worry about those mentioned in the official OpenWrt documentation.

2. Once you have installed the OS on your LinkStar device, connect a USB pen drive to it. This will serve as your storage for the NAS.

3. Access the NAS settings by navigating to the "NAS" section and then selecting the "Network Shares" tab.

From here, you can configure the network shares and set up access permissions according to your requirements. This will allow you to store and access files on the USB pen drive as a network-shared resource.

When you navigate to the "Network Shares" section, you will find the storage device labeled as NAS. To test it on the local area network, follow these steps:

• Open the File Explorer on your computer.
• Click on the "Map network drive" option.
• In the dialogue box that appears, enter the following path: \IP\sda1

Note: Replace "IP" with the actual IP address of your LinkStar device.

• Click "Finish" to map the network drive.

This will establish a connection to the NAS storage device on your LinkStar device. You can now access and manage files stored on the USB pen drive through the mapped network drive.

Step 3: Make Linkstar as a WiFi Access Point.

To configure Linkstar as a WiFi Access Point, follow these steps:

• Connect your PC to the Linkstar device using an Ethernet cable plugged into the eth1 port.
• Open a web browser and enter the IP address of the Linkstar device in the address bar. This will take you to the Luci web interface.
• In the Luci web interface, navigate to the "Network" section and select "Interfaces".
• Find and click on the "LAN" interface, then click on the "Edit" button.

• In the "Interface Configuration" page, locate the "IPv4 Gateway" field and enter the IP address of your main router (e.g., 192.168.8.1).
• In the "IPv4 Address" field, assign a unique IP address that matches the gateway address, ensuring that no other device on the network is using the same IP (e.g., 192.168.8.123).
• Set the "DNS" field to 8.8.8.8, which is a commonly used public DNS server.
• Scroll down and check the "Ignore interface" option.
• Click the "Save" button to apply the changes.
• After saving, unplug the Ethernet cable from your laptop and connect the Linkstar device and connect it to your main router.
• On your computer, you will notice a new network connection has been added and is now open. You can connect to this network connection.

Step 04: Install tailscale to linkstar.

Tailscale creates a virtual network between hosts. It can be used as a simple mechanism to allow remote administration without port forwarding or even be configured to allow peers in your virtual network to proxy traffic through connected devices as an ad-hoc vpn.

Using Putty vis SSH connect to Linkstar CLI.

Type this

opkg update

then this

opkg install tailscale

After installing Tailscale, run the command below and finish device registration by pasting the given link into a web browser and authenticating via a supported method:

tailscale up

Once registered, device connectivity can be seen by using the “status” command:

tailscale status

In order to get Tailscale to cooperate well with LuCI, you will need to create a new managed interface and firewall zone for tailscale.

1. Create a new unmanaged interface via LuCI: Network → Interfaces → Add new interface

• · Name: tailscale
• · Protocol: Unmanaged
• · Device: tailscale0

2. Create a new firewall zone via LuCI: Network → Firewall → Zones → Add

The interface looks like this.

• Name: tailscale
• Input: ACCEPT (default)
• Output: ACCEPT (default)
• Forward: ACCEPT
• Masquerading: on
• MSS Clamping: on
• Covered networks: tailscale
• Allow forward to destination zones: Ensure that your WAN zone is selected. (Add LAN here as well if you intend to allow hosts in your tailscale network to connect to hosts on your LAN)
• Allow forward from source zones: Select your LAN and/or other internal zones (Leave this blank if you do not want to route LAN traffic to hosts on your tailscale network, e.g a WAN-only exit node)

3. Click Save & Apply

4. Restart tailscale and add the routes you want to advertise to peers using the --advertise-routes option with a comma-separated list of network addresses and CIDRs.

To configure Linkstar as a subnet and enable access to IP cameras, IP printers, and other devices, use the following command:

tailscale up --advertise-routes=192.168.8.0/24

Executing this command will establish the subnet configuration. By specifying the `--advertise-routes` flag followed by the desired subnet (in this case, 192.168.8.0/24), you are instructing Tailscale to advertise routes for that specific subnet.

After running the command, you can check your Tailscale console, where you will find the subnet configuration listed under the machines section. This allows you to access and communicate with devices, such as IP cameras and IP printers, within the specified subnet.

Tap three dots and click edit route setting enable the subnets

To check if your laptop is connected to the Tailscale VPN while using your mobile hotspot as the internet connection, follow these steps:

1. Connect your laptop to your mobile hotspot as the internet source.

2. Ensure that Tailscale is running and connected on your laptop.

3. Open a web browser on your laptop and enter the IP address of the Linkstar gateway. This IP address should be within the same network domain as your linkstar router.

4. By accessing the Linkstar gateway through your browser, you can verify if the subnet routing is functioning correctly. You should be able to access the Linkstar device's configuration interface and manage its settings.

Please note that even though your computer and Linkstar are in different network domains, as long as your laptop is connected to the Tailscale VPN, it should establish a secure connection to the Linkstar device and allow you to access its configuration interface.

Same as you can assess to NAS

Here is demo

You can review some useful links on Seeed Studio wikis.

https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/plex_media_server/

https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/h68k-ha-esphome/

https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/wordpress_linkstar/

Conclusion

The Linkstar router is a versatile device that offers a multitude of functionalities, including the ability to run Docker containers such as Home Assistant, Plex Media Server, and WordPress. With the addition of NAS capabilities, it becomes a centralized storage hub for all your files. Moreover, it enables you to connect office printers, ensuring convenient printing access for the entire team. Additionally, the router supports integration with CCTV systems, enhancing security and surveillance. The real power of the Linkstar router lies in its built-in VPN functionality, providing secure remote access to your network resources from anywhere in the world. This ensures seamless connectivity and peace of mind for small businesses and home users, allowing them to access and manage their data and devices securely. With the Linkstar router, you can enjoy the benefits of a robust networking solution combined with the flexibility and convenience of Docker containers, NAS capabilities, and VPN functionality, all in one compact device.