QNAP WireGuard and Its Alternatives: Which Is the Best VPN Software for QNAP NAS

The internet has changed significantly in the past two decades. Internet service providers and bills like Net Neutrality have enabled various companies to track our online activity and use our information. At the same time, we are using more technologies deeply tied to our online activities and exposing personal data.

As far as Network-attached Storage (NAS) users are concerned, their data storage can also be exposed. If you don’t like the idea of someone knowing about your every file transfer and the information you’re storing, you probably want to do something about it.

Anyone using QNAP NAS will be happy to know that WireGuard has made many improvements in its VPN protocols. However, many new options deliver different security measures to ensure your QNAP NAS data is safe.

Part 1. What Is Wireguard & QNAP?

WireGuard VPN has made big waves in the VPN industry. Its protocol has been praised by important programming and tech personalities, including the creator of Linux, Linus Torvalds, who said this VPN is a piece of art compared to other competing solutions.

Many VPNs use the WireGuard protocol because it’s very secure and fast. Many trustworthy reviews showed that this protocol connects and reconnects much faster than other protocols. The cryptographical choices also contribute to security.

QNAP is a company known for its network-attached storage systems. These NAS systems have single or multiple hard drives constantly connected to the web. QNAP NAS devices are commonly used as storage or backup units for storing important media and files like music, videos, photos, documents, etc.

Further reading: How to recover deleted files from QNAP NAS

Part 2. How To Set Up Wireguard on QNAP?

Wireguards is a valuable VPN protocol that’s open-source and relies on User Datagram Protocol for communication. Wireguard enables secure VPN tunneling by using multiple cryptography tools within the protocol.

Step 1: Activate a VPN Server for WireGuard

1. Open QVPN service;
2. Click on VPN Server and then WireGuard;
3. On this page, click on Enable WireGuard VPN server option;

4. Name your VPN server;
5. Generate keypairs;
6. Enter the fixed IP subnet for your server;
7. Add WireGuard port number;
8. Specify the network you want to use (Auto Detect, None, or Manually assign);
9. Click on Add Peer to configure peer settings;

10. Name your peer;
11. Enter your public key generated in WireGuard and click Apply;
12. Click Apply in the WireGuard menu.

Step 2: Set Up DNS Quick Wizard

1. Start QVPN Service;
2. Select your server;
3. Click on DNS Quick Wizard;
4. When the Setting DNS window opens, choose an appropriate DNS option and click Next;

5. Click Apply to apply DNS settings to your VPN server.

Step 3: Create a VPN Client Connection for Wireguard

QVPN Service lets you configure the device as the VPN client to connect to a WireGuard server on another device.

1. Start QVPN service;
2. Click on VPN Client and then on VPN Connection Profiles;
3. When the window opens, click on Add button at the top and select WireGuard;

4. When the Create VPN Connection window opens, configure the VPN (server name, private key, public key, IP address listen port, DNS Server, and peer);

5. Click Create, and QVPN will create a WireGuard VPN client connection.

Part 3. How To Connect WireGuard to Access Data From QNAP NAS

Before connecting WireGuard with your QNAP NAS, you must download and install WireGuard.

Connect WireGuard to QNAP NAS on Windows 10

1. Start WireGuard;
2. Once opened, click on the Add Empty Tunnel button;
3. Once the window opens, click Create new tunnel;

4. Add tunnel settings;

5. Click on Save and then click Activate in the main window;

6. The WireGuard app will establish a tunnel with the VPN server.

Connect WireGuard to QNAP NAS on MacOS

1. Start WireGuard;
2. In the main window, click on the “+” button in the bottom left corner and then Add Empty Tunnel;

3. Configure tunnel settings in the tunnel creation window;

4. Click Save and then Activate in the main window;

5. The WireGuard app will establish a tunnel with the VPN server.

Connect WireGuard to QNAP NAS on Android

1. Start WireGuard
2. Tap on the “+” icon in the bottom right corner;

3. Select CREATE FROM SCRATCH;

4. Configure tunnel settings;

5. Tap ADD PEER;
6. Configure peer settings;

7. Tap on the save icon in the upper right corner;

8. Tap on activate icon in the upper right corner;

9. The WireGuard app will establish a tunnel with the VPN server.

Connect WireGuard to QNAP NAS on iOS

1. Start WireGuard;
2. Tap on the “+” icon in the upper right corner and select Create from scratch;

3. Once the Create WireGuard Tunnel window starts, configure tunnel settings;

4. Configure peer settings;

5. Tap on Save;
6. The WireGuard app will establish a tunnel with the VPN server.

Part 4. 5 Most Popular Alternatives to QNAP WireGuard

Even though WireGuard is one of the best VPNs for QNAP security currently available, there are other options you should consider. WireGuard isn’t perfect, and you might need a different option depending on your needs.

That’s why we’ve decided to compare over 30 other VPNs and narrow the options down to five top QNAP WireGuard alternatives to consider. Here’s what you need to know.

1. OpenVPN

OpenVPN is praised for its security and speed. OpenVPN is also an open-source solution and currently has a reputation as the number one WireGuard alternative for QNAP security. It can go around firewalls, and it’s reliable, functional, and secure.

Configuring OpenVPN manually is a complex task, but today you can connect to this protocol through some of the best VPN providers.

Key features:

Compatibility:

OpenVPN works with Solaris, NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OS X, Android, Windows7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, and all major Linux options.

Pricing:

Speed:

With the base speed of 48 Mbps download and 2.3 Mbps upload along with 8 ms ping, OpenVNP got an average speed of around 40.5 Mbps. The average drop ranges from 10% - 20% when using OpenVPN. The ping increased by an average of 85 ms, which is an incredible number and even lets you play online games.

Rating: 4.7/5

Ease of use:

You can set up OpenVPN manually or automatically. Manual configuration is pretty complex, and compared to WireGuard, it’s much more challenging to use, even though it’s more popular. OpenVPN has a bulky codebase making it more complex for embedded systems.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the most popular options on the market, with a NordLynx tunneling protocol designed for speed. The TheNordLynx protocol is NordVPN’s take on WireGuard’s protocol. It has a verified no-log policy audited by independent parties and guarantees complete anonymity.

It has some of the most intuitive apps full of valuable features making it ideal for both power users and beginners. Still, you can expect some software glitches, especially when updating the software.

Key features:

Compatibility:

NordVPN is compatible with Linux, iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows operating systems.

Pricing:

Speed:

We tested the NordVPN with the NordLynx protocol 48 Mbps base download and recorded a speed loss of 17% on average, or around 41.8 Mbps download speed. The latency increase was measured at 80 ms.

Rating 4.8/5

Ease of use:

NordVPN has user-friendly apps and clients. There are many tutorials on how to set everything up, and customer support can give you further guidance if needed.

3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has higher pricing than other VPNs, and it’s normal to wonder if it’s worth the money. The name says it all: this VPN was designed for speed and delivery. But is there anything else you can expect from this option?

Many people compare it to NordVPN because they are quite similar. However, they’re not the same, and each offers something different. ExpressVPN has the largest server network, with over 3000 servers in around 100 countries.

Key functions:

Compatibility:

ExpressVPN is compatible with Linux, Windows, iOS, Mac, and Android devices.

Pricing:

Speed:

ExpressVPN servers offer consistent speed worldwide. Naturally, you will get slower results if you use servers further away. With our base download speed of 48 Mbps, we lost 10% of the speed when using the local server. What’s truly surprising is that the speed loss was around 20% when choosing servers on the other side of the planet.

Rating: 5/5

Ease of use:

ExpressVPN apps have a consistent, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. All the functionalities and commands are simple to use, and you don’t need computer knowledge to start using ExpressVPN.

4. Tailscale

Tailscale is a self-hosted VPN that lets you create a private network of your own instead of connecting to other services. Even though it’s straightforward to set everything up and start using Tailscale, some important features are missing compared to other VPNs.

There’s no worldwide server network, so you can’t use it to stream from libraries or sites using geoblocking.

Key functions:

Compatibility:

Tailscale is compatible with all major platforms, including Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows. It works with QNAP, Synology, and Raspberry PI & ARM.

Further reading: QNAP vs. Synology

Pricing:

Speed:

Tailscale gives fast transfer, and it doesn’t affect connection performance like other VPNs. All devices are connected with secure tunnels instead of routing traffic through an additional server. Since it’s built on WireGuard protocol, it gives identical speed performance with P2P transfers.

Rating: 4.7/5

Ease of use:

Tailscale requires an SSO device authentication, and after you’ve done that, you can connect your Okta, Microsoft, or Google to your account. Once you’ve done that, you can sign into all devices you’ve connected to your private network using the right SSO.

5. McAfee VPN

McAfee is a known digital security company with various products. Everyone has heard of McAfee antivirus software, but it doesn’t mean their VPN isn’t good. This VPN does lack privacy features since it’s based in the US, and the company is obligated to provide data to the government if requested.

The company has a transparent logging policy describing what information is logged. Privacy aside, this is a quality VPN that could be used for various devices.

Key features:

Compatibility:

McAfee VPN is available for iOS, Android, Chrome OS, and Windows.

Pricing:

Speed:

The Catapult Hydra tunneling protocol offers reliable speed performance. But McAfee uses other tunneling protocols (undisclosed) that contribute to great speed performance. During our test with a baseline speed of 48 Mbps download, we detected a performance loss of 11%, meaning we had a speed of around 43 Mbps. It’s really the best-performing VPN when it comes to speed.

Rating: 4.9/5

Ease of use:

McAfee has two different app versions: a VPN-only app and a full-blown security app. Both are easy to use and navigate; anyone will quickly figure them out. Installing the apps doesn’t require any technical knowledge.

Part 5. Choosing the Right QNAP Security VPN for Your Needs

Choosing a VPN for your QNAP NAS isn’t an easy task, as they all have their strengths and weaknesses and are designed for different use. Here are some of the most important things you need to consider when choosing a VPN for a QNAP NAS:

Editor’s Choice - OpenVPN

After days of testing and comparing these five alternatives, OpenVPN came out on top as the best WireGuard alternative. WireGuard has been used on QNAP devices for a long time, but it’s good to see additional options.

OpenVPN offers the best possible free version you will ever find. It’s also an entirely open-source solution, and you can introduce various customizations independently. There’s a large community around OpenVPN, and learning how to personalize your solution is easy.

NordVPN and QNAP devices work really well and offer fantastic security features. Even though it’s an all-rounded solution with many features, it offers incredible speeds and the best possible security. Let’s face it, VPN use should primarily be about keeping your NAS data safe.

Part 6. Other WireGuard Alternatives for QNAP Security

If you’re interested in more WireGuard and QNAP alternatives, here’s a list of additional tools worth trying. Make sure to learn a bit more about them before trying them out. Here’s our inside scoop.

- Atlas VPN

Atlass VPN has robust encryption suitable for QNAP devices. All the traffic is hidden from cyber criminals, and the tool offers unlimited bandwidth, which is very useful for QNAP users. There’s a free version that lets you learn about the tool.

- CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a less-known QNAP WireGuard alternative, but users can get a dedicated IP for increased privacy. It’s excellent for people that don’t want to share IPs when accessing QNAP data. CyberGhost has over 7000 servers in 90 countries optimized for QNAP use.

- Surfshark

This is one of the best QNAP VPNs for people on a low budget. All of its plans are very affordable, but they feature things like a no-log policy and 256-bit encryption. You can use it with unlimited devices and rely on 24/7 live support.

- IPVanish

IPVanish provides exceptional QNAP VPN encryption since most of its server infrastructure is private. All the servers are regularly updated, meaning you can use the latest QNAP and NAS devices and access data in seconds. All the finals you store on QNAP can be downloaded using shared IP addresses.

- BulletVPN

BulletVPN is one of the fastest VPNs at the moment, and it transfers data quickly from any device to NAS systems. It has a 256-bit AES encryption and works with Android, iOS, Linux, and Windows. It supports IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, and OpenVPN protocols.

- L2TP

Combining IPsec and L2TP protocols gives you the next level of anonymity and privacy. It’s compatible with various operating systems, but it requires customized installation and setup, which not everyone can do.

Conclusion

So what is your top QNAP WireGuard alternative? Did you try any of the options on our list? Feel free to share your experiences and use cases. Here we are all about learning and sharing important information with the QNAP community and helping each other find the best solutions possible.