Raspberry Pi as VPN and network only file server

[RikuoAmero]

So...as the title suggests I've got a Raspberry Pi. Great little thing. I've fiddled around with it already and have gotten used to Linux.

So, my plan is to set it up as a VPN for my own and friend's use, and to act as a NAS to my other two computers.

What I mean is that I want to leave my external hard drives connected to the Pi and have them be accessible to my Win 7 gaming rig and my Ubuntu HTPC. I don't want to be constantly swapping USB cables. Speed is not an issue, I'm a patient guy. Is it possible to have the Pi do both a VPN and a NAS? I've already found a great guide here to set up the VPN, in Raspbian

http://readwrite.com/2014/04/10/raspberry-pi-vpn-tutorial-server-secure-web-browsing#awesm=~oBvYD8BOiTdCQN

I don't care about making the NAS visible to the open internet, I just want the hard drives visible to my other two machines.

All three machines, Pi, gaming rig and HTPC are connected via ethernet cables to an 8port gigabit switch, which is itself connected to the router in the other room via another cable.

 

Any help guys?

Edited July 19, 2014 by RikuoAmero

[undertehker]

I can't remember exactly how I set mine up as a NAS.

I avoided those linux codes by installing Openelec (Pi's version of XBMC) from NOOBS (New Out Of the Box Software).

Edited July 19, 2014 by undertehker

[RikuoAmero]

I can't remember exactly how I set mine up as a NAS.

I avoided those linux codes by installing Openelec (Pi's version of XBMC) from NOOBS (New Out Of the Box Software).

I don't think I'll be using OpenElec. The guide I found for setting up the VPN makes use of Raspbian (the Pi port of Debian). 

[Dae314]

My first instinct for the NAS would be to use NFS.

I don't know how well that will work going to a Windows client, nor do I know whether the Raspbian OS you want to use supports NFS.

If you can get NFS working Linux -> Windows you just have to have everything on the same LAN for things to connect (and firewall between the 2 disabled on the NFS ports). I think NFSv4 uses just TCP2049 but I don't remember all the ports NFSv3 uses.

[RikuoAmero]

My first instinct for the NAS would be to use NFS.

I don't know how well that will work going to a Windows client, nor do I know whether the Raspbian OS you want to use supports NFS.

If you can get NFS working Linux -> Windows you just have to have everything on the same LAN for things to connect (and firewall between the 2 disabled on the NFS ports). I think NFSv4 uses just TCP2049 but I don't remember all the ports NFSv3 uses.

I could just use SSH. I've already used it once, although I'd like it if I could setup SSH only over my home network and not accept any such requests from the internet.

[JohnFlower]

I would install Gentoo and do everything the dumb way. But that's just me.

I don't know if the Raspberry Pi would be powerful enough to run an openvpn instance carrying traffic at, say, 50mbps and also handle sftp transfers, but it should be...

[professa X]

I didn't even know...this is just...mind blowing. Had team member tell me how powerful raspberry pi is but this is enough for me to get into Linux!

[Dae314]

I could just use SSH. I've already used it once, although I'd like it if I could setup SSH only over my home network and not accept any such requests from the internet.

That sounds like an external firewall although I'm sure there's other ways to set that up.

The benefit of NFS is that you should be able to mount the share folders from the Pi on your Windows boxes as drive letters. After that you just treat it like any normal drive.

Not sure what you mean by SSH... SFTP? So you just setup the Pi as an FTP server and store files on there?