How to Setup NAS4Free BitTorrent Client with OpenVPN TorGuard

This guide was originally contributed by Rick from the TorGuard community. It demonstrates how to configure OpenVPN on NAS4Free (now XigmaNAS) to protect BitTorrent traffic through TorGuard's VPN service.

Overview

This advanced configuration routes all BitTorrent traffic from your NAS4Free/XigmaNAS system through TorGuard VPN, ensuring privacy when downloading torrents. The setup includes firewall rules that force all WAN traffic through the VPN tunnel, preventing any unprotected connections.

Prerequisites

• NAS4Free/XigmaNAS installation with BitTorrent support
• SSH access to your NAS
• Active TorGuard VPN subscription
• Basic command-line knowledge
• Understanding of firewall concepts

Step 1: Prepare the Environment

SSH into your NAS and create the necessary directory structure. This example uses "Media2" as the mount point - adjust to match your setup:

cd /mnt/Media2
mkdir extensions
cd extensions
mkdir var
mkdir usr
mkdir tmp
mount_unionfs -o w /mnt/Media2/extensions/usr/ /usr/
umount -f /var
mount_unionfs -o w /mnt/Media2/extensions/var/ /var/

Step 2: Create Startup Commands

In the NAS4Free/XigmaNAS web interface, navigate to System → Advanced → Command scripts and add this startup command:

mount_unionfs -o w /mnt/Media2/extensions/usr/ /usr/

Remember to replace "Media2" with your actual mount path.

Step 3: Install OpenVPN

setenv PKG_TMPDIR /mnt/Media2/extensions/tmp/
setenv PACKAGESITE "ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/amd64/packages-9-current/Latest/"
pkg_add -rv openvpn

setenv PKG_TMPDIR /mnt/Media2/extensions/tmp/
pkg install openvpn

Step 4: Install Certificates and Config Files

Create the OpenVPN configuration directory:

mkdir /mnt/Media2/extensions/usr/local/etc/openvpn

1. Download TorGuard's OpenVPN configuration files from your client area
2. Extract the files to the OpenVPN directory created above
3. Choose a server configuration file (e.g., "USA-LA.ovpn") and rename it to "openvpn.conf"

Step 5: Test the VPN Connection

Start OpenVPN manually to test the connection:

/usr/local/etc/rc.d/openvpn start /usr/local/etc/openvpn/openvpn.conf

Enter your TorGuard username and password when prompted, then verify the tunnel is up:

ifconfig tun0

You should see output similar to:

tun0: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
    inet 10.8.0.26 --> 10.8.0.25 netmask 0xffffffff
    Opened by PID 2991

Step 6: Configure Firewall Rules

To ensure all traffic goes through the VPN, you need to configure firewall rules. Navigate to Network → Firewall in the web interface.

Step 7: Automate VPN Connection

Install the expect package for automation:

pkg_add -r expect  # For older versions
# or
pkg install expect  # For newer versions

Create an autosignon script in /mnt/Media2/extensions/usr/local/etc/openvpn/autosignon:

#!/usr/local/bin/expect -f
set force_conservative 0
if {$force_conservative} {
    set send_slow {1 .1}
    proc send {ignore arg} {
        sleep .1
        exp_send -s -- $arg
    }
}
spawn openvpn openvpn.conf
match_max 100000
expect -exact "Enter Auth Username:"
send -- "YOUR_TORGUARD_USERNAME\r"
expect -exact "Enter Auth Password:"
send -- "YOUR_TORGUARD_PASSWORD\r"
expect eof

Make the script executable:

chmod +x /mnt/Media2/extensions/usr/local/etc/openvpn/autosignon

Step 8: Add to Startup

In System → Advanced → Command scripts, add:

/mnt/Media2/extensions/usr/local/etc/openvpn/autosignon &

Step 9: Final Testing

Test the complete setup:

1. Stop any running OpenVPN processes: killall -TERM openvpn
2. Run the autosignon script: /mnt/Media2/extensions/usr/local/etc/openvpn/autosignon &
3. Verify the tunnel: ifconfig tun0
4. Test connectivity: ping google.com

Troubleshooting

Modern Alternatives

Useful Commands

# Stop all OpenVPN processes
killall -TERM openvpn

# Check VPN connection
ifconfig tun0

# Stop OpenVPN service
/usr/local/etc/rc.d/openvpn stop

# Check routing table
netstat -rn

# Monitor VPN logs
tail -f /var/log/openvpn.log

For assistance with this advanced configuration or modern alternatives, please contact our support team.