How to Access Your UGREEN NAS Remotely: UGREENlink, DDNS, and Tailscale

This guide covers UGREENlink, DDNS, and Tailscale. UGREENlink is the simplest built-in path; DDNS provides direct access but requires carefully scoped public exposure; Tailscale is a third-party private-network option for compatible Docker-capable models.

Quick Answer: UGREENlink or DDNS?

For most home users, UGREENlink is the easiest place to start. It lets you connect from a browser, desktop client or mobile app without manually configuring port forwarding or obtaining a public IP address.

DDNS is the more advanced option. It lets you reach the NAS through your own domain and a direct network connection, but it requires additional network configuration, including router-side port forwarding.

Before You Start

Make sure your UGREEN NASync device is connected to the internet and running a current version of UGOS Pro.

Before enabling remote access, use a strong, unique password for the NAS account you plan to use. 

Method 1: Set Up Remote Access with UGREENlink

UGREENlink is UGREEN's built-in remote access feature. It is designed to let you reach your NAS remotely without manually configuring your router for port forwarding.

Step 1: Open the Remote Access Settings

Sign in to your UGREEN NAS and open Control Panel Device Connection Remote access.

Turn on UGREENlink remote access and follow the on-screen prompt to verify and bind your UGREEN account.

Step 2: Sign In to Your UGREEN Account

Sign in with your UGREEN account. If you do not already have one, use the registration option shown in UGOS Pro and complete the account setup before continuing.

Step 3: Create Your UGREENlink ID

After signing in, enter a custom name in the UGREENlink ID field and select Apply.

Once the ID has been verified, UGOS Pro generates a web access link and a client ID. These are the connection details you can use outside your home network.

How to Access Your UGREEN NAS from a Web Browser

Once UGREENlink is enabled, you can connect from a browser without installing the desktop client.

If your UGREENlink ID is myNAS123, the web address follows this format:

https://ug.link/myNAS123

1. Open a browser on the device you are using away from home.
2. Enter the UGREENlink web address generated by your NAS.
3. Open the address and wait for the UGOS Pro login page.
4. Sign in with the username and password for your NAS account.

Once authenticated, you can access the files and features available to that account.

How to Access Your UGREEN NAS from the Desktop or Mobile App

You can also connect through the UGREEN NAS desktop client or mobile app. If you still need the software, use the official UGREEN NAS Download Center.

1. Open the UGREEN NAS client or app.
2. Enter the UGREENlink ID you created earlier.
3. Enter the credentials requested by the current sign-in flow.
4. Select Login and complete authentication.

After the account is verified, you can access your NAS remotely.

For many users, this is all that is required. If UGREENlink gives you the access you need, there is no reason to add DDNS simply for the sake of having a more advanced setup.

Method 2: Set Up DDNS for Direct Remote NAS Access

UGREEN also supports Dynamic DNS (DDNS). DDNS maps a changing public IP address to a fixed domain name, allowing you to reach the NAS through your own domain.

This method is better suited to users who understand router configuration and the security implications of making a service reachable from the public internet. Because DDNS creates a direct network path to your NAS through your own domain, it also gives you more control over how remote access is configured. Transfer performance can benefit from that direct connection, but actual speeds still depend on factors such as your home internet upload bandwidth, the remote network and your ISP.

Step 1: Check Whether Your Network Supports Direct Access

Before configuring DDNS, check whether your internet connection has a publicly reachable IP address.

Open your router's administration page and note its WAN IP address. Then, from a device connected to the same home network, use a public IP-checking service to find the public IP address currently visible on the internet.

If the two addresses match, your connection is more likely to support direct public access. If they are different, your connection may be behind carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), double NAT or another upstream NAT layer. In that case, conventional port forwarding may not work even when the router rule itself is configured correctly.

If you are unsure, ask your internet service provider whether your connection has a publicly reachable IP address before continuing with DDNS.

Step 2: Prepare Your Domain and DDNS Provider

You will need a domain name and a DDNS provider supported by your current UGOS Pro version. Provider options can change over time, so use the choices shown in the DDNS settings on your NAS rather than relying on an old provider list.

Prepare the domain and any credentials required by that provider. Keep API keys, tokens and other account credentials private.

Step 3: Add DDNS in UGOS Pro

On your UGREEN NAS, open Control Panel > Device Connection > Remote access.

1. Enable DDNS support.
2. Select Add.
3. Choose a supported DDNS provider.
4. Enter the domain and credentials required by that provider.
5. Run the connection test.
6. When the connection succeeds, apply the settings.

Step 4: Reserve a Local IP Address for Your NAS

Your NAS should keep the same address inside your home network. Otherwise, a router restart or DHCP renewal can change the NAS local IP address and break the port-forwarding rule.

Sign in to your router and look for a setting such as:

• DHCP reservation
• Static DHCP
• Address reservation
• IP reservation
• Static lease

Reserve the NAS current local IP address. Router menus vary between manufacturers and firmware versions, so use your router manufacturer's documentation if the wording is different.

Step 5: Configure Port Forwarding

After reserving the NAS local IP address, create only the port-forwarding rule required for your chosen access setup.

A typical rule includes:

• Service name: a recognisable name such as UGREEN NAS
• External port: the port used for incoming internet connections
• Protocol: the protocol required by the service you are exposing
• Internal address: the reserved local IP address of your NAS
• Internal port: the NAS service port the connection should reach

Save and apply the rule in your router. Avoid opening additional ports that you do not need, and do not rely on automatic port mapping simply for convenience.

Step 6: Connect Using Your DDNS Domain

Once DDNS and port forwarding are configured, connect using your domain and the appropriate web service port.

If you have correctly configured HTTPS and its certificate, the address will follow a format such as:

https://your-domain:your-https-port

Plain HTTP does not encrypt the connection and should not be treated as secure internet-facing access. If you are not comfortable configuring DDNS, port forwarding and HTTPS correctly, use UGREENlink instead.

Method 3: Set Up Tailscale for Private Remote NAS Access

Tailscale is a third-party service. There are no router ports to open, and it works behind CGNAT. The supported way to run it is as a Docker container. DH2300 does not support Docker and cannot use this method.

Step 1: Create a Tailscale Account and Generate an Auth Key

1. Sign up at tailscale.com using Google, Microsoft, Apple, GitHub or another supported identity provider.
2. Install the Tailscale app on the device you will connect from (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android or Linux) and sign in with the same account.
3. In the Tailscale admin console, open Settings > Keys and select Generate auth key.
4. Copy the key immediately — it cannot be viewed again after you close the dialog.

Step 2: Install Docker and Create a Folder for Tailscale

• On your UGREEN NAS, open the App Center and install Docker if it is not already installed.
• Then, in Files, create a folder for Tailscale to store its sign-in state. Using the default Docker shared folder, the path is:

/volume1/docker/tailscale/state

Step 3: Create the Tailscale Container

1. Open the Docker app, go to Project, and select Create.
2. Give the project a name such as tailscale, choose the folder you created as its location, and paste the following into the YAML editor:

services:
  tailscale:
    image: tailscale/tailscale:latest
    container_name: tailscale
    hostname: ugreen-nas
    network_mode: host
    environment:
      - TS_AUTHKEY=tskey-auth-XXXXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
      - TS_STATE_DIR=/var/lib/tailscale
      - TS_USERSPACE=false
      - TS_EXTRA_ARGS=--accept-dns=false
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/tailscale/state:/var/lib/tailscale
    devices:
      - /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
    cap_add:
      - net_admin
      - net_raw
    restart: unless-stopped

3. Replace the TS_AUTHKEY value with the key you copied in Step 1, keeping everything else as shown.
4. After filling in the configuration file, click “Deploy”, and the system will automatically pull the image and start the container.

Step 4: Confirm the NAS Has Joined Your Tailnet

• After the container is deployed and running, log in to the Tailscale management console. Check if the NAS appears in the Machines list. If it is displayed, it indicates that Tailscale has been successfully deployed.
• While you are there, open the … menu beside the NAS and select Disable key expiry. Without this, Tailscale asks the NAS to sign in again every 180 days, and a headless NAS has no easy way to do that.
• If the machine does not appear, check the container log in the Docker app. The most common causes are:
  • A mistyped auth key
  • A key that has already been used or has expired
  • A state-folder path that does not exist on the NAS

Step 5: Connect from Your Devices

Make sure Tailscale is running and signed in on the device you are using, then connect exactly as you would on your home network, using the Tailscale address instead of the local IP:

• Web browser: https://100.x.y.z:9443 for UGOS Pro over HTTPS (or http://100.x.y.z:9999 if you have not enabled HTTPS). Replace 100.x.y.z with the NAS Tailscale IP or its MagicDNS name.
• UGREEN NAS desktop client or mobile app: enter the Tailscale IP in the device address field and sign in with your NAS account.
• SMB file sharing: \\100.x.y.z in File Explorer on Windows, or smb://100.x.y.z in Finder on macOS.

Because the connection is already encrypted end to end by Tailscale, a browser warning about the NAS self-signed certificate is not a sign that the connection is exposed. It is still good practice to install a proper certificate if you use HTTPS regularly.

Step 6: Know How to Revoke Access

If a phone or laptop is lost, or you simply want to stop using Tailscale:

• In the Tailscale admin console, open Machines and remove the lost device. It loses access to the NAS immediately.
• To take the NAS off your tailnet, remove ugreen-nas from Machines, then stop and delete the project in the UGOS Pro Docker app.

Note: Tailscale does not replace your NAS password or 2FA. Anyone who reaches the NAS through your tailnet still has to sign in to UGOS Pro, so keep both in place.

UGREENlink or DDNS: Which Should You Use?

Choose UGREENlink if:

• You want the simplest setup
• You do not have a public IP address
• You do not want to configure port forwarding
• You want to connect through a browser or the UGREEN NAS app
• You prefer UGREEN's built-in remote access workflow

Consider DDNS if:

• You want to use your own domain
• Your internet connection supports direct public access
• You understand port forwarding and network security
• You are comfortable managing the extra router and certificate configuration

DDNS is not automatically better because it involves more configuration. Choose it only when its direct-access approach solves a specific need for you.

Remote NAS Access Security Checklist

• Use a strong, unique password. Do not reuse a password from another online account.
• Enable two-factor authentication. Add a second verification step wherever it is available.
• Keep UGOS Pro updated. Install current security and system updates.
• Limit exposure. If you use DDNS, forward only the service you actually need.
• Avoid unnecessary automatic port mapping. Do not open services simply because the router can configure them automatically.
• Use encrypted access. Do not treat plain HTTP as secure remote access over the public internet.

Troubleshooting UGREEN NAS Remote Access

UGREENlink Is Enabled but I Cannot Connect

Check that UGREENlink remote access is still enabled in Control Panel > Device Connection > Remote access, that the UGREENlink ID or web address is correct, that the NAS has an active internet connection, and that you are using the correct account credentials.

My DDNS Domain Does Not Resolve Correctly

Check that your DDNS provider has the current public IP address for your network and that the domain record matches the setup required by your chosen provider.

Port Forwarding Is Configured but the NAS Is Still Unreachable

1. Confirm that the NAS still has the local IP address used by the forwarding rule.
2. Check that the external port does not conflict with another forwarding rule.
3. Check whether the router or NAS firewall is blocking the connection.
4. Confirm that your broadband connection provides a publicly reachable address.

If your connection is behind carrier-grade NAT or double NAT, conventional port forwarding may not work even when the router rule appears correct.

Frequently Asked Questions About Remote Access

Does UGREENlink require port forwarding?

No. UGREENlink is designed to work without manually creating port-forwarding rules on your router.

Does UGREENlink require a public IP address?

No. UGREENlink can provide remote access without requiring you to obtain a public IP address.

Why would I use DDNS instead of UGREENlink?

DDNS is useful when you specifically want to access the NAS through your own domain and are comfortable managing direct network access, router configuration and the additional security requirements involved.

How to test if DDNS is working?

Check whether your DDNS hostname resolves to your current public IP address using a DNS lookup tool or nslookup. Then test the connection from outside your local network, such as over mobile data. If the hostname resolves correctly but you still cannot reach your NAS, check your router, firewall, port settings and whether your ISP uses CGNAT.

Conclusion

If you simply want to reach your NAS when you are away from home, UGREENlink is the most straightforward place to start. DDNS makes more sense when you specifically want direct access through your own domain and are comfortable managing the extra network settings.

Whichever method you use, keep the NAS updated, protect your account with a strong password and 2FA, and expose only the services you actually need.