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qBittorrent with GlueTUN VPN in Container Manager on a Synology NAS

Published by Dr_Frankenstein

Last updated on 22 January 2025

Important or Recent Updates
Historic UpdatesDate
New DSM7.2 Container Manager Update (Beta/RC)26/04/2023
Added watchtower labels to the compose to allow updates and changed the proxies to off by default06/05/2023
Removed the Watchtower ‘Depends On’ Labels as they do not successfully update the GlueTUN container. Added an Exclusion label to the GlueTUN container, so it can just be manually updated.11/05/2023
Update includes: Firewall Input Ports for when your provider offers port forwarding, also a note in relation to volumes and added PUID/PGID settings for GlueTUN14/06/2023
Update for WireGuard Kernel Module Install which reduces overall CPU usage for WireGuard connections
Please note if you previously followed this guide you can follow the new section to update your existing set-up.		21/09/2023
Added Health checks to dependent containers25/09/2023
Added an addition element to the compose to restrict the container from gaining additional privileges and umask environment variable25/10/2023
Updated with new steps to obtain and change WebUI password21/11/2023
Issue with passwords has been fixed in 4.6.2 so removed tty line from yaml29/11/2023
Swapped YAML to use WireGuard by default
(Thanks Bob)
Enhanced the TUN script to only run if the TUN is not detected
(Thanks Andy for the original suggestion)		22/01/2024
Amended the start-up script folders to align with the changes made late November (Apologies)25/01/2024
Added – UPDATER_PERIOD=24h variable in order to ensure the latest server lists for your provider all pulled once a day27/04/2024
Reworded the Port Forwarding section and added a new docker mod for those using ProtonVPN to update the qBit port forwarding (listening port) automatically18/08/2024
NATMAP for Proton removed from the guide as GSP is the better choice now19/08/2024
Adjusted the GSP Mod for Proton (removed un-needed for the addresses)04/12/2024
Added pre-configured settings for AirVPN and Proton VPN including steps to get the details for these providers21/12/2024
General bits of re-write, added generic WireGuard and OpenVPN compose removed the qBittorrent path edits as its no longer required and working via the UI!27/12/2024
Edited the ProtonVPN compose as I had the wrong lines for WireGuard in it, apologies.29/12/2024
– Removed the depends_on for GlueTUN as it’s not required
– Added GSP Mod directly into the ProtonVPN Compose
– Layered in a new section for the upcoming changes to GlueTUN 3.41 Control Server Auth where required.
– General layout and wording tweaks!		07/01/2025
Fixed my inability to copy and paste and moved the GSP mod back to the correct container (I put them in the GlueTUN section sorry!!)14/01/2025
Further GSP mod changes – I think we may have nailed the config!! ready for GlueTUN 1.41
– Removed the volume mount for gluetun/auth
– Removed the GSP_QBT_ADDR variable
– Removed the “quotes” around the GSP_API_KEY		21/01/2025
Historic Updates

WireGuard Kernel Module

What are qBittorrent and GlueTUN?

qBittorrent is a torrent downloader and GlueTUN is the Docker container that has pre-configured VPN connections for numerous VPN providers.

Before you start check the GlueTUN Wiki to see if your provider is on the supported list.

Also, if you are yet to choose a provider have a look at the Reddit list of recommended suppliers as could save you a headache when trying to seed. I currently use AirVPN which has nice easy port forwarding and is P2P friendly. This is my affiliate link if you fancy signing up.

Let’s Begin

In this guide I will take you through the steps to get qBittorrent up and running in Docker and a separate GlueTUN VPN container. By having a separate container for the VPN connection we can use it in the future for other applications.

In order for you to successfully use this guide please complete the three preceding guides

Folder Setup

Let’s start by getting some folders set up for the containers to use. Open up File Station create the following.

Folders
/docker/projects/vpnproject-compose
/docker/gluetun
/docker/qbittorrent


Setting up the TUN start up script

In order for the VPN connection to work we need to make sure the TUN Interface is available to make the connection to a VPN provider. In order to ensure it is available even after a reboot we will set up a small script.

Open up Control Panel and then click on Task Scheduler


Next click on Create, Triggered Task then User Defined Script.


Enter the following:

SectionSetting
Task:VPNTUN
User:root
Event:Boot-up
EnabledTick


On the Task Settings tab copy and paste the code below in the ‘User-Defined script’ section. It will look like screenshot.

Bash
#!/bin/sh -e

insmod /lib/modules/tun.ko


You can now press OK and agree to the warning message. Next run the script which will enable the TUN device.

You can now move on to the next step.

WireGuard Kernel Module (not required for OpenVPN)

The default GlueTUN Wireguard setup uses the ‘Userspace’ implementation of WireGuard which requires higher CPU resources. For example a 40MiB/s download via qBittorrent uses up to 176% in CPU (1.7 Cores) on my 1821+.

By installing the appropriate Kernel Module this reduces down to 1 or 2% which frees up the CPU for other tasks.

Before Module Install
After Module Install

BlackVoid.club have put together a Kernel Module for Synology which allows Gluetun to use the lower level Kernel to perform Wireguard duties make sure you drop them a thanks as this would not be possible without them!

https://www.blackvoid.club/wireguard-spk-for-your-synology-nas/

While on first glances it looks like a long installation process the page details a number of methods. I recommend having a read taking note of warnings and also if you want to build your own module it tells you how.

The TLDR is below.

  1. Find your model of NAS under the correct DSM version section (If you are following this guide it will be 7.2 or above) and download the pre compiled .spk file
  2. Head into Package Center and click ‘Manual Install’ on the top right and install the .spk file and untick the box to run after install
  3. Reboot
  4. SSH Into your NAS (Just like in the User Setup guide) and elevate yourself to root by typing sudo -i and entering your password
  5. Enter this command and press enter to start up the module /var/packages/WireGuard/scripts/start

You should now be able to see the WireGuard package running in Package Center. Please note while I will try my best to support in relation to this module I may have to refer you on if it is a specific technical issue.

On to the next part.

Container Manager Project (aka Docker Compose)

Next we are going to set up a ‘Project’ in Container Manager, a project is used when you want multiple containers to all be loaded together and often rely on each other to function. In our case we want qBittorrent to load and talk to the GlueTUN VPN container.

Open up Container Manager and click on Project then on the right-hand side click ‘Create’

In the next screen we will set up our General Settings, enter the following:

SectionSetting
Project Name:vpn-project
Path:/docker/projects/vpnproject-compose
Source:Create docker-compose.yml


OK we are now going to drop in our Docker Compose configuration (YAML) – You will find some presets below – A basic WireGuard or OpenVPN setup which covers the majority of providers, but I have also provided some standard WireGuard presets for AirVPN and ProtonVPN, select the one that is appropriate for you.

Docker Compose Presets

Standard OpenVPN Preset
Bash
services:
  gluetun:
    image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
    container_name: gluetun
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    devices:
      - /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
    ports:
      - 8888:8888/tcp # HTTP proxy
      - 8388:8388/tcp # Shadowsocks
      - 8388:8388/udp # Shadowsocks
      - 8090:8090/tcp # port for qbittorrent
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/gluetun:/gluetun
    environment:
      - PUID=1234 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_UID
      - PGID=65432 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_GID
      - TZ=Europe/London #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_TZ
      - VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=NAMEOFYOURPROVIDER
      - VPN_TYPE=openvpn
      - OPENVPN_USER=abc
      - OPENVPN_PASSWORD=abc
      - SERVER_COUNTRIES=VPNSERVERCOUNTRY #Change based on the Wiki
      - HTTPPROXY=off #change to on if you wish to enable
      - SHADOWSOCKS=off #change to on if you wish to enable
      - FIREWALL_OUTBOUND_SUBNETS=172.20.0.0/16,192.168.0.0/24
#      - FIREWALL_VPN_INPUT_PORTS=12345
      - UPDATER_PERIOD=24h
    network_mode: synobridge
    labels:
      - com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=false
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    restart: always
    
  qbittorrent:
    image: linuxserver/qbittorrent:latest
    container_name: qbittorrent
    environment:
      - PUID=1234 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_UID
      - PGID=65432 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_GID
      - TZ=Europe/London #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_TZ
      - WEBUI_PORT=8090
      - UMASK=022
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/qbittorrent:/config
      - /volume1/data/torrents:/data/torrents
    network_mode: service:gluetun # run on the vpn network
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    restart: always
Standard WireGuard Preset
Bash
services:
  gluetun:
    image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
    container_name: gluetun
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    devices:
      - /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
    ports:
      - 8888:8888/tcp # HTTP proxy
      - 8388:8388/tcp # Shadowsocks
      - 8388:8388/udp # Shadowsocks
      - 8090:8090/tcp # port for qbittorrent
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/gluetun:/gluetun
    environment:
      - PUID=1234 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_UID
      - PGID=65432 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_GID
      - TZ=Europe/London #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_TZ
      - VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=NAMEOFYOURPROVIDER
      - VPN_TYPE=wireguard
      - WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY=YOUR-PRIVATE-KEY
      - WIREGUARD_PRESHARED_KEY
      - WIREGUARD_ADDRESSES=10.x.x.x
      - SERVER_COUNTRIES=VPNSERVERCOUNTRY #Change based on the Wiki
      - HTTPPROXY=off #change to on if you wish to enable
      - SHADOWSOCKS=off #change to on if you wish to enable
      - FIREWALL_OUTBOUND_SUBNETS=172.20.0.0/16,192.168.0.0/24
#      - FIREWALL_VPN_INPUT_PORTS=12345
      - UPDATER_PERIOD=24h
    network_mode: synobridge
    labels:
      - com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=false
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    restart: always
    
  qbittorrent:
    image: linuxserver/qbittorrent:latest
    container_name: qbittorrent
    environment:
      - PUID=1234 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_UID
      - PGID=65432 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_GID
      - TZ=Europe/London #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_TZ
      - WEBUI_PORT=8090
      - UMASK=022
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/qbittorrent:/config
      - /volume1/data/torrents:/data/torrents
    network_mode: service:gluetun # run on the vpn network
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    restart: always
AirVPN WireGuard Preset

How to obtain your Wireguard Details from AirVPN

  • Login to your AirVPN account and go to the Client Area
  • Click on VPN Devices and create a new device named GlueTUN (you can name this anything)
  • Back in the Client Area select Config Generator and select the following
    • Linux
    • Turn on WireGuard
    • Choose the newly created GlueTUN device
    • Select your preferred Server or Region
  • Click Generate and download the config file.

From the downloaded config file use the follow parts and populate them into the compose below.

  • Address = 10.141.x.x/32 #Nothing after this part
  • PrivateKey = uFdxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • PresharedKey = 4s2xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In addition, there are some extra variables you can add to tell GlueTUN to use a specific Country, Region, Server etc. See this on the GlueTUN wiki and add based on your preferences.

Next you will want to set up port forwarding, so back in the Client Area, select Manage Ports and request a random port ensuring you turn on P2P and then assign the port to your GlueTUN device.

You will now enter this port number into the section of the compose labelled Firewall Input Ports, make a note of this port number as you will set it as the Listening Port for the torrent client during its setup process. You can now continue with the guide to make the other general edit.

YAML
services:
  gluetun:
    image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
    container_name: gluetun
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    devices:
      - /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
    ports:
      - 8888:8888/tcp # HTTP proxy
      - 8388:8388/tcp # Shadowsocks
      - 8388:8388/udp # Shadowsocks
      - 8090:8090/tcp # port for qbittorrent
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/gluetun:/gluetun
    environment:
      - VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=airvpn
      - VPN_TYPE=wireguard
      - WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY=
      - WIREGUARD_PRESHARED_KEY=
      - WIREGUARD_ADDRESSES=
      - TZ=Europe/London
      - PUID=1234
      - PGID=65432
      - HTTPPROXY=off
      - SHADOWSOCKS=off
      - FIREWALL_OUTBOUND_SUBNETS=172.20.0.0/16,192.168.0.0/24
      - FIREWALL_VPN_INPUT_PORTS=12345
      - UPDATER_PERIOD=24h
    network_mode: synobridge
    labels:
      - com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=false
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    restart: always

  qbittorrent:
    image: linuxserver/qbittorrent:latest
    container_name: qbittorrent
    environment:
      - PUID=1234 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_UID
      - PGID=65432 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_GID
      - TZ=Europe/London #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_TZ
      - WEBUI_PORT=8090
      - UMASK=022
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/qbittorrent:/config
      - /volume1/data/torrents:/data/torrents
    network_mode: service:gluetun # run on the vpn network
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    restart: always
ProtonVPN WireGuard Preset

This is the correct setup for using Proton VPN it makes use of the ‘custom’ compose in order to use WireGuard and also the correct port forwarding settings.

Thanks to Geebru on Discord for the settings and screenshots

  1. Use any name you like
  2. Select GNU/Linux
  3. Turn on the following
    • Block malware only
    • Moderate NAT
    • NAT-PMP (Port Forwarding)
    • VPN Accelerator
  4. Select a server that is physcially close to you and low usage
    • Ensure its a P2P server (double left and right arrows)

You can then layer in the WireGuard details it provides you into the compose below.

(Note Proton Wireguard keys expire after 12 months so you will need to renew them after that period of time)

YAML
services:
  gluetun:
    image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
    container_name: gluetun
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    devices:
      - /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
    ports:
      - 8888:8888/tcp # HTTP proxy
      - 8388:8388/tcp # Shadowsocks
      - 8388:8388/udp # Shadowsocks
      - 8090:8090/tcp # port for qbittorrent
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/gluetun:/gluetun
    environment:
      - PUID=1234 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_UID
      - PGID=65432 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_GID
      - TZ=Europe/London #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_TZ
      - VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=custom
      - VPN_TYPE=wireguard
      - WIREGUARD_ENDPOINT_IP=xxx.xx.xx.xx
      - WIREGUARD_ENDPOINT_PORT=51820
      - WIREGUARD_PUBLIC_KEY=
      - WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY=
      - WIREGUARD_ADDRESSES=xx.x.x.x/32
      - VPN_PORT_FORWARDING=on
      - VPN_PORT_FORWARDING_PROVIDER=protonvpn
      - HTTPPROXY=off
      - SHADOWSOCKS=off
      - FIREWALL_OUTBOUND_SUBNETS=172.20.0.0/16,192.168.4.0/24
      - UPDATER_PERIOD=24h
    network_mode: synobridge
    labels:
      - com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=false
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    restart: always
      
  qbittorrent:
    image: linuxserver/qbittorrent:latest
    container_name: qbittorrent
    environment:
      - PUID=1234 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_UID
      - PGID=65432 #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_GID
      - TZ=Europe/London #CHANGE_TO_YOUR_TZ
      - WEBUI_PORT=8090
      - UMASK=022
      - DOCKER_MODS=ghcr.io/t-anc/gsp-qbittorent-gluetun-sync-port-mod:main #GSP MOD SEE STEPS
      - GSP_GTN_API_KEY= #GSP MOD SEE STEPS
      - GSP_SLEEP=120 #GSP MOD SEE STEPS
      - GSP_MINIMAL_LOGS=false #GSP MOD SEE STEPS
      - GSP_QBT_USERNAME= #GSP MOD SEE STEPS
      - GSP_QBT_PASSWORD= #GSP MOD SEE STEPS
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/qbittorrent:/config
      - /volume1/data/torrents:/data/torrents
    network_mode: service:gluetun # run on the vpn network
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    restart: always

Proton VPN Port Forwarding Extra Steps

Previously the GSP Mod was in the FAQ, it is now part of this compose as it makes sense to just include it in your setup otherwise you are missing out on the Port Forwarding proton provides.

Lets do a few extra steps to get it running this won’t take long!

GlueTUN Control Server

As of version 3.41 of GlueTUN the control server requires authentication to access it and send commands, so we need to set up a config file to ensure GSP can query the available ports.

Create a new folder /docker/gluetun/auth and then using a text editor create a file named config.toml within that path.

config.toml
[[roles]]
name = "t-anc/GSP-Qbittorent-Gluetun-sync-port-mod"
routes = ["GET /v1/openvpn/portforwarded"]
auth = "apikey"
# This is an example, generate your own. See bellow.
apikey = "place key between quotes"

The only edit required is the apikey variable to obtain one we need to issue a command via SSH to GlueTUN, so log in to your NAS and then enter the command below (It will download the latest GlueTUN image for you) copy the key that is provided by GlueTUN into the file between the double quotes and save it.

YAML
sudo docker run --rm qmcgaw/gluetun genkey

Keep hold of the key for a few more minutes as we need it again for the compose

GSP : Qbittorrent – Gluetun synchronised port mod

The following environment variables need to be edited to ensure the mod functions, I recommend getting GlueTUN started up before coming back and editing these as you need some items that are only available after first set up.

VariableSetting
GSP_GTN_API_KEYThis is the same key we placed in the config.toml above
GSP_SLEEPThis defines how often to check for a newly assigned port the default is 120 seconds
GSP_MINIMAL_LOGSWe default this to FALSE in order to see that the mod is working, however you can change to TRUE after setup is confirmed as working correctly
GSP_QBT_USERNAMEYour qBittorrent username
GSP_QBT_PASSWORDYour qBittorrent password (if you have special characters in the password use “doublequotes” around the password)

Note: you will need to circle back and update the username and password for qBittorrent after the first setup.

Once you have configured the above you should be set and the mod will be updating your port directly into qBittorrent when it changes.

Carry on with the rest of the guide..


Docker Compose General Edits

IDs and Timezone

First look for the lines below, they appear twice each, these control the containers access to our filesystem and also the user the containers run as.

VariableValue
PUID(required) The UID you obtained in the user setup guide
PGID(required) The GID you obtained in the user setup guide
TZ(required) Your timezone wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones

Ports and Proxies

In the top Gluetun section you will notice that we have some additional ports assigned for a http proxy and Shadowsocks Proxy – this means you can direct traffic from other devices or applications on your network through the container! If you want to use these change the following.

VariableValue
HTTPPROXYoff (default) on (enabled)
SHADOWSOCKSoff (default) on (enabled)

Firewall Outbound Subnet

This section controls your ability to access the UIs of any containers running through the GlueTUN containers network.

Default Value
      - FIREWALL_OUTBOUND_SUBNETS=172.20.0.0/16,192.168.0.0/24

The first part ‘172.20.0.0/16’ don’t edit as this is our ‘synobridge’ network and allows other containers such as Radarr to access the download client.

We need to change the second IP after the comma this allows us to access the WebUI and containers via out local network.

This IP address (subnet) is easy to figure out. If you NAS IP is 192.168.0.27 your subnet is 192.168.0.0/24 (notice I just changed the last number before the /24 to 0)

Firewall Input Ports (Port Forwarding)

This line is #commented out by default, if your VPN provider offers port forwarding remove the # from the start of the line and change the port number(s) in line with the ones provided to you. Make sure you also manually update the ‘Listening Port’ in qbit once you are running.

Default Value
      - FIREWALL_VPN_INPUT_PORTS=12345,56789

Volumes

By default, I have assumed you have your config files stored on /volume1 if these are located on another volume amend these lines accordingly.

Default Value
      - /volume1/docker/gluetun:/gluetun
      - /volume1/docker/qbittorrent:/config
      - /volume1/data/torrents:/data/torrents

Watchtower Exclusion

You don’t need to change this, I added a label to avoid Watchtower automatically updating the GlueTUN container as it will always break the overall project which can be inconvenient if you are not around to fix it. You can update the container using the mini guide on the left menu of the site.

Default Value
    labels:
      - com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=false


Docker Compose – Provider Specific Edits

This next bit is important and if you don’t pay attention to the details you will have a harder time connecting up to your VPN provider, if you used the pre-configured settings for AirVPN or ProtonVPN skip this section.

Open up the GlueTun Wiki and in the list find your provider.

Let’s use AirVPN as our example.

On the page you will see a number of key sections highlighting the variables that work with AirVPN.

Note ignore the ‘docker run’ code it’s not relevant for what we are doing.

Read the compose section and make note of what is shown for either WireGuard or OpenVPN dependent on what you are using to connect and then make the same amendments to the compose you copied earlier.

Key differences are generally the SERVER_COUNTRIES / SERVER_CITIES or what keys are required and IP addresses etc.

I have provided some common defaults in the compose for you, but you need to amend them in line with your providers page.

If your provider is not supported, you can make a request on GitHub to add it, or you can follow the custom providers guidance on GlueTUNs WIKI.

Once you have checked for your provider, make the appropriate edits to the compose accordingly.

That completes the edits to the compose!

Click ‘Next’

You do not need to enable anything on the ‘Web portal settings’ screen click ‘Next’ again

On the final screen click Done which will begin the download of the container images and once downloaded they will be launched!

The images will now be downloaded and extracted. You should see ‘Code 0’ when it has finished.

You will now see your vpn-project running both containers should have a green status on the left-hand side.

Firewall Exceptions

(Skip if you don’t have the Firewall configured)

If you have the Synology Firewall enabled please see this additional guide for further info on exceptions and correct set up.

Final qBittorrent Setup

Changing the default WebUI login and password

If you skip this step you won’t be able to log in.

Now the container has started open it in the Docker UI and go to the Log tab. Within the logs you will see the login details

Now before doing any more of the guide go to the Web UI by going to the IP of your NAS followed by port 8090 and log in. Then on the WebUI tab change the defaults to your own and save them.

qBittorrent 4.6.x screenshot (v5 will be updated once more people move it it)

As we have used /data/torrents as the mount point for our downloads we need to make sure qBittorrent uses this same file path. Open the settings and edit the following paths and save.

OptionOriginal ValueNew Value
Default Save Path/downloads/data/torrents/completed
Keep incomplete torrents in/downloads/incomplete/data/torrents/incoming
Monitored Folder (optional)blank/data/torrents/watch

qBittorrent 4.6.x screenshot (v5 will be updated once more people move it it)

In prior versions of this guide I had a command to unzip RAR and ZIP files, I have removed this as it is not reliable, check out Unpackerr from the menu.

Advanced Network Settings (Use the TUN Device)

The last step is to tell qBittorrent to only use the tun0 interface for its traffic, go to the Advanced tab then from the ‘Network Interfaces’ drop down select ‘tun0’ and click Apply, If this doesn’t appear the first time you may need to completely reboot your NAS.

qBittorrent 4.6.x screenshot (v5 will be updated once more people move it it)

I am not going to walk through all the other settings as you can customise these as you wish.

That’s it you are completely set up, you can now start up the Project again from the ‘Project’ tab.

I recommend having a quick read through the FAQ as it covers some questions you may have!

FAQs

Q: My GlueTUN is unhealthy what can I do?

A: The GlueTUN logs should be your first point of call, they will tell you if you have key issues with the configuration that are sometimes easily remedied. If you are still stuck leave a comment on this post, include the contents of your compose and also the log file (Use my PrivateBin https://paste.drfrankenstein.co.uk) remove passwords or WireGuard keys!

Or Join Discord for some more immediate help..

Q: How can I update the GlueTUN containers?

A: See the Updating Containers section on the menu.

Q: How can I be sure the VPN connection is working?

A: Go to the TorGuard Check My Torrent IP site, right-click on the Green banner and copy the link (it’s a Magnet link) Then add this link into qBittorrent and start the torrent. Keeping the site open after a few seconds the site will show the IP address of the connection it finds. This will be of the VPN provider not your home IP. (Please note the torrent doesn’t actually download anything it’s purely doing an IP check)

Q: I am getting the ‘errored’ status for all my torrents

This is very likely a permissions issue, go to the User and Group guide and see the permission fixes towards the bottom.

Q: Everything seems to be connected but nothing is downloading.

Try grabbing the Ubuntu torrent as that is a sure fire way of testing as generally it has over 3k seeds.

Are you using TorGuard – If so they block torrents on their US servers. Change to another country – Also while you are at it, you may need to configure port forwarding in your TorGuard account.

Q: My container doesn’t seem to start on a reboot even with the TUN script.

A: I have seen this a few times and usually relates to the VPN not completing its connection fast enough before containers using the VPN start. You can try setting an additional startup script by doing the following.

Head into Control Panel and go to Task Scheduler Click Create > Triggered Task > User Defined Task

SectionSetting
Task NameDockerVPNBootUp
UserRoot
EventBoot Up
Pre TaskSelect the VPNTUN script from the drop-down that you created at the start of the guide

In the ‘Task Settings’ tab enter the following and then click Save

Bash
sleep 120
docker-compose -f /volume1/docker/projects/vpnproject-compose/compose.yaml down 
wait
docker-compose -f /volume1/docker/projects/vpnproject-compose/compose.yaml up -d

Once added Save and Container Manager will rebuild the project with the mod enabled, you will see it working in the qBittorrent containers log.

Q: I tried to start Deluge / qBittorrent manually, and it says ‘Container must join at least one network’

A: This is due to the Synology Container Manager GUI not understanding that the container will be on the GlueTUN ‘network’. You will need to start the container via the Project as it is part of the overall Project compose.

Q: How can I add additional services to the VPN container?

See some of my other GlueTUN related guides as they show the steps required to add other containers to GlueTUN

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Published inDockerDownload Tools 7.2Synology

741 Comments

  1. Ed Ed

    Hey! Amazing guide, I’ve used it myself and recommended it to others. I set this up almost 2 years ago and its been working smooth up until a couple of days ago. I got hit with this error on the qbit container: “cannot join network of a non running container” I assume this has to do with gluetun? Gluetun is indeed running, so I’m wondering if an update broke that connection. Any ideas on where to start?

    # 15 December 2024 Reply
    • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

      Hey – are you still using the docker compose commands to start your setup up.. if so you need to run the docker compose in order for both containers to start up together successfully. Otherwise, Container Manager doesn’t understand how the two link..

      # 15 December 2024 Reply
      • Ed Ed

        Perhaps? Its been some time since I’ve looked at this. Can you point me to where I should look?

        # 24 December 2024 Reply
        • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

          If you followed the older guide from 2 years back you likely are using docker compose and running the start-up of the containers via a command using SSH or you may have set up a script on Start Up in the Schedule Tasks in Control Panel. Or if it’s a bit more recent than 2 years, you will have a project setup as per the top of this guide. Have a look for a docker-compose.yaml in your docker folder with the information in it.

          # 26 December 2024 Reply
          • Ed Ed

            Hello again!

            Sorry for the super long delay here, finally getting a chance to get around to this. I don’t have a docker-compose.yaml file, but I do have a .yaml file for the VPN. I just checked when I worked on this last and it was Feb of 2023.

            Appreciate your help here again.

            # 27 January 2025 Reply
            • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

              No worries – In you are using Container Manager I would transition to the latest method at this point. Feel free to drop your compose in a reply and I can edit it for you, but then for you to follow this latest guide to get it running again.

              https://paste.drfrankenstein.co.uk (remove any passwords)

              # 29 January 2025 Reply
  2. Clay Clay

    Hi! Setting up my 423+, which is my first ever NAS. Your guide here has been amazing. I’m getting stuck with the build part of the vpn-project. I ‘think’ I did everything correctly, but when it tries to build I get an error: “The container name “/qbittorrent” is already in use by container “61dfce…..”. You have to remove (or rename) that container to be able to reuse that name.

    What could be the problem? thanks in advance!

    # 8 December 2024 Reply
    • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

      Hi do you already have qbit up and running separately at all. If so check in the list of containers in Container Manager and just delete the other one then it should let you start up the Project.

      # 8 December 2024 Reply
  3. Danny B Danny B

    “/dev/net/tun”: No such file or directory

    Currently trying to sort through why this might not be present on my Synology 920+

    # 7 December 2024 Reply
    • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

      Hey Danny – Once you set up the initial TUN script you may need to do a reboot for it to become available.

      # 7 December 2024 Reply
  4. JAKE JAKE

    Hello Doctor,

    I have made it most of the way through the tutorial, even to the point of building the container. It looks like Gluetun has been pulled and created successfully but the add-on is having issues.

    I am getting the error response “conflicting options: port publishing and container type network mode”

    The add-on container I am using is Overseerr because I have already built qBittorrent successfully outside the VPN container and I don’t want to mess it up unless I am confident it will work under Gluetun so this first container build is a test.

    I have successfully built Overseerr before, outside VPN, but I live in China behind the Great Firewall so I can’t really use it because of the blocks (I can see the web UI but it doesn’t load any content). So I thought Overseerr would be the perfect test case for Gluetun.

    I stopped the existing Overseer container before building this Gluetun stack. I cleaned the project and deleted the unused image. I created separate config folders for “overseerr-vpn” and wrote that into the .yaml file so there wouldn’t be any conflict. After the error response, I also tried assigning the new Overseer container other ports such as 5056 and made sure it was noted in both the Gluetun and Overseerr environments. And the network mode is quite simple, “service:gluetun…” (identical to every tutorial you have written), so I don’t even know where to begin to troubleshoot that. But the error remains.

    Do you have any ideas where my mistake may be? Is it because I have already run Overseerr in Container Manager?

    # 7 December 2024 Reply
      • Jake Jake

        Thank you so much for the reply. I think this might have fixed the Overseer side of the issue so I really appreciate it!

        Now it has revealed that there’s a problem with the gluetun custom provider information that I’ll have to figure out. I want to use the vpn provider i already subscribe to so I’ve prepared their wireguard configuration to input. I know this issue is a little too specific so no need to follow up about it. I’ll keep grinding at it and look for the right tree to bark up for help. I really appreciate all these guides and your engagement with everyone to help out so thank you again!

        # 10 December 2024 Reply
        • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

          Are you using Proton as I can give you a pre-set compose, we have just been talking/thinking about have some pre done compose for the top providers in the guides to save people the headache as Proton is a custom one if you use Wireguard

          # 10 December 2024 Reply
          • Jake Jake

            I have a Proton free account for the purpose of trying to get this up and running but I saw that the port forwarding feature is not included in the free account.

            So my hope was to get a custom provider set up for my day-to-day VPN I already pay for, Astrill. I downloaded their wireguard config and followed the Gluetun custom provider format to the best of my ability but got an error with the wrieguard endpoint IP. Astrill gave me an address with a weird format (“xxx#.wg.xxx###.net:portnumber” with x’s being letters and #’s being numbers) and I’m assuming Gluetun wants an ipv4 address format. I’m not sure how to get it to fit in with what Gluetun wants so I plan to ask on reddit and see if anyone else has used astrill with Gluetun.

            Here is the YAML I unsuccessfully used, based on the Gluetun custom instructions and the docker composes you have provided: https://paste.drfrankenstein.co.uk/?9e71ca59f0c47d6b#DhUYyqHw8w4xsSKcwW52MZUV2cTBdrXQgqG9a4YbkApY

            # 12 December 2024 Reply
            • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

              Hey Jake – Yeah Gluetun will want an IPv4 address do they give you any other IPs at all? It might be worth asking them as generally the address is the same one for all users. Also, some providers may not supply all the keys as they just require one etc so could mean you can remove some lines – Of the items in the yaml which ones have you got from the config file.. happy to have a look if you just strip out the keys..

              # 12 December 2024 Reply
  5. Ritchi Ritchi

    Hey admin I’m owner of a DS 920+ and I’m very happy to have discovered your site, so many useful resources for our lovely synology 🙂

    I followed step by step your different guides 1 to 3 to properly configure my docker, I’ve also set up a tailscale network and I see that you mention a special Wireguard Kernel module for this application.

    Does this also apply to tailscale?

    # 5 December 2024 Reply
    • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

      I suspect Tailscale is also using the Userspace version of Wireguard however I am not sure if their package looks for a kernel implementation on a Synology as none of them have it built in natively, so it certainly doesn’t hurt to have it installed I am not sure if its using it.

      # 5 December 2024 Reply
      • Siim Siim

        Hi! Thanks for your work. I have an older RS816 which doesn’t seem to support either Container Manager nor Docker. Is there any way how I still could get qBit and AirVPN on my NAS?

        # 5 December 2024 Reply
        • Dr_Frankenstein Dr_Frankenstein

          Hi Slim – You can install qbit via the community apps – And then use the built in DSM VPN connection manager within the Control Panel > Network > Create.. Just keep in mind that this wont feature a ‘kill switch’ so if the vpn drops you could expose qbit to you real IP

          https://synocommunity.com/

          # 5 December 2024 Reply

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