How to set up my QNAP NAS on two different subnets?

Applicable Products

QTS, QuTS hero

Overview

In multi-network environments—such as when using separate LANs for management and production, or isolated departments—it is often necessary for a single NAS to communicate with devices across different subnets. QNAP NAS models with multiple LAN ports can be configured to operate on two separate networks, enabling cross-subnet access for data sharing, backups, and service availability. This article guides you through the steps needed to achieve this setup effectively.

Scenario

You want your QNAP NAS to be accessible from two different subnets (e.g., 192.168.1.x and 10.0.0.x), but it is currently only reachable from one of these subnets, or you are facing routing issues.

Solution

QNAP NAS supports multi-LAN connections, allowing you to connect it to two different subnets. Follow these steps to correctly configure your NAS:

1. Physically Connect Both Networks:

• Connect LAN1 to the switch/router of Subnet A (e.g., 192.168.1.x).

• Connect LAN2 to the switch/router of Subnet B (e.g., 10.0.0.x).

2. Assign Static IP Addresses to Each LAN Interface:

Assigning static IP addresses to each LAN interface is strongly recommended in multi-subnet environments. You can use DHCP temporarily during testing, but we recommend using static IP addresses for production environment for consistency, routing stability, and avoiding IP addresses conflicts.

Best Practice

Assign manual/static IP addresses to both LAN interfaces within their respective subnets (e.g., 192.168.1.100 on LAN1, 10.0.0.100 on LAN2) and ensure only one default gateway is defined.

• Go to QTS > Control Panel > Network & Virtual Switch.

• Under Interfaces, select LAN1 and assign a static IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100). (For details, see Configuring IPv4 Settings )

• Select LAN2 and assign another static IP address (e.g., 10.0.0.100).
  

3. Verify Routing Between Subnets:

• If devices on Subnet A need to reach the NAS IP address on Subnet B (or vice versa), your router/firewall must support inter-subnet routing.  On many home or small business routers, this may require enabling static routes or VLAN routing.
  
  

4. Disable Interface Service Binding (Optional):

• Go to Control Panel > Network & File Services > Network Access > Service Binding.

• Make sure key services (like SMB, Web, SSH, etc.) are not limited to only one interface, or bind them to both LAN1 and LAN2. By default, NAS services run on all available network interfaces.

5. Test Both Networks:

• From Subnet A, try to access: http://192.168.1.100

• From Subnet B, try to access: http://10.0.0.100

• Use ping or traceroute to verify packet flows between subnets and NAS.

Further Reading

Configuring IPv4 Settings

Enabling Service Binding to manage the network interface connections