NetBird - WireGuard based VPN

[timka]

@DanTheMan said in NetBird - WireGuard based VPN:

Because there's a interest for a write up about my experience with Netbird, i shall try to write something about it here in the forum in the upcoming time.
I never did a write up before, so a bit challenging but also fun and exciting to do for me

Looking forward to it, if you like some kind (if!) of feedback, write me

[DanTheMan]

@timka Thanks!! i appreciate that

[marcusquinn]

Firezone looked like the most versatile and user-friendly of the bunch when I looked into this:

• https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/7567/firezone-foss-noconf-mesh-vpn-using-wireguard-alternative-to-zerotier-tailscale-omniedge-netmaker-etc

[girish]

@DanTheMan thanks for the great writeup. I think it deserves a totally different post of it's own for the sake of keeping comments. So, I have moved it to https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/11158/netbird-installation-and-my-experience .

[Adhok]

@DanTheMan thanks for your amazing post.

I do not understand a thing. Is there a way to use Netbird on a cloudron app ?

[DanTheMan]

@Adhok Good question actually, but i haven't tried that one. Since i only use Netbird client on Cloudron to run backups from Cloudron to my homelab.

[stevespaw]

Coming from Zerotier _ I any really digging Netbird - Super easy setup and now have "networks" which we had on Zerotier. Running on their host now, but would love to have our own server on Cloudron. This is much more powerful than the basic wireguard in the VPN app. Please?

[marcusquinn]

@stevespaw Agreed!

[visamp]

I'd love to see this on cloudron to connect TrueNAS as a back up.

[stevespaw]

OK now is the time - support for multiple OIDC-compatible identity providers simultaneously.
@girish and team - This would be great!
https://netbird.io/knowledge-hub/local-users-simplified-idp
Built-in user management - Create users directly from the Dashboard using the embedded Dex server—no external IdP required. Secure by default with bcrypt-hashed passwords and AES-256-GCM encryption
Simplified deployment - Reduced from 7+ containers down to just 5. No separate database for the IdP, no extra containers to maintain. The quickstart script handles everything automatically—from container deployment to reverse proxy configuration
Interactive setup wizard - When you first access the Dashboard, a setup wizard guides you through creating your admin account. That's it—you're done
Easy external IdP integration - Connect multiple SSO providers simultaneously (Google, Microsoft, Okta, Keycloak, etc.) directly from the Dashboard. No config files to edit, no service restarts. Optional JWT group sync automatically provisions groups from your IdP

[marcusquinn]

I posted this in 2022:

• https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/7571/netbird-foss-noconf-mesh-vpn-using-wireguard-alternative-to-zerotier-tailscale-omniedge-netmaker-etc?_=1767395599838

along with other mesh vpn threads worth reading:

• https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/4793/netmaker-manage-wireguard-networks
• https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/7567/firezone-foss-noconf-mesh-vpn-using-wireguard-alternative-to-zerotier-tailscale-omniedge-netmaker-etc
• https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/7560/omniedge-decentralised-noconf-mesh-vpn-using-wireguard-alternative-to-zerotier-tailscale-etc
• https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/7563/tailscale-decentralised-noconf-mesh-vpn-using-wireguard-alternative-to-zerotier-etc

[timconsidine]

I also like Netbird, I have a server running on a non-Cloudron VPS, connecting devices to each other when needed, and making an in-house box available to selected people in external organisations.

"Netbird on Cloudron" can mean :

• use an app on Cloudron to act as 'server'
• install the Netbird client at Cloudron VPS command line (not an app - outside of Cloudron platform), so Cloudron box is on the Netbird network, but no Cloudron app needed. I'd tend towards this if it viable, but my network routing knowledge is poor.

Are peeps here thinking about it a different way ?

[marcusquinn]

@timconsidine did you have any luck with this? I made some updates since you last tried. Happy to add you as a maintainer to the repo if you want.

[timconsidine]

@marcusquinn you know what, I'd forgotten that I had started looking at this ! Goldfish ! Might have a look this weekend.

[timconsidine]

Small update : although fearful of breaking my production Cloudron, I installed the Netbird client on the box (via command line outside the Cloudron environment - sorry Cloudron team).
Did netbird up -m <separate VPS running management server> -k <netbird key>.
Worked flawlessly.
On management server, added my Cooudron netbird peer into my private network.
Now apps on Cloudron can reach my laptop, and vice versa, via private network.

Specifically a Cloudron app can use Ollama on my laptop running a private model to benefit from Mac Silicon "nearly-gpu-like" performance.
My Cloudron Ollama can't properly run the model because it is CPU only.
Cloudron Ollama running local model on CPU runs at ~6 tokens, or lower.
Mac Ollama private local model achieves ~40 tokens/second.
Not as good as on-demand GPU instance at 80-150 t/s or running an ollama:cloud model also at 80-150 t/s (model dependent).
But 40 t/s is not too shabby and and is viable performance without the cost of an always-on or on-demand GPU.

So getting Netbird management server on Cloudron would definitely be a good thing. Shall try to pick that up shortly.

[stevespaw]

I have been running Netbird for some time now in a non-Cloudron. It is now very easy and awesome. Cloudron would bring a unified user management experience, which would be nice. If we had Rustdesk and ManageEngine, (Which I also have to run in a separate Docker system) I could run the whole IT operation with Cloudron...