NetBird - FOSS noconf Mesh VPN using Wireguard, alternative to ZeroTier, Tailscale, OmniEdge, Netmaker etc

[sponch]

@marcusquinn just saw that the stun port is already reserved an so not being used by netbird. Changing the port number doesn't help as the app doesn't keep it and deactivates it again after restarting the container.

(is there a way to find out which app uses that port in Cloudron? couldn't find it)

[marcusquinn]

@sponch Can you post issues to the github repo and any relevant info, please? My systems will pick them up, review, and patch. Sorry, I can maintain it, but rely on other user feedback in case there's things my setup solved but don't work yet for others.

If I can recommend a look, too, at my main ai harness invention: https://aidevops.sh, because it's really good at diagnosing issues and logging them to the git repo for then solving.

[timconsidine]

@marcusquinn I logged an issue - can't get it installed - might be a simple fix (detailed in issue).

[marcusquinn]

@timconsidine sorry, forgot to star my own repo to get notifications — looking now — should be a quick fix & release with you soon...

[marcusquinn]

@timconsidine latest release should work. Let me know if now. I'll get notifications for any new issues now.

[timconsidine]

@marcusquinn thank you for checking and resolving

[sponch]

@marcusquinn still not working here.
No possibility to create an account via Dashboard on initial start. Also had to change stun port because default is already in use here.

[marcusquinn]

@sponch Can you try again from the latest release, please?

[timconsidine]

I got the same as @sponch did earlier.
Getting the same after the latest version.

Also FYI UDP port 3478 cannot be used (reserved).
Ticking the STUN NAT Traversal box and setting and saving 3479 superficially works, but on going back to 'Location' in app portal, 3479 has not been saved, it's reverted to 3478 and the tick box to enable custom port has been unticked.

I don't think the app CloudronManifest.json is using the cloudron turn addon, which might (not sure) allow port 3478 to be used.

[sponch]

@marcusquinn hey, its working now thanks! Do you think it's possible to include the proxy cluster in the installation? it's quite a pain to install that afterwards

[timconsidine]

@sponch said it worked so I went back, dug deeper, my browser cache was the culprit
So yes, management app incl login working.
Thank you @marcusquinn

I can't get a peer connected using netbird up -m https://netbird.domain.tld:443 -k <app_generated_secret_key>

[sponch]

@timconsidine should it not be
netbird up --management-url https://netbird.xxx.tld --setup-key xxx

[timconsidine]

@sponch yes,, I am just using the short forms -m and -k

 -m, --management-url string    Management Service URL [http|https]://[host]:[port] (default "https://api.netbird.io:443")
 -k, --setup-key string         Setup key obtained from the Management Service Dashboard (used to register peer)

I don't get a client connecting to the management app with long or short forms. Did you ?

[timconsidine]

Netbird is not an easy app to package - so big kudos to @marcusquinn for doing it.

I continued to struggle with getting a client device to connect to the published Community App package.
So I built my own package and (eventually after many attempts!) got the app UI and client connections working.

The key difference is the client transport model:

• @marcusquinn package sends native NetBird management/signal traffic over the normal Cloudron app URL on standard 443
• it does not expose a dedicated native TCP port
• it also does not use the Cloudron tls addon for a separate native listener
• native gRPC is proxied through nginx behind Cloudron’s standard HTTPS path
• does not use Cloudron’s turn addon STUN/TURN service; it uses NetBird’s own exposed STUN UDP port instead.

My package now takes a different approach :

• web UI/API/OIDC stay on the normal app URL
• native NetBird clients use a dedicated port: https://<domain>:33073
• Cloudron tls is used for that native port
• nginx terminates TLS/HTTP2 on the native port and forwards gRPC internally
• standard 443 is treated as web-only, not as the native client path
• STUN comes from Cloudron’s turn addon rather than NetBird’s own exposed UDP listener

So the packaging difference is basically:
“everything over Cloudron 443 (marcus)” vs “web on 443, native clients on dedicated 33073 (mine)”

My code is at : https://forgejo.tcjc.uk/cca/cloudron-netbird
My CloudronVersions.json for installation is at : https://communityapps.appx.uk/cloudron-netbird/CloudronVersions.json

I am not listing my package on ca.cloudron.io because that right goes to @marcusquinn (and 2 listed packages is just confusing to others).
But it is available at the CloudronVersions link above.

[sponch]

Sounds great. Is the Reverse Proxy working „out of the box“ this way? (By adding custom Domains)

[timconsidine]

@sponch if I understand question, yes, just install as e.g. netbird.domain.tld and client connects as ‘netbird up -m https://netbird.domain.tld:33073 -k <setup key from app ui>

[sponch]

Ah. No, thinking about the Reverse Proxy. (Custom public domains pointing to a Netbird device). The proxy is a non default opition during installation and can be also installed afterwards manually. You can find it in Dashboard under Reverse Proxy -> Custer
If not instaded

[timconsidine]

@sponch ah, sorry, misunderstood, my mistake.
I've only used Netbird previously as a peer registration solution.

I see the Reverse Proxy in the left sidebar of the management app.
But I don't think it is enabled or working despite saying 'Create Service'.

NetBird Reverse Proxy feature 
This is a separate NetBird feature for exposing services behind peers to the public internet through NetBird, with auth/TLS rules. NetBird documents it as requiring:

- a NetBird reverse-proxy component/cluster
- Traefik with TLS passthrough in front of it

NetBird says self-hosted deployments must use Traefik for this feature because TLS passthrough is required
[source: NetBird Reverse Proxy docs].

I will have to look into whether this is possible. It might not be on Cloudron, so if it is important for your use case, a more traditional VPS docker plus Traefik might be needed.

[sponch]

hi @timconsidine, thanks. I've already got that extra VPS with proxy running - just could save some bugs a month if could replace it with a cloudron version of netbird

[timconsidine]

"Cloudron does not currently expose the kind of per-app TLS passthrough on 443 that NetBird Reverse Proxy needs."

It's a cool feature, though, so I'm going to have a think about a workaround.

EDIT #1 : The only Netbird-like alternative supporting this Reverse Proxy functionality is Tunnet, according to my research. But it is much younger than Netbird.

EDIT #2 : Because Cloudron platform (not base image) owns 443, unless/until there is more traffic pass-through from the platform nginx, I don't think Netbird Reverse Proxy is deliverable on Cloudron. Don't hold your breathe !