>> Confirm the changes with Ctrl+X, then Y and Enter, and
reboot. You can check the static IP address has been applied using
ip r | grep default
>> If you can’t get a static IP address from your ISP, and many
of them don’t provide one (see boxout below), your best option
for accessing the Nextcloud from anywhere is with a dynamic
DNS provider.
3
ACCESS ANYWHERE
Start by accessing your NextCloudPi web panel
and enter the credentials you used during setup.
>> In the web panel, find Networking and select ‘letsencrypt’
from the menu. Add a working email address when prompted
and click the wand icon to launch the setup wizard and select
‘External access’.
>> Answer Yes, then wait for setup to complete. When prompted
for Port forwarding, choose ‘I will do it manually’.
>> You will need to forward ports 443 and 80 (for HTTPS
and HTTP) to the Raspberry Pi, targeting the router-
assigned IP address for the device or its hostname
(nextcloudpi ).
>> How you do this will differ from router to router. Many
routers offer an online help tool, but you can also refer to the
device’s documentation to find out how to use port forwarding.
>> In the next screen, sign up to FreeDNS when prompted,
select Subdomains and choose a free domain and subdomain,
then input your router’s public IP address (check by searching
Google for ‘what is my IP’) and Save.
>> Next, choose Dynamic DNS and copy the Direct URL for
your subdomain into a text file. Remove everything before (and
including) the question mark, so that you are left with a long
alphanumeric string.
>> On the FreeDNS screen in NextCloudPi, complete the
Domain field with the subdomain you chose, then paste the
alphanumeric hash from the text file into the Update Hash field
and click Finish to complete.
>> With your Nextcloud installation now fully online, it should
be accessible from the mobile app or any other device through
your browser.
>> Note that by establishing a static IP, you may need to create
a new connection in whichever version of the Nextcloud app you
are using.
4
ENHANCE WITH APPS
With the Nextcloud server accessible from anywhere,
there are a few things you can do to take it to the next level.
>> Almost all these can be found in the apps list. There
are several apps that can really enhance your Raspberry
Pi cloud server, especially if you’re planning on using it
for a home file and media server.
>> In the Featured Apps list, you’ll find a list of snaps
that are listed by type. In the Multimedia tab, you’ll find
apps for playing media.
>> There is also an app called Automated Media
Conversion, which converts media files using FFmpeg
based on rules that you set. It can also convert files as
they’re uploaded.
>> Antivirus and anti-ransomware apps can also
be installed to protect your cloud data, along with
integrations with mainstream cloud solutions.
>> This is useful for easily migrating your cloud
storage across rather than downloading to a PC and
then uploading to the Nextcloud server.
©V
OD
AF
ON
E
Internally, a static IP is relatively easy to set up:
simply instruct the device what its IP address is
(see main article) and go from there.
Beyond your network, it’s a lot trickier. Dynamic
DNS tools are useful and have largely replaced
the need for a static IP from your ISP—but what
if that’s the route you’d prefer to take? Dynamic
DNS solutions can fail, after all, making a static
IP address far more reliable. Relying on your
router’s external IP address is a risk, as you don’t
know how often your ISP will refresh it.
In the past, a static IP address could be
expensive. These days, however, having a static
IP address is more affordable. Some domestic ISPs
will let you have a static IP address for a monthly
fee, others with a one-off setup fee. Some still
require you to switch to a business account, which
comes with some shortcomings you might not be
comfortable with.
The best way to find out whether you can get a
static IP address and learn about any associated
costs is to chat with your ISP. You might be
pleasantly surprised at how little it can cost!
CAN YOU GET
A STATIC IP?
>> Set up cloud storage that you can access across the internet by configuring port forwarding via static IP or dynamic DNS.
JAN 2022 MAXIMUMPC 61
