Connect Your Unraid Server to Unraid Connect for Easy Management

Unraid Connect offers a seamless way to monitor and manage your Unraid server, whether you’re at home or on the go. By linking your server to Unraid Connect, you unlock a centralized dashboard accessible from any web browser, providing real-time insights and control. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to connect your Unraid server to Unraid Connect and explore its key features.

Installation

Getting your Unraid server connected to Unraid Connect is a straightforward process, beginning with installing the necessary plugin directly from your Unraid server’s web interface.

Navigate to the Apps tab within your Unraid server’s WebGUI.
Use the search bar to find Unraid Connect and click to install the plugin.
Once installed, locate the Unraid logo in the top right corner of your Unraid server’s interface and click on it, then select Sign In.
Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in using your existing Unraid.net credentials. If you’re new to Unraid Connect, you can easily create a new account during this step.
After signing in, you will be prompted to Register Your Server with Unraid Connect. Follow these prompts to complete the registration process, linking your server to your Unraid account.
With your server successfully registered, you can now access the Unraid Connect Dashboard via your web browser.

Unraid Connect Dashboard Overview

The Unraid Connect Dashboard, accessible at https://connect.myunraid.net, provides a comprehensive overview of your Unraid server’s status and key metrics. Upon logging in, you’ll be greeted with an intuitive interface displaying:

Server Status: Real-time online/offline status of your server.
Storage Utilization: A quick view of your available and used storage capacity.
License Type: Information about your current Unraid license.
Uptime: Duration your server has been running.
Unraid OS Version: The version of Unraid OS your server is running.
And more: Additional server details and functionalities are readily accessible.

For users managing multiple Unraid servers, the dashboard neatly organizes each server, listing them in the left-side pane and displaying individual tiles for each. To delve deeper into the specifics of a particular server, simply click on the Details button associated with its tile.

Manage Your Server From Within the Connect UI

One of the most significant advantages of Unraid Connect is the ability to manage your server directly from the Connect web UI. Servers equipped with a myunraid.net certificate gain enhanced management capabilities accessible through this centralized interface.

This feature extends to managing multiple servers simultaneously from a single browser window, whether you’re using a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop PC. To enable this seamless management, ensure you have a myunraid.net certificate installed on your server.

To provision a certificate, navigate to Settings → Management Access within your Unraid WebGUI. Locate the Certificate section and click Provision. This will equip your server with the necessary certificate for remote management via Unraid Connect.

Understanding DNS Rebinding Protection

During the certificate provisioning process, you might encounter a “DNS Rebinding Error” message. This is often related to a security feature in many routers known as DNS Rebinding Protection.

DNS Rebinding Protection is designed to prevent public DNS entries from resolving to local IP addresses within your network. While generally beneficial for security, it can interfere with SSL access when connecting to your WebGUI locally via Unraid Connect.

If you encounter this error, initially click OK, wait for a few minutes (2-5 minutes), and then try clicking Provision again. If the issue persists, it indicates that DNS rebinding protection is likely blocking the process.

To resolve this, you’ll need to either disable DNS rebinding protection on your router or configure it to allow DNS rebinding specifically for the myunraid.net domain (if you provisioned the certificate in Unraid 6.10 or later) or unraid.net domain (if provisioned in version 6.9). The terminology and configuration options for this feature vary depending on your router’s make and model.

Keep in mind that even after disabling DNS rebinding protection on your router, the DNS rebinding error might still appear on the first attempt to provision the certificate. This is due to the time required for DNS records to propagate across the internet after provisioning.

Accessing Your Server When DNS is Unavailable

Once you’ve enabled local SSL as described above, you will typically access your server using a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN):

https://ip.yourpersonalhash.myunraid.net or https://ip.yourpersonalhash.myunraid.net:<port> (if your HTTPS port is not the default 443)

This FQDN is essential for utilizing a fully valid SSL certificate. However, a potential drawback is that if you temporarily lose internet access and your browser hasn’t cached the DNS for yourpersonalhash.unraid.net, you might lose access to the WebGUI.

In situations where internet access is down and DNS resolution fails, you can still access your server locally:

If Use SSL/TLS is set to Yes in your Unraid settings, try accessing your server via: https://[servername].[localTLD] or https://servername.[localTLD]:<port> (if your HTTPS port is not the default 443).
If the above method fails, or if Use SSL/TLS is set to Strict, use Telnet, SSH, or a local keyboard/monitor to log in to your server’s command line. Type the command: use_ssl no and press Enter.
You should now be able to access your WebGUI using HTTP (not HTTPS): http://<servername> or http://<server_ip>:<port> (if your HTTP port is not the default 80).

Once internet service is restored, remember to navigate back to Settings → Management Access in your Unraid WebGUI and set Use SSL/TLS back to Strict to re-enable local SSL for secure access.

Disabling SSL for Local Access

If you prefer not to use the secure https://ip.yourpersonalhash.myunraid.net URL for local access, you have the option to disable SSL. This can be done without uninstalling the Unraid Connect plugin, as SSL for local access is a core Unraid feature and not directly tied to the plugin itself.

To disable SSL, go to Settings → Management Access, set the Use SSL/TLS option to No, and click Apply. Note that disabling SSL for local access will also simultaneously disable the Remote Access feature.

Server Deep Linking for Quick Navigation

Unraid Connect enhances usability with deep linking, allowing you to jump directly to specific sections within your Unraid WebGUI with a single click from the Connect Dashboard. Look for the circled link icons within the dashboard; clicking these will instantly direct you to the corresponding page in your Unraid server’s interface.

Customizable Dashboard, Server Banner, and Themes

Personalize your Unraid Connect experience with customization options for the dashboard. Arrange server tiles to your preference using the drag-and-drop functionality enabled by the hamburger button on each tile within Server Details.

Furthermore, Unraid Connect can automatically display your server’s banner image on your Connect Dashboard, adding a visual touch to your server overview.

For visual preference, you can easily toggle between dark and light mode themes within the Connect UI. Locate the Sun or Moon icon in the far right corner of the interface and click to switch between themes.

Simplified License Management

Managing your Unraid license keys is streamlined through the Unraid Connect UI. Access the My Keys section to view and manage your licenses at any time. Upgrading your license can also be conveniently done directly from within the Connect UI.

Language Localization for Global Users

Unraid OS caters to a global user base, and Unraid Connect reflects this with language localization support. Enjoy using Unraid Connect in your preferred language, with options available for English, German, French, Spanish, and Chinese.

Signing Out of Unraid Connect

If you need to sign out of Unraid Connect on your server, you can do so from within the Unraid WebGUI. Navigate to Settings → Management Access → Unraid Connect → Account Status and click the Sign Out button.

It’s important to note that even after signing out, your server will still appear on the Unraid Connect Dashboard. However, your access will be limited to downloading registration keys for the signed-out server.

Uninstalling the Unraid Connect Plugin

Uninstalling the Unraid Connect plugin is a straightforward process with several automatic actions.

Important Note: If your goal is simply to revert your server URL from https://yourpersonalhash.unraid.net back to http://computername, you should refer to the “How to disable SSL for local access” section instead of uninstalling the plugin. Uninstalling the plugin will not change your server URL.

Uninstalling the plugin will automatically:

Deactivate and delete backup files from your flash drive. Over time, these backup files will be automatically removed from Unraid’s cloud servers. For immediate removal, you can proactively disable Flash Backup before uninstalling the plugin.
Disable Remote Access. Remember to manually disable any port forwarding rules you configured in your router related to the Remote Access feature.
Sign out your server from your Unraid.net account.

Troubleshooting Connection Issues

While generally reliable, you might occasionally encounter connection error messages within Unraid Connect. In such rare instances, open a terminal window on your Unraid server and execute the following command:

unraid-api restart

This command restarts the Unraid API service, which can often resolve temporary connection glitches.

For further support and troubleshooting related to Unraid Connect, consult the dedicated Unraid Connect user forum or contact Unraid support to open a support ticket.