Homelab Cloud Storage with TrueNAS & Cloudflare

DEMO URL : https://youtu.be/WGM9GrnDn1Q

Documentation URL: https://mohanbalaji.vercel.app/Homelab_Cloud_Storage

📌 Overview

This project is a self-hosted cloud storage solution using TrueNAS on a repurposed machine, accessible securely from anywhere via Cloudflare Tunnel. It provides a cost-effective, secure, and scalable alternative to cloud storage services.

🔧 Tech Stack

• TrueNAS – For storage management
• Cloudflare Tunnel – Secure remote access without exposing ports
• File Browser – Web-based file management UI
• Custom Domain (Namecheap Students) – Easy access via a personalized domain
• Intel i3 3rd Gen (Old Device) – Optimized to run TrueNAS on bare metal

🚀 Features

✅ Secure Remote Access – No open ports, fully protected via Cloudflare
✅ Efficient Storage Management – TrueNAS pools & datasets for structured storage
✅ Web-Based File Management – Simple UI with File Browser
✅ Custom Domain Integration – Seamless access using a free domain
✅ Low-Cost Self-Hosted Solution – Uses repurposed hardware

🛠️ Architecture Diagram

🛠️ Setup Guide

1️⃣ Install TrueNAS on Bare Metal

• Download TrueNAS
• Flash it to a USB using Rufus
• Boot from USB and install TrueNAS

2️⃣ Configure Storage

• Set up Storage Pools & Datasets
• Assign storage paths

3️⃣ Install File Browser

• Run docker run -d -p 8080:80 filebrowser/filebrowser
• Access at http://your-server-ip:8080

3️⃣ Install NextCloud (Similar to Google Drive)

• Run $ docker run -d -p 8080:80 nextcloud

4️⃣ Secure Remote Access with Cloudflare Tunnel

• Create a Cloudflare account
• Install the Cloudflare Tunnel client
• Run:

  cloudflared tunnel login  
  cloudflared tunnel create my-tunnel  
  cloudflared tunnel route dns my-tunnel yourdomain.com  
  cloudflared tunnel run my-tunnel