In the context of the increasing scarcity of home broadband public network IP, remote access to NAS or other intranet devices in the home often requires the use of "intranet penetration" technology. Open source tool FRP (for self-built pass-through services) and mature commercial service Aweshell are two common choices. This paper will make a comparative analysis from five aspects of construction difficulty, performance, network adaptability, security and post-maintenance to help users make decisions.
Difficulty of 1. construction and configuration
FRP self-built intranet penetration requires users to first purchase a VPS cloud server with public network IP. You need to resolve domain names, deploy SSL certificates, and edit complex server and client configuration files. The whole process mainly relies on command line operation, lacks graphical interface, and requires high network knowledge and technical ability of users. In addition, the use of fixed domain names in China usually requires cumbersome domain name filing, otherwise the service may be interrupted. If you choose overseas VPS to avoid filing, you may face the risk of high delay or blocking. VPS rental, domain name registration, SSL certificate and other costs, the annual cost may reach hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
In contrast, Aweshell as a commercial service, users do not need to build their own server, eliminating the cost and management burden of VPS. Aweshell provides perfect graphical client software, supporting Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android and mainstream NAS systems (such as Qunhui, Wei Unicom, Green Union, Polar Space, Feiniu fnOS, etc.). In the NAS application store or kit center, you can usually install it with one click. Users only need to log in to the account, you can quickly enable the intranet penetration service, the configuration process is simple and intuitive.
2. performance and stability
The penetration performance of FRP self-built depends entirely on the configuration and line quality of the VPS selected by the user. Choosing a low-cost VPS may face server overbooking problems, resulting in spikes in network peak delays, unstable access and even interruptions. If the VPS computer room has a single line, the speed is also easy to drop significantly when accessing across operators or regions. Users are responsible for server optimization and network troubleshooting.
As a professional service provider, Aweshell servers are deployed in BGP multi-line data center clusters. This architecture can automatically select the optimal access path for the user according to real-time network conditions. Therefore, Aweshell can effectively solve the delay and stability problems caused by cross-operator and cross-regional access. At the same time, the Aweshell does not have the risk of overselling by small manufacturers, and the service resources are sufficient to provide relatively stable performance even during peak hours.
3. network environment adaptability
FRP is essentially a reverse proxy tool, which is not adaptable to complex network environment. It can still work in an ordinary NAT environment, but if it encounters dual NAT, multi-level routing, or an environment with strict firewall policies, FRP is prone to problems such as connection failure and frequent disconnection. To solve these problems, users usually need to have high network knowledge, adjust port mapping or check network settings, which is difficult.
The design of the Aweshell is optimized for a variety of complex router and firewall environments. As long as the device in the intranet can normally connect to the Internet, Aweshell usually, the user does not need to perform additional special network configuration (such as port mapping) to achieve penetration, the success rate is high, and the stability of the connection is more guaranteed.
4. security
Under the default configuration of FRP, data transmission is not encrypted (clear text transmission), which is a risk of interception and theft. At the same time, the self-built FRP server is directly exposed to the public network and is easy to become the target of hacker attacks. Although users can manually configure TLS encryption (such as enabling HTTPS/WSS protocol) and deploy SSL certificates to improve security, this process is cumbersome and error-prone. For ordinary users, the threshold is very high, and it is difficult to achieve enterprise-level security protection.
Aweshell offer an out-of-the-box solution when it comes to security. Users can enable HTTPS encrypted transmission with one click, and do not need to apply for, deploy, and manage complex SSL certificates. Aweshell service also has built-in access control policies and blasting protection mechanisms, which effectively reduces the risk of data being intercepted and tampered during transmission, as well as servers being subjected to DDoS attacks. In addition, the Aweshell is operated by a Aweray company with 19 years of industry experience and has a relatively complete guarantee of service security and compliance.
Post -5. Maintenance
Selecting self-built FRP means that users need to undertake all the post-operation and maintenance work. This includes ensuring the stable operation of the VPS server, updating the operating system and security patches in a timely manner, monitoring the service status in real time, and handling possible failures (such as VPS downtime, domain name resolution failure, SSL certificate expiration, etc.). These operation and maintenance work not only requires professional knowledge, but also consumes a lot of time and energy of users. There is also a risk that if the user chooses an unknown or low-cost VPS service provider, once the service provider closes down or "runs away", the user's service will be completely interrupted and it will be difficult to blame.
With Aweshell services, the operational pressure can be completely transferred to the service provider. Aweray professional team is responsible for ensuring the stability of the server, providing sufficient bandwidth, implementing security measures and performing daily maintenance. As a mature commercial company, its ongoing operations are less risky. The Aweshell also provides 7x 24 hours of technical support and perfect fault feedback channels, users can quickly get official help when they encounter problems, without the need to carry out complex operation and maintenance operations, saving time and effort.
Conclusions and recommendations
On the whole, Aweshell is a better choice for the vast majority of ordinary users and non-technical users who want to realize remote access (especially access to home NAS) conveniently, stably and safely. It greatly simplifies the complexity of deployment, configuration and maintenance, provides an easy-to-use graphical interface, stable and reliable service performance, built-in security protection and professional operation and maintenance support, and the overall use experience is significantly better than self-built FRP.
As an open source tool, FRP's value lies in its flexibility and customizability. It is more suitable for technical enthusiasts or geek users with strong technical ability, specific customization needs, willingness to invest a lot of time and energy in server construction, configuration, optimization and post-maintenance, and insensitive to related costs (money, time, learning). However, FRP has obvious shortcomings in terms of ease of use, adaptability to complex network environments, default security configuration, and post-operation and maintenance burdens.
Therefore, unless you have strong self-built requirements, specific technical exploration purposes, or corresponding technical operation and maintenance capabilities, choosing mature Aweshell services usually brings more efficient, worry-free, and safer remote access experience.