vpn-gateway

VPN gateway with nftables bandwidth management, scheduling, hot-reload, and per-interface rate limiting.

Built as a layer on top of hotio/base:alpinevpn — adds bandwidth limiting via nftables limit rate rules, with time-based scheduling and automatic config hot-reload.

Features

• Web UI — configure rules, rates, and schedule from a browser (port 6050)
• Simple config — set rates in MB/s, no conversion needed
• Hot-reload — edit traffic.conf and changes apply within 10 seconds, no restart required
• Time-based scheduling — different rates for different times of day and days of the week
• Midnight carry-over — schedule rules persist across midnight until the next rule takes over
• VPN reconnect recovery — watchdog detects when hotio rebuilds its nft table and re-applies rules
• Upload + download — independent rate limits for each direction
• Burst control — configurable burst buffer for smooth TCP throughput
• Traffic stats — real-time bandwidth graphs, 72-hour ring buffer, 365-day daily volumes, per-service breakdown
• Per-service monitoring — track bandwidth for qBittorrent (API), SABnzbd (API), and Dispatcharr (nftables counters for smooth 3s updates). Active Streams panel for Dispatcharr shows live channel/client info
• Stats persistence — all traffic data survives container restarts (saved every 5 min + on shutdown)

How it works

nftables rate-limit rules are inserted into hotio's existing firewall chains. Traffic exceeding the configured rate is dropped (policing). TCP congestion control adapts to the limit — in testing, effective throughput was consistently ~97% of the configured rate.

All containers sharing the VPN gateway's network namespace (e.g., qBittorrent instances using --net=container:vpn-gateway) are affected by the same limits. The rate is aggregate, not per-container.

Quick start

Build locally

git clone https://github.com/ProphetSe7en/vpn-gateway.git
cd vpn-gateway
docker build -t vpn-gateway:latest .

Pull from GHCR

⚠️ Use a pinned version tag, not latest. This container manages your VPN and network routing — if an update introduces breaking changes, every container routed through it (qBittorrent, etc.) loses connectivity and won't recover until vpn-gateway is fixed or rolled back. Pin to a version and update manually when you're ready.

Latest version: v1.4.4 — all tags

docker pull ghcr.io/prophetse7en/vpn-gateway:v1.4.4

Run

Use this image as a drop-in replacement for ghcr.io/hotio/base:alpinevpn. All hotio configuration (WireGuard, port forwarding, DNS, etc.) works exactly the same.

docker run -d \
  --name vpn-gateway \
  --cap-add=NET_ADMIN \
  --sysctl net.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6=1 \
  -v /path/to/config:/config \
  -e VPN_ENABLED=true \
  -e VPN_CONF=wg0 \
  -p 6050:6050 \
  -e VPN_EXPOSE_PORTS_ON_LAN=6050/tcp \
  -e PRIVNET=192.168.0.0/24 \
  ghcr.io/prophetse7en/vpn-gateway:v1.4.4

On first start, a default traffic.conf is created in /config/ with all options documented.

First-run setup: vpn-gateway redirects to /setup on first visit to create an admin account. See Authentication below.

Web UI

The web UI is available on port 6050. To enable it:

1. Map port 6050 in your container config (-p 6050:6050)
2. Add 6050/tcp to VPN_EXPOSE_PORTS_ON_LAN so hotio's firewall allows LAN access
3. Open http://<server-ip>:6050 in your browser — first visit redirects to /setup to create an admin account

The UI has three tabs:

• Traffic — real-time throughput graph, per-service breakdown, Active Streams panel (Dispatcharr)
• Volume — historical bandwidth data (1h to all-time), per-service period summaries
• Settings — sidebar navigation with Bandwidth, Schedule, Service Monitoring, and Tools sections

Changes saved via the UI are written to both /config/.traffic-ui.json (UI model) and /config/traffic.conf (bash config). The config watcher picks up changes within 10 seconds.

You can also edit traffic.conf manually — the UI reads whichever file is newer.

Authentication

As of v1.4.0, vpn-gateway requires a login before you can reach the web UI. The model mirrors Radarr/Sonarr's Security panel.

Authentication — how users log in:

• Forms (login page) (default) — standard username/password form + session cookie (30-day TTL).
• Basic — HTTP Basic Auth (browser popup). Use this only when a reverse proxy in front is already handling login.
• None — disables auth entirely. Requires password confirmation to enable because the blast radius is catastrophic: anyone who reaches the port is admin and can change rules, disable shaping, see credentials. Only safe on a host unreachable from other devices.

Authentication Required — who must log in:

• Disabled for Trusted Networks (default) — devices on the "trusted" CIDR list skip the login page. Convenient for LAN-only deployments.
• Enabled (all traffic) — every request needs credentials, even from your own LAN.

First-run setup

1. Open http://your-host:6050 — you'll be redirected to /setup
2. Create an admin username and password (min 10 characters, 2+ of upper/lower/digit/symbol)
3. You're logged in automatically and land in the main UI

Credentials are bcrypt-hashed (cost 12) and stored in /config/auth.json. Sessions persist across container restarts via /config/sessions.json.

Trusted Networks

By default "trusted" means all private IPv4 + IPv6 ranges (RFC1918, link-local, ULA, loopback — Radarr-parity). Anything in this list gets full admin access without a password — that includes every other container on your Docker host and every device on your home WiFi.

To tighten: go to Settings → Security and list specific IPs/CIDRs:

• 192.168.0.0/24 — whole home VLAN
• 10.0.0.0/24 — WireGuard tunnel
• 192.168.0.5/32 — a single device

Loopback (127.x) is always trusted so Docker healthchecks work regardless of this list.

Host-level lockdown: set the TRUSTED_NETWORKS env var in your Unraid template or docker-compose.yml (same place as VPN_ENABLED, VPN_CONF, etc.) with the same comma-separated CIDR format. When set, the UI field is disabled with an amber banner — the trust boundary can only be changed by editing the template and restarting. Defends against UI-takeover attackers (session hijack, XSS, local-bypass peer).

API Key

Every install gets an API key (visible in Settings → Security, rotatable). Send it on requests as:

X-Api-Key: <your-key>

or as a query parameter (legacy — leaks to access logs and browser history):

?apikey=<your-key>

Use this for scripts, Uptime Kuma, and any /api/* endpoint. API-key auth bypasses both the login requirement and CSRF protection.

Exceptions — public endpoints (no auth needed):

• /api/health — liveness probe for Docker HEALTHCHECK, Uptime Kuma, reverse-proxy health tests. Returns {"ok":true}.
• /api/stats/widget — formatted aggregate stats for Homepage. Same risk profile as /api/health (no secrets, no enumeration), kept public so existing Homepage installs keep working after the v1.4.0 upgrade without re-configuring.

Homepage widget

The Homepage widget described below keeps working with no changes — /api/stats/widget is in the public-endpoint list above.

Reverse-proxy deployment

Behind SWAG / Authelia / Traefik / Caddy that terminates TLS:

1. Set Trusted Proxies to the proxy's IP (or use TRUSTED_PROXIES env var to lock at host level — same format as TRUSTED_NETWORKS).
2. Ensure the proxy sends X-Forwarded-For and X-Forwarded-Proto: https.
3. Pick either Forms (vpn-gateway handles login) or Basic (reverse proxy handles login upstream).

vpn-gateway only trusts X-Forwarded-* headers when the direct peer IP matches a configured Trusted Proxy — prevents header spoofing from other containers on the same bridge network.

Lost password recovery

No email reset flow — by design, /config/auth.json is authoritative. To recover:

1. Stop the container
2. Delete /config/auth.json (credentials only — your schedule, bandwidth config, and traffic stats all live in /config/traffic.conf, /config/.traffic-ui.json, and /config/.traffic-stats.json, untouched)
3. Start the container
4. Open the web UI — you'll be redirected to /setup again to create new credentials

This is safe on a machine where you have /config access. If someone ELSE can delete that file, they can also take over vpn-gateway — which is expected behavior for a local admin tool.

Configuration

Edit /config/traffic.conf or use the web UI. Changes are detected automatically within 10 seconds.

Default rates

# Values in MB/s. Set to 0 for unlimited.
DEFAULT_DOWN=75
DEFAULT_UP=75

Schedule

Each rule says "from this time, use this rate". Rules stay active until the next rule takes over — even across midnight.

SCHEDULE_ENABLED=true

# Weekday nights: full speed
SCHEDULE_1_TIME="23:00"
SCHEDULE_1_DOWN=0
SCHEDULE_1_UP=0
SCHEDULE_1_DAYS="mon-thu"

# Weekday mornings: limited
SCHEDULE_2_TIME="06:00"
SCHEDULE_2_DOWN=75
SCHEDULE_2_UP=75
SCHEDULE_2_DAYS="mon-fri"

# Midday: full speed (everyone at work/school)
SCHEDULE_3_TIME="07:30"
SCHEDULE_3_DOWN=0
SCHEDULE_3_UP=0
SCHEDULE_3_DAYS="mon-fri"

# Afternoon/evening: limited
SCHEDULE_4_TIME="15:00"
SCHEDULE_4_DOWN=75
SCHEDULE_4_UP=75
SCHEDULE_4_DAYS="mon-fri"

# Weekends overnight: full speed
SCHEDULE_5_TIME="01:00"
SCHEDULE_5_DOWN=0
SCHEDULE_5_UP=0
SCHEDULE_5_DAYS="sat,sun"

# Weekends daytime: limited
SCHEDULE_6_TIME="11:00"
SCHEDULE_6_DOWN=75
SCHEDULE_6_UP=75
SCHEDULE_6_DAYS="sat,sun"

Day filters support ranges (mon-fri), lists (mon,wed,fri), single days (tue), or omit for every day.

Advanced

# Burst buffer in milliseconds (default: 500)
# Higher = smoother throughput, Lower = stricter enforcement
BURST_MS=500

# Log rate changes to container log (default: true)
LOG_CHANGES=true

Useful commands

# Show active rules and packet counters
docker exec vpn-gateway nft-apply status

# Remove all limits (unlimited)
docker exec vpn-gateway nft-apply clear

# Force re-read config now (instead of waiting 10s)
docker exec vpn-gateway nft-apply reload

# View rate changes and schedule triggers
docker logs vpn-gateway

Config upgrades

When a new version adds config options, the service automatically adds missing options to your existing traffic.conf while preserving all your settings. A CONFIG_VERSION field tracks this — don't edit it manually.

Architecture

traffic.conf ──→ svc-traffic (s6 service)
                   ├── nft-apply (insert/replace/delete nft rules)
                   ├── crond (schedule triggers + verify watchdog every 60s)
                   └── config watcher (md5sum poll every 10s → hot-reload)

svc-webui (s6 service, port 6050)
  ├── GET /api/status        — current rates + active rule
  ├── GET /api/config        — full config (JSON or parsed bash)
  ├── PUT /api/config        — save config (writes both JSON + bash)
  ├── GET /api/stats/stream  — SSE live traffic stats (3s intervals)
  ├── GET /api/stats/latest  — current stats snapshot
  ├── GET /api/stats/history — ring buffer history (1h/6h/24h/72h)
  ├── GET /api/stats/daily   — daily volume data (365 days)
  ├── POST /api/stats/reset  — clear all statistics
  └── static files           — Alpine.js SPA (embedded at build time)

Traffic measurement:
  wg0 rx_bytes - nft dropped bytes = actual VPN throughput
  (nft drops excess packets; wg0 counts them before drop)

nft rules are inserted into hotio's existing inet hotio table:
  output chain: upload limit before hotio's wg0 accept rule
  input chain:  download limit before hotio's wg0 ct state accept rule

Traffic Monitoring

The Stats tab shows real-time and historical bandwidth data:

• VPN-gateway total — all traffic through the WireGuard tunnel (payload + TCP/IP headers + WireGuard encryption + protocol overhead)
• Per-service totals — application-level data for qBittorrent (API), SABnzbd (API), and Dispatcharr (nft byte counters). Each service shows individual download/upload rates and cumulative totals.

VPN total includes all tunnel traffic (data + protocol overhead + encryption). Per-service totals track application data only, so they will always be lower than the VPN total.

Stats are persisted to /config/.traffic-stats.json every 5 minutes and on graceful shutdown. Data includes a 72-hour ring buffer (3-second samples), 365 days of daily volumes, and per-service cumulative totals. The file is ~13 MB at maximum size and does not grow beyond that.

Routing qBittorrent through vpn-gateway

Route one or more qBittorrent containers through the VPN gateway so all torrent traffic is encrypted, while the Web UI remains accessible on your LAN.

Step-by-step setup guide with screenshots — covers TorGuard/WireGuard, port mapping, Docker Compose example, and multiple instances.

Quick troubleshooting

qBittorrent Web UI not accessible:

• Check that the port appears in all three vpn-gateway locations (port mapping, VPN_EXPOSE_PORTS_ON_LAN, container port)
• Check that WEBUI_PORTS on qBit matches the container port on vpn-gateway
• Check vpn-gateway logs: docker logs vpn-gateway

qBittorrent won't start:

• Remove all port mappings from the qBit container — they conflict with container network mode
• Set VPN_ENABLED=false on qBit (or remove VPN variables entirely) — the gateway handles VPN

Multiple instances conflict:

• Each qBit instance must have a different WEBUI_PORTS value
• You cannot have two containers both listening on the same port on the same network stack

Port forwarding not working:

• Verify VPN_PORT_REDIRECTS format: vpn_port@container_port/tcp
• Verify qBittorrent's incoming connection port matches the container port (after @)
• Verify the port forward is active in your VPN provider's account

Unraid

Install via Community Apps: Search for vpn gateway (without hyphen) in the Apps tab — click Install and configure your WireGuard settings.

Or install manually: Go to Docker → Add Container, set Repository to ghcr.io/prophetse7en/vpn-gateway:v1.4.4, and add the required paths, ports, and capabilities (see above).

The Web UI is available at http://your-unraid-ip:6050.

Container Network Fix (Recommended)

When vpn-gateway restarts, Docker assigns it a new container ID. Containers using container:vpn-gateway network mode (like qBittorrent) keep the old reference and lose network connectivity. On Unraid, the only fix is to force-recreate each dependent container (edit → Apply without changes).

containernetwork-autofix automates this — it detects when a network-parent container restarts and automatically recreates dependent containers. Install it alongside vpn-gateway to avoid manual intervention after restarts or updates.

Important: Use the ProphetSe7en/containernetwork-autofix fork — the original has parser bugs that cause it to miss containers with certain label formats.

Updating: Change the version tag in the Repository field to the new version, then click Apply. Do not use latest — see Pull from GHCR for why.

Homepage Widget

vpn-gateway has a built-in widget endpoint for Homepage dashboards. Add this to your services.yaml:

- VPN Gateway:
    icon: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prophetse7en/vpn-gateway/main/icon.png
    href: http://YOUR_IP:6050
    widget:
        type: customapi
        url: http://vpn-gateway:6050/api/stats/widget
        refreshInterval: 10000
        display: block
        mappings:
          - field: dlSpeed
            label: DL Speed
          - field: ulSpeed
            label: UL Speed
          - field: totalDl
            label: Total DL
          - field: totalUl
            label: Total UL

Replace YOUR_IP with your server IP, and vpn-gateway in the widget URL with the container hostname (or IP if Homepage is on a different Docker network).

Available fields

All values are pre-formatted — no scale, suffix, or format needed in Homepage. Pick the fields you want by adding or removing entries from mappings.

Credits

Built on hotio/base:alpinevpn by hotio. All VPN functionality (WireGuard, firewall, DNS leak protection) is provided by the hotio base image. vpn-gateway only adds the bandwidth management layer.

Support

For questions, help, or bug reports:

• Discord: #prophetse7en-apps on the TRaSH Guides Discord (under Community Apps)
• GitHub: prophetse7en/vpn-gateway/issues

Development

vpn-gateway is developed with active AI assistance (Claude, Anthropic) under human direction. Architectural decisions, code review, testing on a real Unraid + qBittorrent stack, and releases are done by ProphetSe7en. Issues and PRs go through a human review.

License

MIT