Setting Up Nextcloud Talk on TrueNAS with Custom Domain for Private Family Calls

A user frustrated with commercial messengers configured Nextcloud Talk on TrueNAS to provide reliable calls for the entire family. VK calls fail on iOS because the app token is revoked from the App Store, while Telegram requires VPN activation before connections succeed.

The goal was to run a self-hosted server accessible through a personal domain with SSL. The architecture routes traffic from a VPS running HestiaCP through port forwarding on the home router to the TrueNAS instance at 192.168.0.17:30027.

Host and DNS Configuration

A subdomain nextcloud.example.com points via A record to the VPS IP. Let's Encrypt SSL is enabled in HestiaCP with automatic HTTPS redirection. DNS resolution is verified with nslookup before proceeding.

Port Forwarding and Reverse Proxy

Three forwarding rules are created on the Asus RT-N12 router: one for the main Nextcloud port 56070, one for coturn on 3478, and a UDP range 49160-49200 for media relay. On the VPS, either .htaccess with mod_proxy or a custom nginx template proxies all requests to the external router IP.

coturn Deployment and Final Settings

A custom TrueNAS application runs the coturn image with a configuration file stored on a dedicated dataset. The TURN server is then registered in Nextcloud Administration settings under Talk. Trusted domains are updated with the command php occ config:system:set trusted_domains 4 --value=nextcloud.example.com, and overwrite settings are adjusted for HTTPS.

After disabling router DoS protection and verifying static asset loading, the installation supports messaging, video calls, Screen Sharing on iPhone, reactions, and Apple Watch notifications through the dedicated Talk client.