aria2 Downloader / NAS Setup

If you have a Synology NAS, a home server, or an old PC that stays on all day, you can run the free and open-source aria2 as your downloader. With the Magnet Manager Chrome extension, clicking a magnet link on the web sends it straight to your home aria2.

What is aria2?

aria2 is a lightweight, free, open-source multi-protocol downloader that supports HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, BitTorrent, and Metalink. It uses few resources, so it can run long-term on a router, Raspberry Pi, Synology NAS, or old PC—commonly called a "download machine" or "NAS downloader."

Use cases

Synology NAS: Install aria2 via Docker or a package, and let your NAS handle downloads.
Old PC / soft router: Keep an idle device powered on and run aria2 in the background.
Tailscale private network: Connect devices across locations over a virtual private LAN and access aria2 RPC as if you were home.
HTTPS reverse proxy: With your own domain and tunnel, send tasks remotely through an encrypted HTTPS endpoint.

Setup steps

Install aria2 and enable JSON-RPC
Install aria2 on your NAS or downloader, then start it in RPC mode. Because the browser usually connects from another device, RPC must listen on all interfaces:
```
aria2c --enable-rpc --rpc-listen-all --rpc-allow-origin-all --rpc-listen-port=6800 --rpc-secret=YOUR_SECRET
```
Security note: --rpc-listen-all exposes the RPC interface on all network interfaces. Only use it on a trusted home LAN, Tailscale private network, or behind an HTTPS reverse proxy. Never expose aria2 RPC directly to the public internet.

For production, wrap it in a systemd service or Docker Compose so it starts automatically.
Open the Magnet Manager extension settings
Click the Magnet Manager icon in Chrome → Settings → aria2 RPC.
Enter the endpoint, port, and secret
Pick an endpoint that matches your network (see examples below). The default port is 6800, and the secret is the value you passed to --rpc-secret.
Test the connection and save
Click "Test connection." Once it succeeds, save. From then on, clicking a magnet link on the web will push it to your downloader.

Typical endpoint examples

Local machine: http://localhost:6800/jsonrpc
Home LAN / Synology: http://192.168.1.100:6800/jsonrpc
Tailscale virtual LAN: http://100.x.x.x:6800/jsonrpc
HTTPS reverse proxy: https://aria2.yourdomain.com/jsonrpc

Replace the IP, domain, and port with your own.

Security tips

Never expose aria2 RPC directly to the public internet. The command on this page uses --rpc-listen-all so the browser can connect from another device, and it must run inside a trusted network. An unauthenticated RPC interface can be abused by others. Prefer one of these approaches:

Use only private addresses such as 192.168.x.x inside your home network.
Across networks, use Tailscale, ZeroTier, or another mesh VPN.
If remote access is required, use an HTTPS reverse proxy with a strong RPC secret and access controls.

Working with 115 cloud

By default, Magnet Manager first tries to push magnet links to 115 cloud offline downloads. If 115 cannot accept the task, the extension automatically falls back and sends the same link to your aria2 downloader as a BitTorrent task.

You can also browse your "My 115 files" in the extension, select individual files or entire folders, and push them to aria2 in one click. See Quick Start for the full walkthrough.

FAQ

If the connection fails, confirm aria2 is running, the port is reachable, and the secret matches. More troubleshooting is in FAQ.

This product is for lawful use only. Magnet Manager is a browser-side tool that only detects download links already present on the page when you actively trigger it. It does not provide resource search, content indexing, file hosting, or distribution services. All aria2 calls are sent directly from the user's browser to a destination configured by the user. Do not use it to download, share, or manage pirated, infringing, or illegal content. See Terms of Service.