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OpenComic supports reading comics directly from remote servers and network storage without downloading entire files first. This allows you to access large libraries stored on NAS devices, cloud storage, or remote servers.

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Supported protocols

OpenComic supports the following server protocols:

SMB

Windows file sharing protocol for network drives

FTP/FTPS

File Transfer Protocol with optional SSL/TLS security

SFTP/SSH/SCP

Secure file transfer over SSH protocol

S3

Amazon S3 and S3-compatible object storage

WebDAV

Web-based file access protocol (HTTP/HTTPS)

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Protocol features

ProtocolSecurityProgress trackingParallel downloads
SMBBasicYesYes (5 concurrent)
FTPNoYesSequential
FTPSYesYesSequential
SFTP/SSHYesYesYes (20 concurrent)
SCPYesYesYes (20 concurrent)
S3YesYesYes (5 concurrent)
WebDAVNoYesYes (5 concurrent)
WebDAVSYesYesYes (5 concurrent)

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Adding a server connection

1

Open server settings

Navigate to the server configuration section in OpenComic’s settings.
2

Configure connection details

Enter the required information for your server:
  • Protocol: Choose from smb://, ftp://, ftps://, sftp://, ssh://, scp://, s3://, webdav://, or webdavs://
  • Host: Server address or domain name
  • Port: Custom port (optional)
  • Username: Authentication username (if required)
  • Password: Authentication password (if required)
  • Domain: Windows domain for SMB (optional)
  • Share/Bucket: Share name (SMB) or bucket name (S3)
3

Test connection

Verify that OpenComic can connect to your server successfully.
4

Browse content

Once connected, browse and read comics from your server just like local files.

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Connection URL format

Server paths follow these URL formats: 
// SMB (Windows/Samba)
smb://server/share/path/to/comic.cbz
smb://server:445/share/path/to/comic.cbz

// FTP/FTPS
ftp://server/path/to/comic.cbz
ftps://server:990/path/to/comic.cbz

// SFTP/SSH
sftp://server/path/to/comic.cbz
ssh://server:22/path/to/comic.cbz

// SCP
scp://server/path/to/comic.cbz

// S3
s3://region/bucket/path/to/comic.cbz
s3://endpoint.com/bucket/path/to/comic.cbz

// WebDAV
webdav://server/path/to/comic.cbz
webdavs://server:443/path/to/comic.cbz

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SMB connections

Server Message Block (SMB) is commonly used for Windows network shares and NAS devices.

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Configuration

  • Default port: 445
  • Domain: Workgroup or Active Directory domain (defaults to WORKGROUP)
  • Authentication: Username and password

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Example

smb://192.168.1.100/Comics/Manga/series.cbz
smb://nas.local:445/Media/Comics/series.cbr
SMB connections require proper network discovery and file sharing enabled on the server.

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FTP and FTPS

File Transfer Protocol for accessing remote file servers.

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Features

  • FTP: Standard unencrypted file transfer (port 21)
  • FTPS: FTP with SSL/TLS encryption (port 990)
  • Timeout: Configurable connection timeout (default: 5 seconds × server timeout multiplier)

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Sequential downloads

FTP connections download files sequentially to ensure reliable transfers.

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SFTP, SSH, and SCP

Secure file access over SSH protocol.

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Configuration

  • Default port: 22
  • Authentication: Username and password
  • Timeout: 5 seconds × server timeout multiplier
  • Keep-alive: 15 minutes

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Parallel transfers

SSH-based protocols support up to 20 concurrent file downloads with progress tracking.
SSH key authentication is not currently supported. Use password authentication.

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S3 and compatible storage

Amazon S3 and S3-compatible object storage services.

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Configuration

  • Region or endpoint: AWS region (e.g., us-east-1) or custom endpoint URL
  • Bucket: S3 bucket name
  • Credentials: Access Key ID and Secret Access Key

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Custom endpoints

For S3-compatible services like MinIO, Wasabi, or DigitalOcean Spaces: 
s3://s3.wasabisys.com/bucket/comics/series.cbz
s3://nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/bucket/manga.cbr

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Features

  • Path-style bucket access
  • Automatic pagination for large directories (up to 10,000 files)
  • Streaming downloads

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WebDAV and WebDAVS

Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning for HTTP-based file access.

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Features

  • WebDAV: HTTP-based access (port 80)
  • WebDAVS: HTTPS-based secure access (port 443)
  • Auto-detection: Automatic authentication method detection

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Common services

WebDAV is supported by:
  • Nextcloud
  • ownCloud
  • Box
  • Other cloud storage services

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Performance and caching

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Intelligent caching

OpenComic caches file listings and comic metadata to improve performance:
  • File listings: Cached with timestamps for quick navigation
  • Comic pages: Downloaded on-demand and cached locally
  • Progress tracking: Monitors download progress for each file

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Connection management

  • Auto-close: Idle connections close after 10 minutes
  • Error handling: Automatic retry on connection errors
  • Offline mode: Option to work offline with cached content

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Duplicate prevention

OpenComic prevents downloading the same file multiple times:
  • Checks modification times
  • Skips already-downloaded files
  • Coordinates concurrent download requests

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Error handling

If you see connection errors:
  • Verify server address and port
  • Check firewall settings
  • Confirm credentials are correct
  • Test network connectivity
If folders cannot be accessed:
  • Verify the path exists on the server
  • Check folder permissions
  • Ensure proper authentication
For timeout issues:
  • Increase server timeout multiplier in settings
  • Check network stability
  • Verify server is responding

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Best practices

Use secure protocols

Prefer FTPS, SFTP, S3, or WebDAVS over unencrypted options when possible.

Optimize network

Use wired connections for best performance when streaming large comic files.

Cache strategically

Allow OpenComic to cache frequently accessed comics for faster loading.

Monitor bandwidth

Be aware of data usage when accessing comics over the internet.

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Troubleshooting

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Connection refused

If OpenComic cannot connect:
  1. Verify the server is online and accessible
  2. Check if the port is open and not blocked by a firewall
  3. Confirm the protocol is enabled on the server

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Authentication failed

  1. Double-check username and password
  2. Verify domain name for SMB connections
  3. Ensure the account has proper permissions

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Slow performance

  1. Check network speed and latency
  2. Reduce concurrent downloads if needed
  3. Enable local caching
  4. Consider increasing server timeout multiplier

Next: OPDS catalogs

Learn how to connect to OPDS comic and manga catalogs

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