Comprehensive NzbDav Setup Guide

This guide is an opinionated, step-by-step walkthrough to setting up NzbDav for maximum performance ("infinite library" style) with Radarr, Sonarr, Plex/Jellyfin and Stremio.

How the "Infinite Library" Works

Before configuring, it helps to understand the flow:

Path A: The Automation Flow (Radarr/Sonarr + Plex/Jellyfin)

Radarr sends an .nzb file to NzbDav (acting as a download client) to "download".
NzbDav mounts the nzb onto the webdav without actually downloading it.
NzbDav tells Radarr the "download" is finished and points to a folder of Symlinks at /mnt/remote/nzbdav/completed-symlinks.
- The Symlinks always point to the /mnt/remote/nzbdav/.ids folder which contains the streamable content.
Radarr imports these Symlinks into your library. For eg: /mnt/media/movies.
Plex reads the Symlink -> Rclone Mount -> WebDAV Stream -> Usenet Provider.
- RClone will make the nzb contents available to your filesystem by streaming, without using any storage space on your server.

Path B: The On-Demand Flow (Stremio)

Stremio (via AIOStreams) searches your indexers using the Newznab addon and finds a release.
AIOStreams sends the .nzb to NzbDav's API to mount it.
NzbDav mounts the file instantly via WebDAV.
AIOStreams generates a streamable URL.
- Note: If using the recommended Proxy setup, this URL points to AIOStreams, which tunnels the traffic from NzbDav.
Stremio plays the video from that URL (bypassing Rclone/Symlinks entirely).

Phase 1: Prerequisites

1. Usenet Provider

You need an usenet provider to download content. Consult the Usenet Providers Wiki for a full list.

2. Indexers

You need usenet indexers to find content. Consult the Usenet Indexers Wiki for a full list.

Add these to Prowlarr and sync them to your Radarr/Sonarr instances.

Phase 2: Initial Deployment

We start with a basic NzbDav container.

1. `docker-compose.yml` (Part 1)

Create the file structure like below:

your-root-docker-folder/
├── apps
│   ├── nzbdav
│   │   └── docker-compose.yml   👈 Create this file now
│   └── ...

Update PUID, PGID, TZ, and volume paths as needed. You can get your PUID/PGID by running id in your terminal.

services:
  nzbdav:
    image: nzbdav/nzbdav:latest
    container_name: nzbdav
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: curl -f http://localhost:3000/health || exit 1
      # Check every 1 minute
      interval: 1m
      # If it fails 3 times (3 minutes total), restart it
      retries: 3
      # Give it 5 seconds to boot up
      start_period: 5s
      # If it doesn't answer in 5 seconds, assume it's frozen
      timeout: 5s
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      # Change these IDs to match your Docker user that you got from above
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
      - /mnt:/mnt

Run the container

docker compose up -d

2. Core Configuration

Navigate to http://your-server-ip:3000.

A. Create Admin Account

Set your username and password.

B. Usenet Settings (Settings > Usenet)

Host: news.newshosting.com (put your provider here).
Port: 563
Username / Password: Your Usenet creds.
Max Connections: 100 (Set to your provider's max allowed).
Type: Pool Connections.
Use SSL: Checked.

C. WebDAV Settings (Settings > WebDAV)

Set WebDAV Password: Create a password (you will need this for Rclone).
Enforce Read-Only: Uncheck it if you'd like to delete files from terminal. Otherwise, leave it checked.

3. Speed Tuning (Optional)

Note: The default Max Download Connections setting of 15 works perfectly for most users (handling ~1Gbps). You only need to touch this if you are experiencing speed issues.

You can find the optimal Max Download Connections for your network (Settings > WebDAV > Max Download Connections) using the steps below:

Baseline Test: Run this on your server to check raw bandwidth.

wget -O /dev/null https://ash-speed.hetzner.com/10GB.bin --report-speed=bits

NzbDav Internal Test:
- In one Terminal window, run below command to monitor CPU usage:
```
docker stats nzbdav
```
- Download a movie .nzb via your indexer website and upload it to NzbDav.
- In NzbDav UI: Go to Dav Explore > Content > Movies > Pick the movie you just downloaded > Right click the video file and click Copy Link Address. Now paste it in a text editor where you can see the whole thing.
- Now construct test command like below and run it in another terminal window:
```
docker exec nzbdav sh -c "apk add --no-cache wget > /dev/null 2>&1 && timeout 20s wget -O /dev/null --report-speed=bits --progress=bar:force:noscroll 'http://localhost:8080/view/content/Movies/<Movie Folder>/<Movie Name>.mkv?downloadKey=<download-key>'"
```
  Take a look at the speed it reports and also notice the CPU usage of the container.
Adjust & Repeat:
- Set Max Download Connections to 10. Test speed. (e.g., 500Mbps @ 70% CPU)
- Set Max Download Connections to 15. Test speed. (e.g., 1Gbps @ 85% CPU)
- Sweet Spot: Stop when speed plateaus. For me, 15 (the default value) was the magic number.

Phase 3: The Full Stack (Rclone Sidecar)

Now we mount the NzbDav web dav to the host file system using a sidecar container.

1. Prepare Host Directory

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/remote/nzbdav # Create mount folder
sudo chown -R $(id -u):$(id -g) -R /mnt/remote/nzbdav # Give ownership of the folder to your user

2. Generate Rclone Config

your-root-docker-folder/
├── apps
│   ├── nzbdav
│   │   ├── docker-compose.yml
│   │   └── rclone.conf          👈 Create this empty file now
│   └── ...

Generate obscured password: docker run --rm -it rclone/rclone obscure "<the-webdav-password-you-set-in-nzbdav-earlier>"

Now populate rclone.conf with:

[nzbdav]
type = webdav
url = http://nzbdav:3000/
vendor = other
user = admin
pass = <PASTE_OBSCURED_PASSWORD_HERE_WITHOUT_ANGLE_BRACKETS>

3. Update `docker-compose.yml`

Add the Rclone sidecar service to your existing apps/nzbdav/docker-compose.yml.

Update PUID, PGID, TZ, and volume paths as needed. You can get your PUID/PGID by running id in your terminal.

nzbdav_rclone:
  image: rclone/rclone:latest
  container_name: nzbdav_rclone
  restart: unless-stopped
  environment:
    # Change these IDs to match your Docker user that you got from above
    - PUID=1000
    - PGID=1000
    # Set the time zone to match your location
    - TZ=America/New_York
  volumes:
    # Host Path : Container Path : Propagation
    - /mnt:/mnt:rshared
    - ./rclone.conf:/config/rclone/rclone.conf
  cap_add:
    - SYS_ADMIN
  security_opt:
    - apparmor:unconfined
  devices:
    - /dev/fuse:/dev/fuse:rwm
  depends_on:
    nzbdav:
      condition: service_healthy
      restart: true
  # Optimized mounting flags for streaming
  # 0M buffer size prevents double-caching (Kernel + RClone)
  # 512M read-ahead ensures smooth playback
  command: >
    mount nzbdav: /mnt/remote/nzbdav
      --uid=1000
      --gid=1000
      --allow-other
      --links
      --use-cookies
      --vfs-cache-mode=full
      --vfs-cache-max-size=20G
      --vfs-cache-max-age=24h
      --buffer-size=0M
      --vfs-read-ahead=512M
      --dir-cache-time=20s

Start nzbdav_rclone

$ docker compose up -d nzbdav_rclone

If you make some rclone config changes or other changes in the compose file, apply the changes like this

$ docker compose up -d --force-recreate nzbdav_rclone

Check out the mount is working

ls -la /mnt/remote/nzbdav
# Should show: .ids, completed-symlinks, content, nzbs

Understanding the Flags

--links: Crucial. This allows *.rclonelink files within the webdav to be translated to symlinks when mounted onto your filesystem.

Note: Requires Rclone v1.70.3+.
--use-cookies: Performance. Without this, Rclone re-authenticates on every single request, causing massive slowdowns.
--allow-other: Permissions. Ensures other containers (like Radarr/Plex) can see the mounted files.
--vfs-cache-mode=full: Performance. Enables the full VFS cache, which is required for seeking and proper file handling.
--buffer-size 0M: Stability. Prevents double-caching (RAM + Disk).
--vfs-read-ahead=512M: Smooth Playback. Buffers 512MB into VFS disk cache ahead of the current position to handle high-bitrate spikes without stuttering.
--vfs-cache-max-size=20G: Disk Management. Limits the local disk space used by the cache. Adjust based on your available storage.
--dir-cache-time=20s: Responsiveness. Keeps the directory cache short so new downloads/links appear quickly in the mount.

These flags are optimized for streaming.

Remember: unnecessary flags = potential pitfalls.

Rclone flags reference

Rclone Forum Discussion on Buffer Size

Phase 4: Integrations

1. Add NzbDav Download Client to Radarr/Sonarr

Go to Radarr/Sonarr > Settings > Download Clients > Add Download Client

Client: SABnzbd
Name: NzbDav
Host: nzbdav
Port: 3000
API Key: Found in NzbDav Settings > SABnzbd.

2. Configure NzbDav for Radarr/Sonarr

Go to NzbDav Settings > Radarr/Sonarr.

Radarr Instances > Add
- Host: http://radarr:7878
- API Key: (Radarr > Settings > General > Security > API Key)
Sonarr Instances > Add
- Host: http://sonarr:8989
- API Key: (Sonarr > Settings > General > Security > API Key)
Automatic Queue Management:

Configure these rules to handle failed or bad releases, keeping your queue clean with as little manual intervention as possible. Feel free to experiment and adjust these rules to your liking.
- Do Nothing:
  - Found matching series via grab history, but release was matched to series by ID. Automatic import is not possible.
  - Found matching movie via grab history, but release was matched to movie by ID. Manual Import required.
  - Episode was not found in the grabbed release.
  - Episode was unexpected considering the folder name.
  - Invalid season or episode.
  - Unable to determine if file is a sample.
- Remove, Blocklist, and Search:
  - No files found are eligible for import.
  - No audio tracks detected.
  - Sample.
- Remove and Blocklist:
  - Not an upgrade for existing episode file(s).
  - Not an upgrade for existing movie file.
  - Not a Custom Format upgrade.
- Remove:
  - Episode file already imported.

3. Configure Mount & Repairs

Mount Directory (Settings > SABnzbd):
- Rclone Mount Directory: /mnt/remote/nzbdav
- Note: This tells NzbDav where the files physically exist on your host system so it can pass the correct path to Radarr/Sonarr.
Repairs (Settings > Repairs):
- Library Directory: /mnt/media (Point this to the root folder where your actual Movie/TV libraries live on the host).
- Enable Background Repairs: Checked. (This allows NzbDav to monitor for dead links in your library and trigger redownloads automatically).

Phase 5: Usenet Streaming in Stremio (via AIOStreams)

You can stream your Usenet content directly in Stremio using AIOStreams.

For more info, check out their Usenet Wiki.

1. Configure NzbDav Service

In the AIOStreams UI:

Go to the Services menu and select NzbDav.
Enter the details:
- NzbDAV URL: http://nzbdav:3000 (Use your public URL if accessing remotely).
- NzbDAV API Key: (From NzbDav Settings > SABnzbd).
- NzbDAV WebDAV Username: (From NzbDav Settings > WebDAV).
- NzbDAV WebDAV Password: (From NzbDav Settings > WebDAV).
- AIOStreams Auth Token (Recommended): Get it from your self-hosted AIOStreams' .env file's AIOSTREAMS_AUTH environment variable. (e.g., user:pass).

2. Configure Newznab Addon

In the AIOStreams UI:

Go to Addons > Marketplace > From the Types dropdown, select Usenet.
Find the Newznab addon and click Configure.
Add your indexers (repeat for each one):
- Name: NZBGeek (or similar).
- Newznab URL: Select NZBgeek from dropdown.
- API Key: Your indexer's API key.
- AIOStreams Proxy Auth (Recommended): Get it from your self-hosted AIOStreams' .env file's AIOSTREAMS_AUTH environment variable. (e.g., user:pass).
- Search Mode: Forced Query (was Auto by default)
- Timeout: 5000 ms (was 7000 by default)
Leave everything else as default and click Install

3. Install to Stremio

Go to the Save & Install tab, click Save, and then install the addon to Stremio.

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Comprehensive NzbDav Setup Guide

How the "Infinite Library" Works

Path A: The Automation Flow (Radarr/Sonarr + Plex/Jellyfin)

Path B: The On-Demand Flow (Stremio)

Phase 1: Prerequisites

1. Usenet Provider

2. Indexers

Phase 2: Initial Deployment

1. `docker-compose.yml` (Part 1)

2. Core Configuration

3. Speed Tuning (Optional)

Phase 3: The Full Stack (Rclone Sidecar)

1. Prepare Host Directory

2. Generate Rclone Config

3. Update `docker-compose.yml`

Understanding the Flags

Rclone flags reference

Phase 4: Integrations

1. Add NzbDav Download Client to Radarr/Sonarr

2. Configure NzbDav for Radarr/Sonarr

3. Configure Mount & Repairs

Phase 5: Usenet Streaming in Stremio (via AIOStreams)

1. Configure NzbDav Service

2. Configure Newznab Addon

3. Install to Stremio

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Comprehensive NzbDav Setup Guide

How the "Infinite Library" Works

Path A: The Automation Flow (Radarr/Sonarr + Plex/Jellyfin)

Path B: The On-Demand Flow (Stremio)

Phase 1: Prerequisites

1. Usenet Provider

2. Indexers

Phase 2: Initial Deployment

1. docker-compose.yml (Part 1)

2. Core Configuration

3. Speed Tuning (Optional)

Phase 3: The Full Stack (Rclone Sidecar)

1. Prepare Host Directory

2. Generate Rclone Config

3. Update docker-compose.yml

Understanding the Flags

Rclone flags reference

Phase 4: Integrations

1. Add NzbDav Download Client to Radarr/Sonarr

2. Configure NzbDav for Radarr/Sonarr

3. Configure Mount & Repairs

Phase 5: Usenet Streaming in Stremio (via AIOStreams)

1. Configure NzbDav Service

2. Configure Newznab Addon

3. Install to Stremio

1. `docker-compose.yml` (Part 1)

3. Update `docker-compose.yml`