How to set up a VPN on your router

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The procedure to set up a VPN on your router will depend on your router’s firmware or manufacturer. If you can’t find the VPN router setup tutorial for your router’s firmware on the following list, continue scrolling down for further instructions.

Setup tutorials for supported routers and firmware:

• ASUS WRT (native firmware)
• ASUS Merlin
• DD-WRT
• Gl.iNET
• Mikrotik
• NetDUMA
• OPNsense
• OpenWRT
• Padavan
• Sabai
• Tomato
• pfSense
• DrayTek
• EdgeRouter

Not sure if your router is supported and/or can't find it on the list above?

First, see if you can find your router on our list of unsupported routers.

If it’s not on there, you'll need to find the user manual that came with your router. If you can’t find it, you can probably download it from your router manufacturer’s website. Search the manual for any mentions of OpenVPN support. It should specify whether your router supports an OpenVPN server, a client, or both. Your router must support the OpenVPN client in order to potentially support a NordVPN configuration. If you can’t find this information in the manual, consider contacting your router’s manufacturer.

If none of these tips have helped you set up a connection, feel free to contact our support team!

Do routers have built-in VPNs?

If your router does not support VPN connections, there are routers that come pre-configured with NordVPN. Our partner FlashRouters offers a selection of powerful routers that come with NordVPN out of the box.

For more information:

• Read our blog post to understand why setting up a router with a VPN connection might be right for you.
• Check out our list of router recommendations. These are our favorite choices when it comes to performance and security.
   

Note: If your router was issued by your ISP, it probably does not support VPN configurations. Additionally, If the router lists a protocol supported in "pass-through" mode, it will most likely not work. "Pass-through" simply means that the router does not block VPN connections from devices connected to it. However, that does not say whether you can configure the router itself.

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Tip: Don't forget to use a strong password on your router, as it will help you to avoid uninvited guests on your network. As generating and remembering strong and secure passwords is not an easy task, we recommend to downloading our free password manager — NordPass.

It generates secure passwords for you and stores them safely, letting you avoid time-wasting password resets in the future.