Using Meshnet on Linux

Learn how to use Meshnet via the NordVPN application on your Linux device.

Before you begin

Verify that you have NordVPN installed on your device.

Meshnet is available for these Linux distributions:

  • Ubuntu (Linux Mint)

  • Debian (Raspberry Pi OS, Kali Linux)

  • Fedora (CentOS, RHEL)

  • SUSE (openSUSE)

Enable Meshnet on Linux

Complete the following steps to turn on Meshnet on your device:

  1. Open the Linux terminal.

  2. Type the following command and press Enter:

    nordvpn set meshnet on

You should now see a message confirming that you've enabled Meshnet:

When connected to Meshnet, your device is assigned a unique Nord name and a Meshnet IP address, both of which you can use to access the device from other linked devices.

Note

Nord names are unique, automatically assigned host names for all devices in Meshnet. This feature allows more convenient device access because you don’t have to memorize each device’s Meshnet IP address.

The format is<username>-<mountain>.nord, where <username> is the username of your Nord Account email address and <mountain> is the name of a mountain or mountain range. For example, secret.raccoon-andes.nord.

Add devices to Meshnet

You can add devices to your Meshnet in two ways, depending on whether the device is your own or belongs to another NordVPN user.

Add your own devices

To add more devices to your Meshnet, just install the NordVPN app on the devices you want to connect, log in with your account, and enable Meshnet. They will connect automatically.

Note

Meshnet allows you to add up to 10 devices that use the same NordVPN account.

Add trusted external devices

To add a device owned by another NordVPN user, send an invitation through the NordVPN app specifying their email address. As soon as they accept the invitation in their NordVPN app, their device becomes part of your Meshnet.

For detailed guidance on adding external devices, refer to Adding external Meshnet devices on Linux.

Manage devices

To view a list of your Meshnet devices, run the following command:

nordvpn meshnet peer list

Alternatively, you can view a list of linked devices for each of your devices on the Nord Account website. To access this feature:

  1. Log in to your Nord account dashboard.

  2. Select the Meshnet (by NordVPN) card.

You should now see a list of your linked devices.

Unlink devices

If you want to unlink your device from Meshnet, you can use either the CLI (command-line interface) or the GUI method, as explained below.

Unlinking devices via CLI

Enter the following command, where <device> is the device’s Nord name or Meshnet IP address:

nordvpn meshnet peer remove <device>

Example

Tip

To find your peer's Nord name faster, start typing the name and press Tab. The system will auto-complete the name based on matching peers.

The Nord Account dashboard allows you to unlink both peer devices and your own.

  1. Go to the Nord Account website and log in to your NordVPN account.

  2. Select the Meshnet (by NordVPN) card.

  3. Find the device that you want to unlink and select Manage device next to it.

  4. Click Remove from Meshnet.

    If you wish to disconnect peer devices, select Unlink device next to the device you want to remove.

  5. Click Unlink to confirm.

See also

For information on managing device access within your network, see Explaining permissions.

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