Prioritizing Privacy
Once you have OpenVPN connected on your Merlin FlashRouter you can enable the VPN Killswitch so that no internet traffic passes through your router that is not encrypted by the VPN tunnel.
Login to Asus Merlin firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device.
1. Under Advanced Settings select VPN.
2. Click the VPN Client tab.
3. Set Killswitch – Block routed clients if tunnel goes down to Yes.
4. Click Apply.
Changing the VPN protocol your ExpressVPN FlashRouter is using can help with obtaining faster speeds while connected to VPN and connectivity issues in some regions of the world. A great advantage of using ExpressVPN firmware is the ability to use multiple protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, and ExpressVPN’s own protocol Lightway.
1. Connect to the FlashRouter’s network via ethernet cable or wireless.
2. Open your web browser and enter expressvpnrouter.com or 192.168.132.1 in the URL.
3. Login with your ExpressVPN FlashRouter admin password.
4. Select VPN Options on the left hand side of the menu.
5. Select VPN Preferences on the left hand side of the menu.
6. Choose the VPN protocol that best suits your needs. We typically see the fastest speeds while using the Lightway – UDP or IKEv2 protocols. Click Save.
7. Click OK and then select Dashboard.
8. Click Disconnect to turn the VPN connection off.
9. Click Connect to turn the VPN connection back on so it is using the new Protocol you selected.
Follow this guide to change the Wi-Fi name and password on your TP-Link FlashRouter.
1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the TP-Link router via wireless (FlashRouter24 / FlashRouter50) or via ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports on the router.
The FlashRouter WiFi password is printed on the sheet that came with the router and is set to Wireless#[First 5 characters of your router MAC]. The router MAC can be found on the bottom of your router if you cannot locate the sheet. For e.g. if your MAC is 1459C07E70A8 then your WiFi password is Wireless#1459C
Be sure to capitalize the W.
2. Once connected via wireless or ethernet on your device open your browser and go to the TP-Link firmware settings.
3. Enter tp-link as the admin password to access the TP-Link firmware settings.
4. Click Wireless.
5. Change the Network Name (SSID) and Password fields to what you want to use. The SSID should be unique and NOT a duplicate of an existing network. Click Save.
If you want both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks to be bonded and have the same name click the Smart Connect checkbox.
6. Connect your devices to the new wireless network.
Follow this guide to change the Wireless channel on your TP-Link FlashRouter.
1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the TP-Link router via wireless (FlashRouter24 / FlashRouter50) or via ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports on the router.
The FlashRouter WiFi password is printed on the sheet that came with the router and is set to Wireless#[First 5 characters of your router MAC]. The router MAC can be found on the bottom of your router if you cannot locate the sheet. For e.g. if your MAC is 1459C07E70A8 then your WiFi password is Wireless#1459C
Be sure to capitalize the W.
2. Once connected via wireless or ethernet on your device open your browser and go to the TP-Link firmware settings.
3. Enter tp-link as the admin password to access the TP-Link firmware settings.
4. Click Wireless.
5. Change the Channel setting to the number that you want to use. Click Save.
6. Connect your devices to the wireless network again as they may have been disconnected when making this change.
Your TP-Link router broadcasts a 2.4GHz and a 5GHz Wi-Fi network. These can be separated to allow you to assign your devices to the network that best suits them or merged into a single network so your devices automatically select the best band to use. Follow this guide to separate or merge your Wi-Fi bands.
1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the TP-Link router via wireless (FlashRouter24 / FlashRouter50) or via ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports on the router.
The FlashRouter WiFi password is printed on the sheet that came with the router and is set to Wireless#[First 5 characters of your router MAC]. The router MAC can be found on the bottom of your router if you cannot locate the sheet. For e.g. if your MAC is 1459C07E70A8 then your WiFi password is Wireless#1459C
Be sure to capitalize the W.
2. Once connected via wireless or ethernet on your device open your browser and go to the TP-Link firmware settings.
3. Enter tp-link as the admin password to access the TP-Link firmware settings.
4. Click Wireless.
5. Check the Smart Connect checkbox to merge the two Wi-Fi bands. Uncheck the Smart Connect checkbox to separate the two Wi-Fi bands. If you have the two Wi-Fi bands separated make sure the Network Name (SSID) fields have different names for 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Click Save.
6. Connect your devices to the new wireless network.
Your Privacy Hero router uses Cloud Based router management which means you can access the router settings from anywhere on any device that has an internet connection. You can follow these steps while connected to your phone, other Wi-Fi network, or the Privacy Hero network.
Use these steps to enable Privacy Hero’s adblocking, malware, and phishing prevention settings to add extra security to your network.
1. From any device that has a browser such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet visit app.privacyhero.com
2. Enter your Privacy Hero account email and password. Click Login.
If you have not created your Privacy Hero account yet please follow these instructions.
3. Click the VPN symbol.
4. Toggle the Adblocking and Malware & Phishing switches to On.
ExpressVPN offers a great feature of connecting the FlashRouter to multiple ExpressVPN servers at the same time. You can then assign your devices to the location that you wish.
1. Connect to the FlashRouter’s network via ethernet cable or wireless.
2. Open your web browser and enter expressvpnrouter.com or 192.168.132.1 in the URL.
3. Login with your ExpressVPN FlashRouter admin password.
4. Select Add Group and name the new group or select one of the pre-named groups below.
5. Click the three dots next to the new server location and type in the location you want to connect to. Click the new location to connect.
5. Click and drag the device that you want assigned to the VPN New Group.
The devices assigned to new group will now connect to that location while the devices in the first VPN group will remain connected to the VPN server selected in that area.
You can change the ExpressVPN server location at any time so your Internet connection appears as originating from that location.
1. Connect to the FlashRouter’s network via ethernet cable or wireless.
2. Open your web browser and enter expressvpnrouter.com or 192.168.132.1 in the URL.
3. Login with your ExpressVPN FlashRouter admin password.
4. Click the three dots next to the server location.
5. Type in the location you want to connect to. Click the new location to connect.
6. You are now connected to the new server location.
ExpressVPN offers servers in locations all over the world. Typically for speeds it is best to connect to the server closest to your actual location. Clicking a country instead of a city will connect you to the ideal city in that country.
Your Privacy Hero router uses Cloud Based router management which means you can access the router settings from anywhere on any device that has an internet connection. You can follow these steps while connected to your phone, other Wi-Fi network, or the Privacy Hero network.
Each Privacy Hero router comes with a year free of Privacy Hero WireGuard VPN and can be setup for NordVPN and Surfshark users as well. Use these steps to change between the VPN providers to find the best connection for your needs.
1. From any device that has a browser such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet visit app.privacyhero.com
2. Enter your Privacy Hero account email and password. Click Login.
If you have not created your Privacy Hero account yet please follow these instructions.
3. Click the VPN symbol.
4. Click the Change button and select the VPN provider that you want to use.
Your Privacy Hero router uses Cloud Based router management which means you can access the router settings from anywhere on any device that has an internet connection. You can follow these steps while connected to your phone, other Wi-Fi network, or the Privacy Hero network.
The Bedtime settings feature allows users to schedule when internet access will be turned off for specific user profiles. All devices assigned to this profile will have these rules applied.
1. From any device that has a browser such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet visit app.privacyhero.com
2. Enter your Privacy Hero account email and password. Click Login.
If you have not created your Privacy Hero account yet please follow these instructions.
3. Click the Profiles symbol.
4. Click the name of the User Profile.
5. Click Schoolnights or Weekends depending on which you need to set rules for.
6. Select the time that you want the Internet to turn off and the days you want this rule to apply to. Click Save.
7. Set the Bedtime toggle to On.
If you would like to prevent visitors from connecting to your main WiFi network then you can create a Bridged Guest Network that will prevent access to the main router. This setup also allows you to create different rules for different WiFi SSID’s in your home ranging from QoS controls, access restrictions, VPN network segmentation, and more.
If you have a Dual-band or Tri-Band router you can setup a WiFi Guest Network, creating a separate VLAN (virtual local area network) for your visitors, or in order to segment your VPN networks on any band you like. We recommend using the 2.4GHz network for your DD-WRT Guest Wireless Network so it is compatible with the most possible WiFi devices. Setting up a guest network for visitors in your home allows you to keep them off of your main WiFi network.
We recommend performing this setup while connected to the FlashRouter via ethernet cable. If your computer does not have an ethernet port and you must proceed via wireless connection to the FlashRouter pay attention to the wireless connection as you may need to rejoin the FlashRouter’s network after making changes.
Navigate to Wireless > Basic Settings
Navigate to Wireless > Wireless Security
Navigate to Setup > Networking
Depending on the router model and WiFi band you are using, the wireless interfaces will be labelled differently.
This setting can be labelled wl1.1, ath0.1, wl2.1, and so on. Make sure when you get up to the bridge assignment section that you are using the correct guest network Virtual Interface.
Navigate to Administration > Commands
iptables -I FORWARD -i br1 -o br0 -m state –state NEW -j DROP
iptables -I FORWARD -i br0 -o br1 -m state –state NEW -j DROP
iptables -I INPUT -i br1 -p tcp –dport telnet -j REJECT –reject-with tcp-reset
iptables -I INPUT -i br1 -p tcp –dport ssh -j REJECT –reject-with tcp-reset
iptables -I INPUT -i br1 -p tcp –dport www -j REJECT –reject-with tcp-reset
iptables -I INPUT -i br1 -p tcp –dport https -j REJECT –reject-with tcp-reset
You will now have a working Bridged Guest Network on the FlashRouter. By inputting the firewall rules, this will also prevent any guests on your network from gaining access to your router settings.
Navigate to Administration > Backup
This quick guide will walk you through connecting to your AsusWRT FlashRouter and logging into the admin settings page. You’ll use either WiFi or an Ethernet cable, then access the router dashboard through your browser.
You can connect by WiFi or Ethernet:
👉 Pro tip: Disconnect from any other WiFi networks during setup.
This is the local router dashboard address (not a public website). If the page doesn’t load:
flashrouterasuswrt-admin1asuswrt1 or asuswrt
💡 Once you’re in, you can update your admin password in the settings for extra security.
Now that you’ve accessed your AsusWRT FlashRouter, you can:
Check our support library for your specific VPN setup guide.
If you would like to prevent visitors from connecting to your main WiFi network then you can create a separate Guest Network that will prevent access to the main router. This setup also allows you to create different rules for different WiFi SSID’s in your home ranging from QoS controls, access restrictions, VPN network segmentation, and more.
If you have a Dual-band or Tri-Band router you can setup a WiFi Guest Network, creating a separate VLAN (virtual local area network) for your visitors, or in order to segment your VPN networks on any band you like. We recommend using the 2.4GHz network for your DD-WRT Guest Wireless Network so it is compatible with the most possible WiFi devices. Setting up a guest network for visitors in your home allows you to keep them off of your main WiFi network.
We recommend performing this setup while connected to the FlashRouter via ethernet cable. If your computer does not have an ethernet port and you must proceed via wireless connection to the FlashRouter. Be sure to pay attention to the wireless connection as you may need to rejoin the FlashRouter’s network after making changes.
Navigate to Wireless > Basic Settings
Under the 2.4GHz or 5GHz Interface click the Add button.
Wireless Network Name (SSID)
Enter the a unique network name for the guest network.
Network Configuration
Unbridged
Force DNS Redirection
Enable
Optional DNS Target
208.67.220.220
IP Address
192.168.12.1
Subnet Mask
255.255.255.0
CLICK SAVE
Navigate to Wireless > Wireless Security
Navigate to Setup > Networking
Depending on the router model and WiFi band you are using, the wireless interfaces will be labelled differently.
This setting can be labelled wl1.1, ath0.1, wl2.1, and so on. Make sure when you get up to the bridge assignment section that you are using the correct guest network Virtual Interface.
Navigate to Administration > Backup
Your Privacy Hero router uses Cloud Based router management which means you can access the router settings from anywhere on any device that has an internet connection. You can follow these steps while connected to your phone, other Wi-Fi network, or the Privacy Hero network.
The Safe Surf settings feature allows users to block inappropriate search results, YouTube videos, and adult content. All devices assigned to this profile will have these rules applied.
1. From any device that has a browser such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet visit app.privacyhero.com
2. Enter your Privacy Hero account email and password. Click Login.
If you have not created your Privacy Hero account yet please follow these instructions.
3. Click the Profiles symbol.
4. Click the name of the User Profile.
5. Toggle On the settings for Internet Safe Search, YouTube Safe Search, and Block Adult Content as needed.
If you need to extend your wireless and wired connection capabilities, you can setup a FlashRouter as a Wireless Repeater. In Wireless Repeater mode the FlashRouter connects to your main router via WiFi and then creates a completely separate network segment for you. This new “repeater” network then transmits your internet signal via FlashRouter LAN ports for wired internet access while also creating a new Wireless Extender network that will expand your wireless network range throughout your home or office just like a mesh network.
To connect your FlashRouter wirelessly to your existing wireless network you will need the Wireless Network Name (SSID) and Wireless Password of the existing wireless network that you will repeat. Verify and note this information.
We recommend using a 2.4GHz network to repeat as this network will have more range. Be sure to click Add under the 2.4GHz settings and not the 5GHz settings.
Navigate to Security > Firewall
Navigate to Wireless > Basic Settings
Select Add in the Virtual Interface area.
In the Wireless Physical Interface settings for the 2.4GHz network set the Wireless Mode to Repeater.
FlashRouters with a Broadcom chipset will have Repeater as an option in the dropdown but FlashRouters with an Atheroes chipset will not. Select Client or Client (Routed) if Repeater is not listed for your FlashRouter.
Change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) to match exactly with the Wireless Network Name of the network that you will repeat.
In the Virtual Interfaces settings change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) to FlashRouter24 or any other unique SSID.
CLICK SAVE
Navigate to Wireless > Wireless Security
In the top right hand corner of the DD-WRT you should see the WAN IP change from 0.0.0.0 to an actual IP Address. Once this changes navigate to any website to test your Internet connection.
Navigate to the Administration > Backup page.
If you find that wireless devices are routinely disconnecting from the FlashRouter’s network we recommend that you do the following:
Enable Ad blocking on your Roqos Core so you are not inundated with ads across the internet.
Login to Roqos Core UI web app in a browser on any computer or smart device.
1. Click the navigation menu and select Cybersecurity > Ad blocker.
2. Toggle the Enable slider and select if you want to apply Ad blocking to all devices or only select profiles and click Save.
