Prioritizing Privacy
Enter custom DNS servers in your Asus Merlin firmware to avoid using your ISP DNS, which will steal and collect your browsing data.
Login to Asus Merlin firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device.
1. Under Advanced Settings select LAN.
2. Click the DHCP Server tab.
3. In the DNS Server 1 and DNS Server 2 fields enter the DNS server that you wish to use.
4. Click Apply and then reboot the router and reconnect to the network.
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.
If you are not already an PureVPN user Sign Up Now.
1. Log in to your account on the PureVPN website.
2. Select Manual Configuration.
3. Select the Server Location you want to connect to and then click Download.
4. In the Select Protocol dropdown choose WireGuard.
5. In the Select Device dropdown choose DD-WRT. Then click Generate Configuration. This will save a .conf file to your computer.
Login to Asus Merlin firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device connected to the Merlin FlashRouter’s network.
1. Navigate to the VPN tab.
2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.
3. Select WireGuard as the VPN Protocol.
4. Click Choose file and select the .conf file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.
5. In the Description field enter in the name you’d like to use for this WireGuard Client profile. We typically advise entering in the location here.
6. Set Enable WireGuard to Yes.
7. Click Apply at the bottom of the page and you should then see a Connected message appear.
8. By default no devices are assigned to the new active WireGuard connection profile. Click the VPN Director tab to assign specific devices to the new WireGuard profile. Your IP will not be changed on your devices yet.
9. On the VPN Director page click the + symbol next to Add new rule.
10. Select the new WireGuard profile in the Interface dropdown.
11. In the Local IP field enter in 192.168.50.0/24 if you want ALL devices connected to the FlashRouter’s network to use the WireGuard VPN connection. Click OK.
If you only want certain devices to connect to the WireGuard Client profile you have setting up instead of all the devices connected to the FlashRouter’s network please complete the instructions on our VPN Director guide.
12. Then click Apply at the bottom of the page.
Visit PureVPN’s IP Check to verify your new IP address and virtual location.
In some cases you may notice that the location is not showing the same location as the server you have input in your router settings; this is because geo tracking tools are often tricked by VPN connections. As long as you see an IP address that is not the same as your normal Internet IP address then you are indeed connected to PureVPN.
Whenever a device joins the FlashRouter network via wired or WiFi connection the DHCP server on the router gives out a local IP address to each device so all these devices can interact on your local network.
Increase the DHCP range to allow more users to automatically be assigned an IP address or decrease the DHCP range to limit the users that are automatically assigned an IP address.
Navigate to Setup > Basic Setup
If you are not already a Windscribe user Sign Up Now.
Log in to your account on the Windscribe website.
Go to the Windscribe WireGuard config generator page and select the Server location and Port you would like to use. Click Download Config.
Open the .conf file that is downloaded using Notepad in Windows or TextEdit in Mac.
Navigate to Setup > Tunnels
1. Click Add Tunnel.
2. Set Tunnel to Enable.
3. Select Wireguard from the dropdown.
3. Set CVE-2019-14899 Mitigation to Enable. Set NAT via Tunnel to Enable. Set Local Port to 51820. Set MTU to 1420.
4. Check Firewall inbound and Kill Switch.
5. Set Advanced Settings to Enable and copy the PrivateKey from the .conf file and paste it into the Local Private Key field.
6. Click Add Peer.
7. Set Peer Tunnel IP to 0.0.0.0. Set Peer Tunnel DNS to the DNS found in the .conf file.
8. Set Endpoint to Enable. Copy and Paste the Endpoint from the .conf file and paste it into the Endpoint Address field. Enter the same Port that appears next to the Endpoint.
9. Leave Allowed IPs as 0.0.0.0/0. Set Router Allowed IP’s via tunnel to Enable. Set Persistent Keep Alive to 25.
10. Copy and Paste the PublicKey from the .conf file and paste it into the Peer Public Key field.
11. Set Use Pre-shared Key to Enable. Copy and Paste the Presharedkey from the .conf file and paste it into the Pre-Shared Key field.
12. Copy the Address from the .conf file and paste it into the IP Addresses/Netmask(CIDR) field.
Certain DD-WRT builds will show two separate fields here: IP Address and Subnet Mask. If that is the case set the IP Address field to the Address without the /32 added and set the Subnet Mask to 255.255.255.255
21. At the bottom of the page click Save and then click Apply Settings.
Navigate to Setup > Tunnels
Navigate to Administration > Backup
If you are not already a PIA user Sign Up Now.
1. Log in to your account on the PIA website.
2. Successfully log in with your account information then go to PIA’s OpenVPN Config Generator.
3. On the OpenVPN Configuration Generator select the following:
OpenVPN Version: OpenVPN 2.4 or newer
Select Platform: Linux
Select Region: Choose the server location you’d like to connect to
Select Port: Typically we recommend UDP/1198 RSA-2048 AES-128-CBC SHA1 for best speeds but feel free to select the one you want to use.
4. Click Generate to download the .ovpn file. Do not open this file once it is downloaded.
Login to TP-Link firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device connected to the FlashRouter’s network.
1. Navigate to the Advanced tab.
2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.
3. Check the Enable box next to VPN Client. Then click Save at the bottom of the page.
4. Click the Add button in the Server List area.
5. In the Description field enter in the name you’d like to use for this OpenVPN Client profile. We typically advise entering in the location. Our example server was New York so I have entered in PIA New York.
Set the VPN Type to OpenVPN.
In the Username and Password fields paste in the PIA username and password you use to successfully login to your PIA website account.
Click Browse and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Save.
By default no devices will be assigned to the VPN Tunnel. With TP-Link firmware you must manually assign the devices that you want connected to the VPN tunnel. Proceed with the next steps to do so for all devices you want connected to VPN.
6. Click the Add button in the Device List area.
7. A list of devices connected to the FlashRouter’s network will appear. Check the devices that you want to connect to VPN. Then click OK.
8. Now that the devices have been assigned to the VPN connection click the Enable toggle in the Server List area.
In some cases you may notice that the location is not showing the same location as the server you have input in your router settings; this is because geo tracking tools are often tricked by VPN connections. As long as you see an IP address that is not the same as your normal Internet IP address then you are indeed connected to PIA.
Bypassing the ExpressVPN tunnel on certain devices allows you to have multiple IP Addresses while connected to the same router. This feature is very helpful with certain websites where VPN is blocked such as streaming services and banking information.
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 Off on the right hand side of the menu.
5. Click and drag the device that you want to bypass the VPN tunnel to the No VPN area.
The devices assigned to No VPN will now correct directly to your ISP internet while the devices in the VPN group will remain connected to the VPN server.
If you are not already an IPVanish user Sign Up Now.
1. Log in to your account on the IPVanish website.
2. Successfully log in with your account information then go to IPVanish .ovpn file page.
3. Click on the .ovpn file for the server location you want to use to dowloand the .ovpn file. Do not open this file.
Login to TP-Link firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device connected to the FlashRouter’s network.
1. Navigate to the Advanced tab.
2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.
3. Check the Enable box next to VPN Client. Then click Save at the bottom of the page.
4. Click the Add button in the Server List area.
5. In the Description field enter in the name you’d like to use for this OpenVPN Client profile. We typically advise entering in the location. Our example server was New York so I have entered in IPVanish New York.
Set the VPN Type to OpenVPN.
In the Username and Password fields paste in the IPVanish email and password you use to successfully login to your IPVanish website account.
Click Browse and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Save.
By default no devices will be assigned to the VPN Tunnel. With TP-Link firmware you must manually assign the devices that you want connected to the VPN tunnel. Proceed with the next steps to do so for all devices you want connected to VPN.
6. Click the Add button in the Device List area.
7. A list of devices connected to the FlashRouter’s network will appear. Check the devices that you want to connect to VPN. Then click OK.
8. Now that the devices have been assigned to the VPN connection click the Enable toggle in the Server List area.
In some cases you may notice that the location is not showing the same location as the server you have input in your router settings; this is because geo tracking tools are often tricked by VPN connections. As long as you see an IP address that is not the same as your normal Internet IP address then you are indeed connected to IPVanish.
If you are not already a ProtonVPN user Sign Up Now.
Log in to your account on the ProtonVPN website.
1. On the left hand side select Downloads.
2. Then select WireGuard Configuration.
3. Enter the Device Name to assign the FlashRouter to identify it among your ProtonVPN connections.
4. Set the Device platform as Router.
5. Select the VPN Options that you would like to connect with.
6. ProtonVPN will recommend the ideal server for you to connect to based on your location. Click Create or scroll down and select the server you wish to connect to and click Create next to the server number.
7. Click Download to download the .conf file of the server you selected.
Navigate to Setup > Tunnels
1. Click Import Config and then select Choose file. Select the .conf file that was downloaded earlier.
2. All settings will be loaded into the DD-WRT firmware the only field that needs to be adjusted is setting Persistent Keepalive to 25.
3. Click Apply Settings at the bottom of the page.
4. After 30 seconds or so refresh the page until you see the WireGuard Status on the page is populated as seen below.
Navigate to Setup > Tunnels
Navigate to Administration > Backup
If you are not already an ExpressVPN user Sign Up Now.
1. Log in to your account on the ExpressVPN website.
2. Successfully log in with your account information. Select More.
3. Select Manual Configuration and copy the Username and Password that are displayed on the right hand side of the screen.
4. Click the Server Location that you want to connect to. This will download a .ovpn file to your computer that we will use later on. There is no need to open the file. For this example I have selected New York but feel free to select any server listed there.
Login to AsusWRT firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device connected to the AsusWRT FlashRouter’s network.
1. Navigate to the VPN tab.
2. Navigate to the VPN Fusion tab.
3. Click Add profile.
4. In the Connection Name field enter in the name you’d like to use for this OpenVPN Client profile. We typically advise entering in the location or server number here. Our example server was in New York so I have entered in ExpressVPN New York.
5. In the VPN Type dropdown select OpenVPN.
6. Click Import .ovpn file and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.
7. Enter your ExpressVPN username and password that you obtained earlier in the Username and Password. Note that these are different from your ExpressVPN email login and password.
8. Click Apply and Enable at the bottom of the page.
If you only want certain devices to connect to the OpenVPN Client profile you are setting up instead of all the devices connected to the FlashRouter’s network click into the profile and disable Apply to all devices. Then click Devices and select the devices that you want to connect to VPN.
9. At the top of the page set the Service State toggle to ON to activate the VPN connection.
In some cases you may notice that the location is not showing the same location as the server you have input in your router settings; this is because geo tracking tools are often tricked by VPN connections. As long as you see an IP address that is not the same as your normal Internet IP address then you are indeed connected to ExpressVPN.
If you are not already a PIA user Sign Up Now.
1. Log in to your account on the PIA website.
2. Successfully log in with your account information then go to PIA’s OpenVPN Config Generator.
3. On the OpenVPN Configuration Generator select the following:
OpenVPN Version: OpenVPN 2.4 or newer
Select Platform: Linux
Select Region: Choose the server location you’d like to connect to
Select Port: Typically we recommend UDP/1198 RSA-2048 AES-128-CBC SHA1 for best speeds but feel free to select the one you want to use.
4. Click Generate to download the .ovpn file. Do not open this file once it is downloaded.
Login to AsusWRT firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device connected to the AsusWRT FlashRouter’s network.
1. Navigate to the VPN tab.
2. Navigate to the VPN Fusion tab.
3. Click Add profile.
4. In the Connection Name field enter in the name you’d like to use for this OpenVPN Client profile. We typically advise entering in the location or server number here. Our example server was in New York so I have entered in PIA New York.
5. In the VPN Type dropdown select OpenVPN.
6. Click Import .ovpn file and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.
7. In the Username and Password fields paste in the PIA username and password you use to successfully login to your PIA website account.
8. Click Apply and Enable at the bottom of the page.
If you only want certain devices to connect to the OpenVPN Client profile you are setting up instead of all the devices connected to the FlashRouter’s network click into the profile and disable Apply to all devices. Then click Devices and select the devices that you want to connect to VPN.
9. At the top of the page set the Service State toggle to ON to activate the VPN connection.
In some cases you may notice that the location is not showing the same location as the server you have input in your router settings; this is because geo tracking tools are often tricked by VPN connections. As long as you see an IP address that is not the same as your normal Internet IP address then you are indeed connected to PIA.
Changing the wireless channel on your ExpressVPN FlashRouter can help with WiFi stability and allows you to use a wireless channel with less traffic in your local environment.
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 Network Settings on the left hand side of the menu.
5. Select Wi-Fi Settings on the left hand side of the menu.
6. Select Advanced Settings.
7. Select the Channel Width and Main Channel you want your ExpressVPN FlashRouter to use. Note that higher 5GHz Wi-Fi channels will not be compatible with older devices. Click Save. Click Continue.
By default ExpressVPN firmware bonds the 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless networks to a single wireless network name. Your device will automatically choose which one will provide the best connection. You can separate these networks to have unique Wi-Fi names so you can control which network your devices will use.
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 Network Settings on the left hand side of the menu.
5. Select Wi-Fi Settings on the left hand side of the menu.
6. Click the toggle for Separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi.
7. Separate Wi-Fi details for the 5GHz band will now display. You can change the name and password if you so choose or leave it with the default name and password with “-5GHz” added to the name. Click Save. Click Continue.
