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Search Results for: guide setup

ExpressVPN Merlin OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Jan 11, 2023 ·

Preparing for ExpressVPN Merlin Setup

Obtain your ExpressVPN OpenVPN Information

If you are not already an ExpressVPN user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the ExpressVPN website.

ExpressVPN login page

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.

ExpressVPN Manual Configuration
ExpressVPN username and password

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.

ExpressVPN Download .ovpn file

Merlin Router Setup for ExpressVPN

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

Merlin VPN Client Tab

3. Click Choose file and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.

Merlin Choose File Upload

4. Set Automatic Start at boot time to Yes if you want the VPN connection to begin automatically when the router is powered off and back on.

Merlin Automatic Start at boot time

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 or server number here. Our example server was in New York so I have entered in ExpressVPN New York.

Merlin ExpressVPN Description

6. Set Accept DNS Configuration to Strict. Set Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to Yes (all). Set Kill Switch to Yes or No depending on if you want the Internet to be killed if the VPN connection drops.

Merlin Accept DNS configuration Redirect Internet and Kill Switch

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 please set the Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to VPN Director. Then complete the instructions on this page and then view our VPN Director guide.

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.

Merlin VPN Username and Password

8. Click Apply at the bottom of the page.

9. At the top of the page set the Service State toggle to ON to activate the VPN connection.

Merlin Service State

Verify a successful ExpressVPN connection

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED message.
  2. Visit ExpressVPN’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 ExpressVPN.

How to change the ExpressVPN server

  1. Copy the new ExpressVPN server address from the below server list.
  2. Paste the server into the Server Address field.
  3. Click Apply at the bottom of the page.

ExpressVPN Server Addresses

Americas

usa-atlanta-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-boston-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-chicago-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-dallas-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-dallas-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-denver-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-kansascity-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-losangeles-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-losangeles-1-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-losangeles-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-losangeles-3-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-los-angeles-4-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-miami-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-miami-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-minneapolis-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-newjersey-1-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-newjersey-3-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-newyork-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
us-new-york-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-phoenix-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-saltlakecity-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-sanfrancisco-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-sanjose-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-seattle-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-tampa-1-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-virginia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-washingtondc-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
usa-washingtondc-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
canada-montreal-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
canada-toronto-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
canada-toronto-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
canada-vancouver-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
mexico-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
argentina-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
brazil-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
brazil-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
chile-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
colombia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
costarica-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
ecuador-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
guatemala-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
panama-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
peru-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
uruguay-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
venezuela-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com

Europe

uk-berkshire-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
uk-berkshire-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
uk-docklands-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
uk-east-london-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
uk-kent-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
uk-london-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
france-paris-1-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
france-paris-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
france-strasbourg-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
germany-darmstadt-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
germany-frankfurt-1-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
germany-frankfurt-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
germany-nuremberg-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
italy-cosenza-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
italy-milan-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
netherlands-amsterdam-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
netherlands-rotterdam-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
netherlands-thehague-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
spain-barcelona-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
spain-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
sweden-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
sweden-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
switzerland-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
switzerland-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
albania-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
andorra-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
armenia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
austria-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
azerbaijan-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
belarus-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
belgium-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
bosniaandherzegovina-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
bulgaria-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
croatia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
cyprus-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
czechrepublic-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
denmark-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
estonia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
finland-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
georgia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
greece-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
hungary-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
iceland-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
ireland-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
isleofman-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
jersey-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
latvia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
liechtenstein-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
lithuania-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
luxembourg-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
macedonia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
malta-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
moldova-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
monaco-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
montenegro-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
norway-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
poland-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
portugal-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
romania-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
serbia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
slovakia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
slovenia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
ukraine-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com

Asia Pacific

australia-brisbane-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
australia-melbourne-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
australia-perth-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
australia-sydney-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
australia-sydney-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
australia-sydney-3-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
hongkong-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
hongkong4-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
hongkong-1-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
japan-tokyo-1-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
japan-tokyo-2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
india-chennai-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
india-mumbai-1-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
singapore-cbd-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
singapore-jurong-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
southkorea-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
southkorea2-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
bangladesh-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
bhutan-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
brunei-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
cambodia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
indonesia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
kazakhstan-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
kyrgyzstan-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
laos-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
macau-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
malaysia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
mongolia-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
myanmar-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
nepal-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
newzealand-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
pakistan-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
ph-via-sing-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
srilanka-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
taiwan-3-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
thailand-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
vietnam-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com

Middle East and Africa

algeria-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
israel-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
kenya-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com
southafrica-ca-version-2.expressnetw.com

Merlin ExpressVPN change server location

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Service Plan FAQs

admin · May 25, 2021 ·

Service Plan FAQs

Is the service plan a one time purchase or does it renew?

All FR service plans automatically renew on a quarterly or annual basis based on the term initially purchased. A reminder e-mail will be sent one week prior to renewal. In your FlashRouter account panel, you can cancel the plan at any time to stop any further renewals.

What is included with a FlashRouter?

  • On-demand Installation of enhanced firmware and our exclusive FlashRouters VPN Privacy App.
  • Custom setup guide.
  • Power cord and an ethernet cable.
  • Individual VPN Account Setup/Pre-configuration (On Request)
  • 1 year open source hardware warranty.
  • 30 day satisfaction guarantee.
  • Initial basic setup assistance via e-mail. For any advanced setups/configurations, live chat or remote assistance, a service plan purchase is required.

Does the service plan include a VPN subscription?

A subscription to a VPN does not come with a FlashRouter or Service plan. If you are planning to use a VPN, you would need to sign up for one separately, directly from a provider.

Need assistance in finding a VPN Provider? Please visit our recent VPN Provider Best Seller List.

Plug and Play VPN Support

Unlike other VPN Router providers, FlashRouters is proud to offer free VPN service integration with any purchase.

To receive a plug and play with VPN device, you will need to provide our team with the credentials from your VPN provider subscription.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not required but recommended for users who wish to have the simplest, most seamless experience when the FlashRouter arrives. You can always change the password when the device arrives if you wish as well.

Shows what to look for when you want to preconfigure your router.

To have your router VPN pre-configured:

  1. Select Yes from the “Want Your Router Preconfigured?” on the Payment Page during check out.
  2. Select your VPN provider. If you don’t see your VPN listed select “Other” and you will see an additional field to input who your provider is.
  3. Enter your your VPN username and password
  4. For ExpressVPN Firmware Routers there will be an additional box for your activation code.

Please note:  If you do not enter a server location request in “Order Comments”, we will automatically start the device with the closest/optimal server for the location we are shipping the device by default. A location has to be added to the initial configuration for plug and play encryption security to occur on the device.

Do I have to buy a service plan?

Our routers are priced for the custom upgrades performed at our warehouse, testing expenses and keeping the FlashRouter App update to date.

Our service plan has three levels as an optional add-on with your purchase to get continued direct assistance from our team. This is especially useful to customers who are less tech savvy and want direct access to our support team to make sure their network is running exactly how they desire. Here is how these plans differ

Bronze – Basic E-mail Support
Silver – E-mail and Live Chat Support.
Gold – E-mail, Live Chat, and Remote One-on-One Sessions

Each situation and user has different needs and expertise. Our team of US-based support agents are highly trained specialists in VPN and DD-WRT router setup. From firmware updates to networking configuration/troubleshooting,solutions, the purpose of our Service Plans is to help our customers in whatever level they deem necessary.

Does FlashRouters offer phone support?

At this time, we do not provide phone support with our service plans. We have tested phone support for networking troubleshooting in the past but have found that on average caused us to help less customers in a less efficient manner. However, with a purchase of a Gold Service Plan, customers can schedule 1-on-1 remote support sessions via Teamviewer with our engineers and they will provide a hands-on, personal solution, to any problems you may be facing.

Do I need a Service Plan for a firmware upgrade?

Firmware upgrades are free of charge to any FlashRouter customer!

You can visit our support center and select your specific router model to upgrade your firmware based on the recommendations provided.

If you want the help of our Support Team to assist in this upgrade, you can always sign up for our Gold Service Plan and schedule a 1-on-1 Teamviewer session in which our trained engineers will take care of the upgrade for you!

What does the warranty cover?

Our complimentary 1-year hardware warranty does not include tech support outside. If your router suffers hardware failure within 365 days from the date you received the unit, then we will gladly replace your router with another fully tested one. For more information regarding our warranty and return policy, please check out our warranty and return section.

Can I purchase a router without a service plan and subscribe later?

Yes, you may purchase a service plan at any time. However, we can’t guarantee any pricing, or apply any previously offered discounts or specific features at that later date.

GL.iNet Access Router Settings and Firmware Upgrade

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 3, 2023 ·

Follow this guide to upgrade the firmware of your GL.iNet FlashRouter.

1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the GL.iNet 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 9483C07E70A8 then your WiFi password is Wireless#9483C

Be sure to capitalize the W.

2. Once connected via wireless or ethernet on your device open your browser and go to 192.168.8.1

GL.iNet router access

3. Enter openwrt as the admin password to access the GL.iNet firmware settings. Newer devices may have a different admin password set as openwrt1 or glopenwrt1

GL.iNet admin password enter

3. If a new firmware upgrade is available the router settings will either display a banner when you first access the router or a header. Click Install or the Upgrade arrow depending on which appears for you.

GL.iNet Firmware Upgrade Banner
GL.iNet Firmware Upgrade Header

4. Make sure the Keep Settings toggle is pushed to the right so your router does not get reset. Click the Install button to begin the firmware upgrade.

GL.iNet Install Firmware Upgrade

5. The firmware update should take about 2-3 minutes. You may need to reconnect your wireless devices after the network comes back up in your available networks.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Flint/Slate GL.iNet Change Wi-Fi name and password

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 20, 2023 ·

Follow this guide to change the Wi-Fi name and password on your GL.iNet FlashRouter.

1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the GL.iNet 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 192.168.8.1

GL.iNet router access

3. Enter openwrt as the admin password to access the GL.iNet firmware settings.

GL.iNet admin password enter

4. Click Wireless.

GL.iNet Click Wireless

5. Click Modify under the 5GHz or 2.4GHz band.

GL.iNet Modify Wifi

The 5GHz and 2.4GHz information must be changed at separate times. Keep in mind that if you are connected to wireless when changing one band you may need to reconnect with the new info you set to be on the network again to make changes to the other band.

6. Change the Wi-Fi Name (SSID) and Wi-Fi Password fields to what you want to use. The SSID should be unique and NOT a duplicate of an existing network. Click Apply.

GL.iNet change Wifi name and password

7. Connect your devices to the new wireless network.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Flint/Slate GL.iNet Disable Wi-Fi

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 20, 2023 ·

Follow this guide to disable Wi-Fi network on your GL.iNet FlashRouter.

1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the GL.iNet 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 192.168.8.1

GL.iNet router access

3. Enter openwrt as the admin password to access the GL.iNet firmware settings.

GL.iNet admin password enter

4. Click Wireless.

GL.iNet Click Wireless

5. Click Modify under the 5GHz or 2.4GHz band.

GL.iNet Modify Wifi

The 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands must be disabled at separate times. Keep in mind that if you are connected to wireless when disabling one band you may need to reconnect with the other band to disable it. Also make sure you have a device that has ethernet capabilities so you can still access the settings with wireless disabled.

6. Set the Enable Wi-Fi toggle to the OFF position and click Apply.

GL.iNet Disable Wifi

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Flint/Slate GL.iNet Guest Network Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 20, 2023 ·

Follow this guide to setup a Guest Network on your GL.iNet FlashRouter. Devices connected to the guest network will be on a separate subnet and will not have access to the router settings or be able to talk to devices on the main network.

1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the GL.iNet 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 192.168.8.1

GL.iNet router access

3. Enter openwrt as the admin password to access the GL.iNet firmware settings.

GL.iNet admin password enter

4. Click Wireless.

GL.iNet Click Wireless

5. Click 5GHz Guest Wi-Fi or 2.4GHz Guest Wi-Fi.

GL.iNet Select Guest Wifi

6. Click Modify.

GL.iNet Guest Modify

7. Set the Enable Wi-Fi toggle to the ON position.

GL.iNet Enable Guest Wifi

8. Change the Wi-Fi Name (SSID) and Wi-Fi Password fields to what you want to use. The SSID should be unique and NOT a duplicate of an existing network. Click Apply.

GL.iNet Guest change wifi name and pass

9. Connect your devices to the new guest wireless network.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

NordVPN Merlin OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Jan 11, 2023 ·

Preparing for NordVPN Merlin Setup

Obtain your NordVPN manual Username and Password

If you are not already an NordVPN user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the NordVPN website.

NordVPN login

2. Click NordVPN on the left hand side and then click Setup NordVPN manually.

NordVPN setup manually

3. Enter in the verification code that was sent to your email.

NordVPN verify code

4. Copy and paste your NordVPN manual username and password to a secure location. This is the username and password you will enter into the router settings to connect to NordVPN.

NordVPN credentials

Download your NordVPN .ovpn file

1. There are two options for obtaining the .ovpn file. The first and recommended is to navigate to NordVPN’s server recommendation page. Click Recommended Server to display the fastest server based on your actual location. You can adjust the country if you don’t want to connect to the recommended country.

Then click Show Available Protocols. Click Download Config next to OpenVPN UDP. This will download the .ovpn file to your computer for this server. Do not open this file.

NordVPN Recommended Server

The second method to obtain a server is for connecting to a specific server number that you know you want to use. This applies to NordVPN Dedicated IP servers if you are signed up for that service. Go to NordVPN’s .ovpn file page. Then search for the server number that you want to use and click Download UDP.

NordVPN Download Specific Server

Merlin Router Setup for NordVPN

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

Merlin VPN Client Tab

3. Click Choose file and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.

Merlin Choose File Upload

4. Set Automatic Start at boot time to Yes if you want the VPN connection to begin automatically when the router is powered off and back on.

Merlin Automatic Start at boot time

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 or server number here. Our example server was in us5835.nordvpn.com so I have entered in NordVPN us5835.

Merlin NordVPN Description

6. Set Accept DNS Configuration to Strict. Set Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to Yes (all). Set Kill Switch to Yes or No depending on if you want the Internet to be killed if the VPN connection drops.

Merlin Accept DNS configuration Redirect Internet and Kill Switch

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 please set the Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to VPN Director. Then complete the instructions on this page and then view our VPN Director guide.

7. Enter your NordVPN username and password that you obtained earlier in the Username and Password. Note that these are different from your NordVPN email login and password.

Merlin VPN Username and Password

8. Click Apply at the bottom of the page.

9. At the top of the page set the Service State toggle to ON to activate the VPN connection.

Merlin Service State All Providers

Verify a successful NordVPN connection

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED message.
  2. Visit NordVPN’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 NordVPN.

How to change the NordVPN server

  1. Follow the steps at the top of the page to obtain a new .ovpn file.
  2. Then proceed with the settings same as initial setup.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

PrivateInternetAccess (PIA) Merlin OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Jan 11, 2023 ·

Preparing for PIA Merlin Setup

Download your PIA .ovpn file

If you are not already a PIA user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the PIA website.

PIA login

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.

PIA Generate .ovpn file

Merlin Router Setup for PIA

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

Merlin VPN Client Tab

3. Click Choose file and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.

Merlin Choose File Upload

4. Set Automatic Start at boot time to Yes if you want the VPN connection to begin automatically when the router is powered off and back on.

Merlin Automatic Start at boot time

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 here. Our example server was in US East Streaming so I have entered in PIA US East Streaming.

PIA Description

6. Set Accept DNS Configuration to Strict. Set Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to Yes (all). Set Kill Switch to Yes or No depending on if you want the Internet to be killed if the VPN connection drops.

Merlin Accept DNS configuration Redirect Internet and Kill Switch

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 please set the Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to VPN Director. Then complete the instructions on this page and then view our VPN Director guide.

7. Enter your PIA account username and password.

Merlin VPN Username and Password

8. Click Apply at the bottom of the page.

9. At the top of the page set the Service State toggle to ON to activate the VPN connection.

Merlin Service State All Providers

Verify a successful PIA connection

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED message.
  2. Visit PIA’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 PIA.

How to change the PIA server

  1. Follow the steps at the top of the page to obtain a new .ovpn file.
  2. Then proceed with the settings same as initial setup.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

IPVanish Merlin OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Jan 11, 2023 ·

Preparing for IPVanish Merlin Setup

Download your IPVanish .ovpn file

If you are not already an IPVanish user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the IPVanish website.

IPVanish login

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.

IPVanish download ovpn

Merlin Router Setup for IPVanish

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

Merlin VPN Client Tab

3. Click Choose file and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.

Merlin Choose File Upload

4. Set Automatic Start at boot time to Yes if you want the VPN connection to begin automatically when the router is powered off and back on.

Merlin Automatic Start at boot time

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 here. Our example server was in nyc-a50 so I have entered in IPVanish a-50.

IPVanish Description

6. Set Accept DNS Configuration to Strict. Set Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to Yes (all). Set Kill Switch to Yes or No depending on if you want the Internet to be killed if the VPN connection drops.

Merlin Accept DNS configuration Redirect Internet and Kill Switch

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 please set the Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to VPN Director. Then complete the instructions on this page and then view our VPN Director guide.

7. Enter your IPVanish account email/username and password.

Merlin VPN Username and Password

8. Click Apply at the bottom of the page.

9. At the top of the page set the Service State toggle to ON to activate the VPN connection.

Merlin Service State All Providers

Verify a successful IPVanish connection

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED message.
  2. Visit IPVanish’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 IPVanish.

How to change the IPVanish server

  1. Follow the steps at the top of the page to obtain a new .ovpn file.
  2. Then proceed with the settings same as initial setup.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Change WiFi name and password on Asus

TeamFlashRouters · Feb 26, 2024 ·

Set a custom WiFi network name and password for your devices to join the Asus FlashRouter’s network.

View our guide for more instructions on how to access AsusWRT firmware settings.

1. Under General select Network Map.

Merlin Wifi change name and pass

2. In the Network name (SSID) field enter the name you want your Asus WiFi to appear as. This can be the same or different for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. We typically advise setting different names for each so you can connect your streaming devices to the 5GHz band as that is the faster WiFi band.

3. In the WPA-PSK key field enter the password you want to join your devices to the Asus WiFi network. If your WiFi names are the same for 2.4GHz and 5GHz make sure they have the exact same wireless password set.

4. Click Apply and then rejoin the new wireless network.

Flint/Slate GL.iNet ExpressVPN OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · May 29, 2023 ·

Preparing for ExpressVPN GL.iNet Setup

Obtain your ExpressVPN OpenVPN Information

If you are not already an ExpressVPN user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the ExpressVPN website.

ExpressVPN login page

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.

ExpressVPN Manual Configuration
ExpressVPN username and password

4. Click the Server Location(s) 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 or multiple servers.

ExpressVPN Download .ovpn file

GL.iNet Router Setup for ExpressVPN

Login to GL.iNet firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device connected to the GL.iNet FlashRouter’s network. For more instructions on how to access the firmware settings view our guide here.

1. Navigate to the VPN tab and select OpenVPN Client.

GL.iNet VPN OpenVPN Client

2. Click New Group.

GL.iNet New OpenVPN Client Group

3. Enter ExpressVPN and click the check mark.

GL.iNet ExpressVPN

4. Select the .ovpn file(s) you downloaded earlier and upload them here.

GL.iNet VPN select file

5. Enter in the ExpressVPN username and password that you obtained earlier. Do NOT enter your ExpressVPN account email and password login. Click Apply.

GL.iNet VPN username and password

6. Select VPN Dashboard.

GL.iNet VPN Dashboard

7. Set the Enable toggle to On to begin the ExpressVPN connection.

GL.iNet ExpressVPN enable switch

Verify a successful ExpressVPN connection

  1. You should now see information appear in the Server Address, Server Listen Port, Traffic Statistics, and Client Virtual IP areas.
  2. Visit ExpressVPN’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 ExpressVPN.

How to change the ExpressVPN server

  1. Download a new .ovpn file location as detailed above.
  2. In the ExpressVPN Group on the OpenVPN Client area click Upload Configuration File and select the new .ovpn file.
  3. Click VPN Dashboard and then click the Configuration File area and select the new location that you added.
  4. Click Apply.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Surfshark Manual OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 24, 2019 ·

Preparing for Manual Surfshark Setup

Obtain your Surfshark OpenVPN information

If you are not already an Surfshark user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the Surfshark website.

2. Successfully log in with your account information and Navigate to the Manual Connection Guide. Here you will find the OpenVPN Specific Username and Password required for manual configuration.

FlashRouters Privacy App - SurfShark OpenVPN Specific Username and Password

Surfshark Server Addresses

View a full list of Surfshark servers.

United States

Atlanta:
us-atl.prod.surfshark.com
Buffalo:
us-buf.prod.surfshark.com
Chicago:
us-chi.prod.surfshark.com
Dallas:
us-dal.prod.surfshark.com
Las Vegas:
us-las.prod.surfshark.com
Los Angeles:
us-lax.prod.surfshark.com
Miami:
us-mia.prod.surfshark.com
New York City:
us-nyc.prod.surfshark.com
Phoenix:
us-phx.prod.surfshark.com
San Fransisco:
us-sfo.prod.surfshark.com
Seattle:
us-sea.prod.surfshark.com

DD-WRT Router Setup for Surfshark

Navigate to Services > VPN

Enter Surfshark settings

OpenVPN Client

Start OpenVPN Client

If you wish to disable your VPN connection simply set this to Disable at any time and click Apply Settings.

Server IP/Name

Copy and paste the server you would like to connect to from the server list above. Be sure there are no extra spaces or characters.

If you wish to change Surfshark connection locations, THIS IS THE ONLY FIELD YOU NEED TO CHANGE.

Port

1194

Tunnel Device

TUN

Tunnel Protocol

UDP

Encryption cipher

None

Hash Algorithm

SHA512

Userpass Authentication

Enable

Username

Enter your OpenVPN specific Username.

Password

Enter your OpenVPN specific Password.

Advanced Options

Enable

TLS Cipher

None

LZO Compression

Disabled

NAT

Enable

Firewall Protection

Enable

TLS Auth Key

-----BEGIN OpenVPN Static key V1-----
b02cb1d7c6fee5d4f89b8de72b51a8d0
c7b282631d6fc19be1df6ebae9e2779e
6d9f097058a31c97f57f0c35526a44ae
09a01d1284b50b954d9246725a1ead1f
f224a102ed9ab3da0152a15525643b2e
ee226c37041dc55539d475183b889a10
e18bb94f079a4a49888da566b9978346
0ece01daaf93548beea6c827d9674897
e7279ff1a19cb092659e8c1860fbad0d
b4ad0ad5732f1af4655dbd66214e552f
04ed8fd0104e1d4bf99c249ac229ce16
9d9ba22068c6c0ab742424760911d463
6aafb4b85f0c952a9ce4275bc821391a
a65fcd0d2394f006e3fba0fd34c4bc4a
b260f4b45dec3285875589c97d3087c9
134d3a3aa2f904512e85aa2dc2202498
-----END OpenVPN Static key V1-----

Additional Config

remote-cert-tls server
remote-random
nobind
tun-mtu 1500
tun-mtu-extra 32
mssfix 1450
persist-key
persist-tun
ping-timer-rem
reneg-sec 0
cipher AES-256-GCM
log /tmp/vpn.log

Policy Based Routing

This field can be used for split VPN and Dual Gateway routing.

CA Cert

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----

CLICK APPLY SETTINGS

Leave all settings not mentioned above as their default setting.

Verify a successful Surfshark connection

Navigate to Status > OpenVPN

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED SUCCESS message.
  2. Visit WhatIsMyIPAddress to verify your new IP address, virtual location, and status as Protected at the top of the page.

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 Surfshark VPN.

Back up your settings

Navigate to Administration > Backup

  1. Click the Backup button.
  2. A file named nvrambak.bin will be saved to your computer.
  3. You can load nvrambak.bin to restore your settings in the event of a reset.

How to change the Surfshark server

  1. Visit the Surfshark Manual setup page and scroll down to Section 3.
  2. Copy and paste one of the server IP Address into the Server IP/Name field.
  3. Click Apply Settings.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Cudy Access Router Settings

TeamFlashRouters · Feb 26, 2024 ·

Follow this guide to access the router settings of your Cudy FlashRouter.

1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the Cudy 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 192.168.10.1

Cudy local IP access

3. Enter openwrt1 or openwrt as the admin password to access the Cudy firmware settings.

Cudy router access

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Cudy Change Wi-Fi name and password

TeamFlashRouters · Feb 26, 2024 ·

Follow this guide to change the Wi-Fi name and password on your Cudy FlashRouter.

1. Connect your computer, phone, or tablet to the Cudy 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 192.168.10.1

Cudy local IP access

3. Enter openwrt as the admin password to access the Cudy firmware settings.

Cudy router access

3. Click General Settings.

Cudy General Settings

4. Click Wireless.

Cudy Wireless tab

5. Change the SSID and Password fields for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.The SSIDs should be unique and NOT a duplicate of an existing network. Click Save & Apply.

Cudy Change Wifi Name and password

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Flint/Slate GL.iNet PureVPN WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · May 30, 2023 ·

Preparing for PureVPN GL.iNet Setup

Obtain PureVPN WireGuard file

If you are not already an PureVPN user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the PureVPN website.

PureVPN Login

2. Select Manual Configuration.

PureVPN Manual Configuration

3. Select the Server Location you want to connect to and then click Download.

PureVPN select server location

4. In the Select Protocol dropdown choose WireGuard.

PureVPN WireGuard

5. In the Select Device dropdown choose DD-WRT. Then click Generate Configuration. This will save a .conf file to your computer.

PureVPN Generate Config

GL.iNet Router Setup for PureVPN

Login to GL.iNet firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device connected to the GL.iNet FlashRouter’s network. For more instructions on how to access the firmware settings view our guide here.

1. Navigate to the VPN tab and select WireGuard Client.

GL.iNet VPN WireGuard Client

2. Click New Group.

GL.iNet WireGuard New Group

3. Enter PureVPN and click the check mark.

GL.iNet PureVPN group name

4. Select the .conf file you downloaded earlier and upload it here.

GL.iNet VPN select file

5. Click Apply.

6. Select VPN Dashboard.

GL.iNet VPN Dashboard

7. Set the Enable toggle to On to begin the PureVPN connection.

GL.iNet PureVPN WireGuard enable

Verify a successful PureVPN connection

  1. You should now see information appear in the Server Address, Server Listen Port, Traffic Statistics, and Client Virtual IP areas.
  2. 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.

How to change the PureVPN server

Replicate the steps above with a new location.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

CyberGhost Merlin OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Mar 30, 2023 ·

Preparing for CyberGhost Setup

Obtain your CyberGhost OpenVPN information

If you are not already a CyberGhost user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the CyberGhost website.

CyberGhost Website Login

2. Select VPN.

CyberGhost VPN

3. Click Configure New Device.

CyberGhost Configure Device

4. Set Protocol to OpenVPN. Select the Country you would like to connect to. Select the Server Group. Name the device in the Device Name field. Click Save Configuration.

CyberGhost protocol and location

5. Press View configuration.

CyberGhost view configuration

6. Copy the Username, and Password that appear to a notepad, since you will need this information later in the setup process. Click Download Configuration.

CyberGhost Website OpenVPN Configuration Files Generator 1

Open the folder that was downloaded. Then open the ca.crt the client.crt, and client.key files with NotePad++ for Windows or TextEdit for Apple. All CyberGhost servers have different keys and certificates.

Merlin Router Setup for CyberGhost

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

Merlin VPN Client Tab

3. Click Choose file and select the .ovpn file from the folder you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.

Merlin Choose File Upload

4. Set Automatic Start at boot time to Yes if you want the VPN connection to begin automatically when the router is powered off and back on.

Merlin Automatic Start at boot time

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 here. Our example server was in USA so I have entered in CyberGhost USA.

Merlin CyberGhost Description field

6. Set Accept DNS Configuration to Strict. Set Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to Yes (all). Set Kill Switch to Yes or No depending on if you want the Internet to be killed if the VPN connection drops.

Merlin Accept DNS configuration Redirect Internet and Kill Switch

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 please set the Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel to VPN Director. Then complete the instructions on this page and then view our VPN Director guide.

7. Enter your CyberGhost OpenVPN username and password that you obtained earlier. Do not enter your account login.

Merlin VPN Username and Password

8. Click the Edit button in the Keys and Certificates area.

Merlin Keys and Certificates Edit button

9. In the Certificate Authority field paste in the entire content of the ca.crt file.

—– BEGIN xxx —– / —– END xxx —– block (including those two lines).

Merlin Certificate Authority

10. In the Client Certificate field paste in the entire content of the client.crt file.

—– BEGIN xxx —– / —– END xxx —– block (including those two lines).

Merlin Client Certificate

11. In the Client Key field paste in the entire content of the client.key file.

—– BEGIN xxx —– / —– END xxx —– block (including those two lines).

Merlin Client Key

12. Click Save at the bottom of that window.

13. Click Apply at the bottom of the page.

14. At the top of the page set the Service State toggle to ON to activate the VPN connection.

Merlin Service State All Providers

Verify a successful CyberGhost connection

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED message.
  2. Visit What is my IP Address from a private/incognito browser to verify your new IP address and virtual location.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the FR Privacy App Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

ProtonVPN Merlin WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Mar 30, 2023 ·

Preparing for ProtonVPN Merlin Setup

Download your ProtonVPN .conf file

If you are not already an ProtonVPN user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the ProtonVPN website.

ProtonVPN Account Sign in

2. Click Downloads.

ProtonVPN Downloads

3. Scroll down to WireGuard configuration and name the device FlashRouter.

ProtonVPN WireGuard Configuration Name

4. Select Router as the platform.

ProtonVPN WireGuard select Platform

5. Select the VPN options that best fit your needs. We typically use the settings as seen in the screenshot here if you are unsure.

ProtonVPN WireGuard VPN options

6. Next select the server that you would like to connect to and click Create. At the top of the page you’ll see ProtonVPN’s recommended server which we recommend using unless you need to connect to a specific location.

If you need a specific server location find it in the list and click Create.

ProtonVPN WireGuard recommended server
ProtonVPN WireGuard specific server

7. After clicking Create a new window will appear. Click Download to download the .conf file to your computer.

Merlin Router Setup for ProtonVPN

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

Merlin VPN Client Tab

3. Select WireGuard as the VPN Protocol.

Merlin VPN Client WireGuard

4. Click Choose file and select the .conf file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.

Merlin WireGuard Choose File 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. Our example server was in US-NY#61 so I have entered in ProtonVPN NY-61.

Merlin WireGuard ProtonVPN Description

6. Set Enable WireGuard to Yes.

Merlin Enable WireGuard

7. Click Apply at the bottom of the page and you should then see a Connected message appear.

Merlin WireGuard Connected

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.

WireGuard select VPN Director

9. On the VPN Director page click the + symbol next to Add new rule.

WireGuard VPN Director Add new rule

10. Select the new WireGuard profile in the Interface dropdown.

WireGuard VPN Director select Interface

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.

Verify a successful ProtonVPN connection

Visit ProtonVPN’s IP Check from a private/incognito browsing window 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 ProtonVPN.

How to change the ProtonVPN server

  1. Follow the steps at the top of the page to obtain a new .conf file.
  2. Then proceed with the settings same as initial setup.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Surfshark Merlin WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Mar 30, 2023 ·

Preparing for Surfshark Merlin Setup

Download your Surfshark .conf file

If you are not already a Surfshark user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the Surfshark website.

Surfshark Account Login

2. Click VPN Manual Setup.

Surfshark VPN Manual Setup

3. Select Router as the Setup Method.

Surfshark setup method Router

4. Select WireGuard as the Protocol.

Surfshark select WireGuard

5. Select I don’t have a key pair.

Surfshark No Key Pair

6. Enter FlashRouter as the name of the connection and click Next.

Surfshark Connection Name

7. Click Generate a new key pair.

Surfshark Generate new Key Pair

8. Click Choose a location.

Surfshark Choose a Location

9. Select the server location you want to connect to. Unless you need a specific location we recommend using Surfshark’s recommended Fastest server. Click Download to download the .conf file for this Surfshark server location.

Surfshark download conf file

Merlin Router Setup for Surfshark

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

Merlin VPN Client Tab

3. Select WireGuard as the VPN Protocol.

Merlin VPN Client WireGuard

4. Click Choose file and select the .conf file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.

Merlin WireGuard Choose File 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. Our example server was in New York so I have entered in Surfshark New York.

Merlin WireGuard ProtonVPN Description

6. Set Enable WireGuard to Yes.

Merlin Enable WireGuard

7. Click Apply at the bottom of the page and you should then see a Connected message appear.

Merlin WireGuard Connected

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.

WireGuard select VPN Director

9. On the VPN Director page click the + symbol next to Add new rule.

WireGuard VPN Director Add new rule

10. Select the new WireGuard profile in the Interface dropdown.

WireGuard VPN Director select Interface

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.

Verify a successful Surfshark connection

Visit Surfshark’s IP Check from a private/incognito browsing window 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 Surfshark.

How to change the Surfshark server

  1. Follow the steps at the top of the page to obtain a new .conf file.
  2. Then proceed with the settings same as initial setup.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

TP-Link Access Router Settings

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 11, 2024 ·

Follow this guide to access the router settings of 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 tplinkwifi.net

TP-Link URL Access

3. Enter tp-link as the admin password to access the TP-Link firmware settings.

TP-Link admin password

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

VPN Director for Asus Merlin

TeamFlashRouters · Jan 19, 2022 ·

Once you have OpenVPN connected on your Merlin FlashRouter you can manage your VPN connections by device or by VPN servers or even VPN providers. This is a major advantage of Asus Merlin firmware as it allows up to 5 VPN connections at the same.

Login to Asus Merlin firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device.

Setup multiple VPN clients

1. Under Advanced Settings select VPN.

2. Click the VPN Client tab.

3. In the Select Client instance dropdown select a new client instance to setup and follow your VPN providers setup guide.

VPN Director select client instance

4. Name the client in the Description field for more clarity for which server or provider is being setup.

VPN Director Description

5. Set the Redirect Internet traffic through tunnel dropdown to VPN Director.

VPN Director Policy

Start or Stop VPN Client

1. Under Advanced Settings select VPN.

2. Click the VPN Director tab.

Merlin VPN Director

3. With multiple VPN clients connected you can start and stop them as needed from this page.

VPN Director

Assign a device to a specific VPN client

1. On the VPN Director page click the + symbol next to Add new rule.

VPN direct add new rule

2. Select the Interface that you want to add the device to.

VPN director select interface

3. Click the Local IP dropdown and a full list of devices connected to the Merlin FlashRouter should appear. Select the device you want to assign to this VPN client.

VPN director select device

4. Click OK and click Apply.

PureVPN Merlin WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Jul 20, 2023 ·

Preparing for PureVPN Merlin Setup

Download your PureVPN .conf file

If you are not already an PureVPN user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the PureVPN website.

PureVPN Login

2. Select Manual Configuration.

PureVPN Manual Configuration

3. Select the Server Location you want to connect to and then click Download.

PureVPN select server location

4. In the Select Protocol dropdown choose WireGuard.

PureVPN WireGuard

5. In the Select Device dropdown choose DD-WRT. Then click Generate Configuration. This will save a .conf file to your computer.

PureVPN Generate Config

Merlin Router Setup for PureVPN

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

Merlin VPN Client Tab

3. Select WireGuard as the VPN Protocol.

Merlin VPN Client WireGuard

4. Click Choose file and select the .conf file you downloaded earlier. Then click Upload.

Merlin WireGuard Choose File 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.

Merlin WireGuard ProtonVPN Description

6. Set Enable WireGuard to Yes.

Merlin Enable WireGuard

7. Click Apply at the bottom of the page and you should then see a Connected message appear.

Merlin WireGuard Connected

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.

WireGuard select VPN Director

9. On the VPN Director page click the + symbol next to Add new rule.

WireGuard VPN Director Add new rule

10. Select the new WireGuard profile in the Interface dropdown.

WireGuard VPN Director select Interface

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.

Verify a successful PureVPN connection

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.

How to change the PureVPN server

  1. Follow the steps at the top of the page to obtain a new .conf file.
  2. Then proceed with the settings same as initial setup.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

TP-Link Change Wi-Fi name and password

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 16, 2024 ·

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.

TP-Link URL Access

3. Enter tp-link as the admin password to access the TP-Link firmware settings.

TP-Link admin password

4. Click Wireless.

TP-Link Wireless tab

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.

TP-Link Change Wireless name and password

If you want both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks to be bonded and have the same name click the Smart Connect checkbox.

TP-Link Separate Wifi

6. Connect your devices to the new wireless network.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

TP-Link Change Wireless Channel

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 16, 2024 ·

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.

TP-Link URL Access

3. Enter tp-link as the admin password to access the TP-Link firmware settings.

TP-Link admin password

4. Click Wireless.

TP-Link Wireless tab

5. Change the Channel setting to the number that you want to use. Click Save.

TP-Link Change Wireless Channel

6. Connect your devices to the wireless network again as they may have been disconnected when making this change.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

TP-Link Merge or Separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 17, 2024 ·

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.

TP-Link URL Access

3. Enter tp-link as the admin password to access the TP-Link firmware settings.

TP-Link admin password

4. Click Wireless.

TP-Link Wireless tab

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.

TP-Link Merge Wifi
TP-Link Separate Wifi

6. Connect your devices to the new wireless network.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

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Connect FlashRouter to Internet

TeamFlashRouters · Mar 21, 2019 ·

All FlashRouters are compatible with all ISP service types such as fiber, cable, DSL, and satellite. As long as you have a modem, modem/router, or router capable of an ethernet connection your FlashRouter will have no problems connecting to the internet.

Internet Service Providers (ISP) include a modem or modem/router combo to connect your network devices to the internet. In some instances your ISP will provide a separate router as well as the modem. You can replace this router with a FlashRouter or use both in a dual router setup.

Single router setup

If you would like to replace your outdated router or avoid paying to rent a router from your ISP then you should use a FlashRouter as the only WiFi device in your network.

In a single router setup the FlashRouter will be wired directly to your modem via ethernet cable and will be the only router in the setup.

Connect to your ISP modem

Wire an ethernet cable from an open ethernet port on your modem to the WAN/internet port of the FlashRouter.

FlashRouters Single Router Setup

On Asus FlashRouters the WAN/internet port will be blue.

Asus Wifi Setup - back panel

On Linksys FlashRouters the WAN/internet port will be yellow.

Linksys Wifi Setup - back panel

On Netgear FlashRouters the WAN/internet port will be yellow.

Netgear Wifi Setup - back panel

Power cycle modem and router

Once you have properly connected an ethernet cable from your modem into the FlashRouter internet port you must power cycle your network devices to establish an internet connection.

  1. Power off your ISP modem and the FlashRouter.
  2. Power on the ISP modem and wait for it to fully boot up.
  3. Power on the FlashRouter.

Dual router setup

If you would like to keep your existing WiFi network in place, and simply want to add in a VPN WiFi network with a FlashRouter then you can do so using a dual router setup. No settings in your existing network router need to change to add a FlashRouter in a dual router setup. Since we preset all FlashRouters to a unique Local IP Address, there won’t be a conflict with your existing router.

In a dual router setup the FlashRouter is wired to your existing router via ethernet cable and you will have two completely segmented WiFi networks available.

Connect to your existing router

Remember if your existing router is connecting to the internet without issue already, make sure to keep the ethernet cable between your modem and existing router internet port in place.

Now connect another ethernet cable from a LAN/numbered port on your existing router to the WAN/internet port of the FlashRouter.

Reference the images above to see your WAN/internet port color.

FlashRouters Dual Router Setup

Power cycle all network devices

Once you have properly connected an ethernet cable from your existing router into the FlashRouter internet port you must power cycle your network devices to establish an internet connection.

  1. Power off your ISP modem, existing router, and the FlashRouter.
  2. Power on the ISP modem and wait for it to fully boot up.
  3. Power on the existing router and wait for it to fully boot up.
  4. Power on the FlashRouter.

Verify a successful internet connection

Once the power cycling steps are complete and the FlashRouter is powered up, start connecting your internet capable devices via ethernet or WiFi. Visit any website and make sure the page fully loads.

If you want to check your internet IP address that is visible to websites and services that you visit over the internet check out WhatIsMyIPAddress.com.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit our Troubleshooting section to diagnose common problems here.

Troubleshoot Here
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