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Privacy Hero supports Private Internet Access (PIA) with WireGuard (recommended) and OpenVPN. You need an active PIA subscription and your PIA VPN username and password.

Important difference: PIA WireGuard has a built-in provider integration in Privacy Hero. Choose Private Internet Access from the VPN provider list—not Custom WireGuard. No WireGuard configuration file or key generation is needed.

By default, Privacy Hero can automatically select an optimal available PIA server based on your location and server conditions. Alternatively, use Advanced Options to enter a specific PIA server hostname from the regional list below.

Privacy Hero is cloud-managed. You can configure your router from any device with an internet connection, whether or not you are on the Privacy Hero WiFi network.

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Set Up PIA WireGuard in Privacy Hero (Recommended)

Unlike most other providers, PIA WireGuard does not use Custom VPN file uploads in Privacy Hero. The built-in PIA integration connects using your PIA account credentials and handles the WireGuard configuration for you.

1. Open app.privacyhero.com and sign in to your Privacy Hero account.
2. Open the VPN section. Select Change beside your current VPN provider.
3. Choose Private Internet Access from the provider list. Do not select Custom for this WireGuard setup.
4. Enter your PIA VPN account username and password (not your Privacy Hero dashboard credentials). You can check your account at PIA Client Control Panel.
5. For automatic server selection, leave the optional server hostname unset, then click Save to connect. Wait until Privacy Hero displays Connected.

Choose the Automatic Server or a Specific PIA Location

Privacy Hero offers two ways to select the PIA WireGuard server:

• Automatic (recommended for most users): Leave the server hostname field blank. Privacy Hero selects an optimal available PIA location, generally favoring nearby servers and server conditions such as load. You do not need to manually maintain a server address.
• Specific location: Enter a PIA region hostname under Advanced Options. This is useful when you need an IP address from a particular country or city.

6. To use a specific location, open the existing Private Internet Access connection and select Advanced Options.
7. Enter a complete PIA server hostname from the list below, for example us-newyorkcity.privacy.network or uk-london.privacy.network.
8. Click Save, wait for Connected, then verify your new public IP address. If the selected location becomes unavailable, try another hostname or remove the hostname to return to automatic selection.

PIA Server Hostname List by Region

Use these hostnames in PIA > Advanced Options when you prefer a specific location. Expand a region below and copy the complete hostname, including .privacy.network. This list is retained from the existing FlashRouters guide.

Server availability can change. Some hostnames, particularly those ending in -pf or marked for streaming, are specialized locations and may not be available for every connection. If a hostname no longer works, use automatic selection or check PIA’s current location list for available locations. PIA’s location list names regions; it does not necessarily provide matching hostnames.

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Set Up PIA OpenVPN in Privacy Hero

OpenVPN is the alternative when you need a manually uploaded connection or if the built-in PIA WireGuard method does not work on your network. OpenVPN uses Custom in Privacy Hero, unlike the built-in PIA WireGuard setup.

Download a PIA OpenVPN Configuration File

1. Sign in to the PIA Client Control Panel using your PIA VPN account.
2. Open Downloads and scroll to OpenVPN Configuration Generator or OpenVPN Configurations.
3. If using the generator, choose OpenVPN 2.4 or newer and Linux when these options are offered, then choose an available server location.
4. Select your preferred configuration. UDP / 1198 (AES-128-CBC) is a standard default. UDP / 1197 (AES-256-CBC) is an alternative. Use a PIA-provided TCP configuration if UDP does not work on your network.
5. Click Generate or download a suitable pre-made configuration and save the resulting .ovpn file. Each server file is tied to its selected location/settings.

PIA also provides pre-made OpenVPN configuration bundles; see PIA’s OpenVPN file instructions.

Add PIA OpenVPN as a Custom VPN

6. Open Privacy Hero, go to VPN, click Change, and select Custom.
7. Choose OpenVPN and upload the PIA .ovpn file downloaded in the previous section.
8. Enter your PIA VPN username and password in the Custom OpenVPN authentication fields.
9. Click Save and confirm Privacy Hero shows Connected.

Note: If OpenVPN UDP cannot connect, try a TCP profile from PIA or another server. When switching protocols, make sure you upload a matching PIA configuration file.

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Verify Your Private Internet Access Connection

1. Connect a device to the Privacy Hero WiFi or LAN network.
2. Disconnect any PIA app or other VPN running directly on the device so the router VPN can be tested independently.
3. Open a private/incognito browser window and visit PIA What Is My IP.
4. Confirm that your public IP address reflects the VPN connection, and that the approximate location is consistent with either the selected hostname or Privacy Hero’s automatic server selection.

Privacy Hero VPN settings can be changed remotely, but the device used to verify the VPN IP must be connected to the Privacy Hero network.

Streaming Relocation and Your PIA Location

If Streaming Relocation is enabled for a supported service, that service may use the Streaming Relocation location instead of your PIA VPN server location. See Privacy Hero Streaming Relocation.

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PIA VPN Not Connecting?

If Privacy Hero reports Failed, stays on Connecting, or connected devices lose internet access, try these checks:

1. Confirm your PIA subscription is active and enter your PIA VPN login, not your Privacy Hero email/password.
2. For built-in PIA WireGuard, verify the provider is Private Internet Access—not Custom. No downloaded WireGuard file is required.
3. Remove any specific server hostname to test automatic server selection. If that connects, the previous hostname may be unavailable.
4. For Custom OpenVPN, upload a fresh PIA .ovpn file, re-enter the PIA credentials, and try a different server or a TCP configuration.
5. Turn off the router VPN temporarily to check that normal internet access works. If the VPN Kill Switch is blocking internet traffic, temporarily disable it for testing, then restore your preferred setting.
6. Check whether a separate VPN app, iCloud Private Relay, Private DNS, proxy, or security software on the testing device is affecting your VPN IP results.

No Internet When the VPN Disconnects?

The Privacy Hero VPN Kill Switch may intentionally block internet access if the VPN goes down. See Privacy Hero VPN Kill Switch: No Internet or WiFi Troubleshooting.

VPN Connected but One Device Shows the Wrong IP?

If other devices show the expected VPN address, review device VPN apps, iCloud Private Relay, Private DNS, and security settings.

Related Privacy Hero Guides

• Privacy Hero VPN Kill Switch Setup
• Privacy Hero VPN Kill Switch: No Internet or WiFi Troubleshooting
• Privacy Hero Streaming Relocation
• Device Settings That Can Interfere With Your Router VPN
• FlashRouters Router Troubleshooting