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Wireless Repeater Bridge Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 22, 2019 ·

If you need to extend your connection capabilities and you are not able to wire directly into your main router, you can setup a FlashRouter as a Wireless Repeater Bridge. In Wireless Repeater Bridge mode the FlashRouter connects to your main router on the same subnet via WiFi, and then transmits your internet signal via the FlashRouter for internet access anywhere in your home or office.

Preparing for Wireless Repeater Bridge Setup

Verify your wireless information

In order to setup your FlashRouter as a Wireless Repeater Bridge, you will need the exact SSID and password of your existing wireless network. Make sure you have this information before proceeding.

We recommend using a 2.4GHz network to repeat as this network will have more range. Be sure to click Add under the 2.4GHz settings and not the 5GHz settings.

Locate the Local IP Address of the existing wireless network

Locate the Local IP Address of the existing router that the FlashRouter will be bridged to.

DD-WRT Router Setup for Wireless Repeater Bridge

Disable Firewall

Navigate to Security > Firewall

Wireless Repeater Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Disable Firewall and Enable Filter Multicast
  1. Set SPI Firewall to Disable.
  2. Uncheck all boxes except for Filter Multicast.
  3. Click Save.

Disable DNSmasq

Navigate to Services > Services

Wireless Repeater Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Disable DNSMasqButton
  1. Set DNSmasq to Disable.
  2. Click Save.

Enter Wireless settings

Navigate to Wireless > Basic Settings

Select Add in the Virtual Interface area.

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Add Virtual Interface

In the Wireless Physical Interface settings for the 2.4GHz network set the Wireless Mode to Repeater Bridge.

Change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) to match exactly with the Wireless Network Name of the network that you will bridge to.

Set Wireless Mode to Repeater Bridge in FlashRouter DD-WRT Basic Wireless Settings Page

In the Virtual Interfaces settings change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) to FlashRouter24 or any other unique SSID.

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Set SSID for Repeated Band

CLICK SAVE

Enter Wireless Security settings

Navigate to Wireless > Wireless Security

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Set Wireless Password
  1. Duplicate the wireless security settings that are set for the other bands for the newly created virtual interface.
  2. Change the WPA Shared Key to match exactly with the Wireless Password of the network that you will bridge to.
  3. Click Save.

Change the FlashRouter's Local IP Address

Navigate to Setup > Basic Setup

Wireless Repeater Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Set Local Router IP, Gateway, Local DNS
  1. Set the Local IP Address to a different address on the same subnet as the existing network that you noted early. (example: if the existing network is 192.168.1.1 then set the Local IP Address to 192.168.1.2)
  2. Set the Gateway to the Local IP Address of the existing network. (example: 192.168.1.1)
  3. Set the Local DNS to the Local IP Address of the existing network. (example: 192.168.1.1)
  4. Click Save.

Change the FlashRouter's Operating Mode

Navigate to Setup > Advanced Routing

Set Operating Mode to Router in FlashRouter DD-WRT Basic Wireless Settings Page
  1. Set the Operating Mode to Router.
  2. Click Apply Settings.

Reboot your FlashRouter

Power off the FlashRouter for 30 seconds and then power it back on. When it boots back up you will be able to access the FlashRouter’s settings at the new Local IP Address that you set. Your existing network and the FlashRouter’s network will now be bridged wirelessly.

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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

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

Troubleshoot Here

PPPoE Internet Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Mar 21, 2019 ·

Most ISPs do not require PPPoE credentials. If you are certain this is an ISP requirement in your setup, we kindly ask that you get in touch with your ISP to verify that they do in fact require PPPoE authentication and to provide you with the correct credentials to enter into your FlashRouter.

Before you enter your PPPoE credentials, you should have already setup your FlashRouter in a Single Router Setup with correct wiring. Once you enter PPPoE credentials you should then be able to connect to the internet.

If you are using a Dual Router Setup there is no need to enter PPPoE credentials if they are already entered in the existing router. You can disregard this article.

Enter your PPPoE credentials

DD-WRT Firmware

Navigate to Setup > Basic Setup

Access FlashRouters DD-WRT Admin Settings - Enter PPPOE Username and Password
  1. Set the Connection Type dropdown to PPPoE.
  2. Enter your ISP assigned PPPoE username and password.
  3. Click Apply Settings.

Power cycle your network devices

  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.

Verify a successful Internet connection

Once the FlashRouter is booted up connect one of your devices to the FlashRouter via Ethernet or Wireless.

Visit any website and make sure the page fully loads. Once you have verified a successful Internet connection, begin connecting your network devices to the FlashRouter via wired or WiFi.

Please be aware that our support is not able to replicate PPPoE issues on our end, which makes them challenging to troubleshoot. In the event of an issue we recommend using a Dual Router Setup.

Privacy Hero NordVPN Not Connecting or Showing Timeout Errors

Dave · Sep 22, 2026 ·

If NordVPN will not connect on Privacy Hero, shows a timeout error, remains stuck on Connecting, or displays Failed, the Privacy Hero router itself may still be working normally.

NordVPN connections can occasionally stop working when servers are placed into maintenance, removed or cycled out of service, account credentials change, or a previously saved NordVPN access token or manual service credential is no longer valid.

Start by confirming that Privacy Hero has normal internet access, then troubleshoot the NordVPN connection.


Jump to a Section

  • Confirm Privacy Hero Has Internet
  • Reconnect NordVPN
  • Try Another NordVPN Server
  • Update Your NordLynx Token
  • Update OpenVPN Credentials
  • Recent NordVPN Account Changes
  • Verify the VPN Connection

First: Confirm Privacy Hero Has Internet

Before changing your NordVPN settings, confirm that Privacy Hero itself has normal internet access.

  1. Open app.privacyhero.com.
  2. Open the VPN section.
  3. If the VPN Kill Switch is enabled, temporarily turn it Off.
  4. Turn the failed NordVPN connection off.
  5. Connect a device to the Privacy Hero network.
  6. Test normal internet access.

If internet access works normally with NordVPN and the Kill Switch disabled, the underlying Privacy Hero internet connection is working. Continue troubleshooting the NordVPN connection.

If your internet stopped working because NordVPN failed while the VPN Kill Switch was enabled, follow our Privacy Hero VPN Kill Switch: No Internet or WiFi Troubleshooting guide.

Reconnect NordVPN

A temporary NordVPN server or connection issue may resolve without changing your account information.

  1. Open the VPN section at app.privacyhero.com.
  2. Turn the NordVPN connection off.
  3. Wait a few seconds.
  4. Turn NordVPN back on.
  5. Allow the connection time to establish.
  6. Check whether the VPN status changes to Connected.

If NordVPN still shows Failed, Connecting, or a timeout error, continue with the steps below.

Try Another NordVPN Server

NordVPN regularly maintains, replaces, and cycles servers in its network. A specific NordVPN server that worked previously may eventually be taken offline, removed, or temporarily unavailable.

If your Privacy Hero NordVPN connection is configured to use a specific server and suddenly stops working, try another server or return to the normal country selection.

  1. Open app.privacyhero.com.
  2. Open the VPN section.
  3. Select your NordVPN connection.
  4. If you previously entered a specific NordVPN server under Advanced Options, remove or replace that server.
  5. Select the country or location you want to use.
  6. Save the settings.
  7. Reconnect NordVPN.
  8. Check whether the status changes to Connected.

If you specifically need to use an individual NordVPN server, make sure that server is still active before continuing to use it.

Important: A previously working specific server should not be assumed to remain available indefinitely. NordVPN may change its server network over time.

Update Your NordVPN Token for NordLynx

Privacy Hero uses a NordVPN access token to authenticate NordLynx connections.

If the saved token is expired, revoked, replaced, or otherwise no longer valid, NordLynx may show Failed, Connecting, or a timeout error.

Generating a new token is a good troubleshooting step if your NordVPN account information has changed or the existing token is no longer working.

  1. Sign in to your NordVPN account.
  2. Open the NordVPN Access Tokens page.
  3. Generate a new access token.
  4. Select Doesn’t expire if NordVPN provides that option.
  5. Copy the new token.
  6. Open app.privacyhero.com.
  7. Open the NordVPN settings.
  8. Confirm that NordLynx is the selected protocol.
  9. Replace the existing token with the newly generated token.
  10. Save the settings.
  11. Reconnect NordVPN.

Important: NordVPN access tokens are sensitive account credentials. Do not post or share your token publicly.

For complete setup instructions, see Privacy Hero NordVPN / NordLynx Setup.

Update NordVPN Manual Service Credentials for OpenVPN

If you are using OpenVPN instead of NordLynx, Privacy Hero uses NordVPN’s Manual Service Credentials.

These are different from the email address and password you normally use to sign in to the NordVPN website or application.

If the saved credentials are no longer valid, update them:

  1. Sign in to your NordVPN account.
  2. Open NordVPN Manual Service Credentials.
  3. Copy the current service username and password.
  4. Open app.privacyhero.com.
  5. Open your NordVPN settings.
  6. Confirm that OpenVPN is the selected protocol.
  7. Replace the existing manual service credentials with the current credentials from NordVPN.
  8. Save the settings.
  9. Reconnect NordVPN.

Do not enter your regular NordVPN website email address and password in place of the manual service credentials.

Did You Recently Change Your NordVPN Account Information?

If NordVPN stopped connecting after an account change, update the authentication information stored in Privacy Hero.

This is especially important after changes such as:

  • Changing your NordVPN account password.
  • Changing or updating NordVPN account security settings.
  • Generating or replacing NordVPN access tokens.
  • Changes to NordVPN manual service credentials.
  • Renewing, changing, or restoring your NordVPN subscription.

The credentials used by Privacy Hero depend on the VPN protocol:

  • NordLynx: Uses a NordVPN access token.
  • OpenVPN: Uses NordVPN manual service credentials.

Your regular NordVPN website login should not be entered as the router’s OpenVPN credentials.

If you are unsure whether the existing authentication information is still valid, retrieve current credentials directly from your NordVPN account and update Privacy Hero.

Confirm Your NordVPN Subscription Is Active

Privacy Hero cannot establish a NordVPN connection if the NordVPN account being used no longer has active VPN service.

Sign in to your NordVPN account and confirm that your subscription is active before continuing with server, token, or credential troubleshooting.

Try Another VPN Protocol

If your NordVPN account, credentials, and server selection are correct but the connection still fails, try another NordVPN protocol available in Privacy Hero.

For example, if NordLynx is not connecting, testing OpenVPN can help determine whether the issue is specific to the protocol or authentication method.

Remember that changing protocols also changes the required NordVPN authentication:

  • NordLynx requires a NordVPN access token.
  • OpenVPN requires NordVPN manual service credentials.

Important: Do Not Run Two VPNs at Once

Do not leave the NordVPN application connected directly on your phone or computer while testing the Privacy Hero VPN.

Running a VPN application on the device while also routing that device through the Privacy Hero VPN creates a double-VPN connection and can cause routing, connectivity, or IP-location problems.

Disconnect the device-level NordVPN app before testing the router VPN.

Verify the NordVPN Connection

Once Privacy Hero displays NordVPN as Connected:

  1. Connect your device to the Privacy Hero WiFi.
  2. Make sure the NordVPN app on the device is disconnected.
  3. Open a fresh private/incognito browser window.
  4. Visit NordVPN What Is My IP.
  5. Confirm that the public IP address and location correspond to your selected NordVPN location.
  6. Test several websites or applications.

If you use the Privacy Hero VPN Kill Switch, enable it only after confirming that NordVPN is connected and working.

NordVPN Is Connected but One Device Shows the Wrong IP

If Privacy Hero shows NordVPN as Connected and other devices display the correct VPN IP, the NordVPN connection itself is likely working.

Check the affected device’s Privacy Hero VPN assignment and review any VPN, privacy, DNS, browser, antivirus, firewall, or security settings running directly on that device.

See Device Privacy, DNS, VPN, and Security Settings That Can Interfere With Your Router VPN.

Related Privacy Hero Guides

  • Privacy Hero VPN Kill Switch: No Internet or WiFi Troubleshooting
  • Privacy Hero VPN Kill Switch Setup
  • Privacy Hero NordVPN / NordLynx Setup
  • Device Privacy, DNS, VPN, and Security Settings That Can Interfere With Your Router VPN

ExpressVPN Router Setup Guide

Quick Start Guide for ExpressVPN FlashRouters

Find setup guides, FAQs and troubleshooting tips for ExpressVPN configured FlashRouters.

VIEW SUPPORTED ROUTER MODELS

Aircove

R6300 V2, R6400 V2, R6700 V3, R7000, R7000P

Asus Logo

RT-AC56U, RT-AC56R, RT-AC56S, RT-AC68U V3, RT-AC87U

EA6200, WRT1200AC, WRT1900AC V1, WRT1900AC V2, WRT1900ACS V1, WRT1900ACS V2, WRT32X, WRT3200ACM

Internet Setup

  • ExpressVPN Asus Quick Start Guide
  • ExpressVPN Netgear Quick Start Guide
  • ExpressVPN Linksys Quick Start Guide
  • ExpressVPN/Aircove FlashRouter Internet Setup and Activation
  • How do I reset and reconfigure my ExpressVPN/Aircove FlashRouter?

WiFi Setup

  • Separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware
  • Change Wireless Channels on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware

VPN Setup

  • Change server locations on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware
  • Using Device Groups to connect to multiple VPN locations on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware
  • Using Device Groups to bypass VPN on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware
  • Change VPN Protocols on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware
  • ExpressVPN TP-Link OpenVPN Setup
  • ExpressVPN Cudy OpenVPN Setup
  • ExpressVPN Asus AX1800S OpenVPN Setup
  • Flint/Slate GL.iNet ExpressVPN OpenVPN Setup
  • ExpressVPN Merlin OpenVPN Setup

ExpressVPN Features

  • ExpressVPN MediaStreamer SmartDNS Setup
  • ExpressVPN Router App Support

Search Support Articles

Troubleshooting

  • Separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware
  • Change Wireless Channels on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware
  • How do I reset and reconfigure my ExpressVPN/Aircove FlashRouter?

More Ways to Get Help

GET IN TOUCH

BUY SUPPORT
BROWSE FAQs

Wireless Client Bridge Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 22, 2019 ·

If you need to extend your wired connection capabilities and you are not able to wire directly into your main router, you can setup a FlashRouter as a Wireless Client Bridge. In Wireless Client Bridge mode the FlashRouter connects to your main router via WiFi, and then transmits your internet signal via the FlashRouter LAN ports for wired internet access anywhere in your home or office.

Preparing for Wireless Client Bridge Setup

Verify your wireless information

In order to setup your FlashRouter as a Wireless Client Bridge, you will need the exact SSID and password of your existing wireless network. Make sure you have this information before proceeding.

We recommend using a 2.4GHz network to repeat as this network will have more range.

Locate the Local IP Address of the existing wireless network

Locate the Local IP Address of the existing router that the FlashRouter will be bridged to.

DD-WRT Router Setup for Wireless Client Bridge

Disable Firewall

Navigate to Security > Firewall

Wireless Repeater Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Disable Firewall and Enable Filter Multicast
  1. Set SPI Firewall to Disable.
  2. Uncheck all boxes except for Filter Multicast.
  3. Click Save.

Disable DNSmasq

Navigate to Services > Services

Wireless Repeater Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Disable DNSMasqButton
  1. Set DNSmasq to Disable.
  2. Click Save.

Enter Wireless settings

Navigate to Wireless > Basic Settings

Wireless Client Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Set Wireless Mode to Client Bridge
  1. In the Wireless Physical Interface settings for the 2.4GHz network set the Wireless Mode to Client Bridge.
  2. Change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) to match exactly with the Wireless Network Name of the network that you will bridge to.
  3. Click Save.

Enter Wireless Security settings

Navigate to Wireless > Wireless Security

Wireless Client Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Set Wireless Password
  1. Change the WPA Shared Key to match exactly with the Wireless Password of the network that you will bridge to.
  2. Click Save.

Change the FlashRouter's Local IP Address

Navigate to Setup > Basic Setup

  1. Set the Local IP Address to a different address on the same subnet as the existing network that you noted early. (example: if the existing network is 192.168.1.1 then set the Local IP Address to 192.168.1.2)
  2. Set the Gateway to the Local IP Address of the existing network. (example: 192.168.1.1)
  3. Set the Local DNS to the Local IP Address of the existing network. (example: 192.168.1.1)
  4. Click Apply Settings.

Reboot your FlashRouter

Power off the FlashRouter for 30 seconds and then power it back on. When it boots back up you will be able to access the FlashRouter’s settings at the new Local IP Address that you set. Your existing network and the FlashRouter’s network will now be bridged wirelessly.

Your FlashRouter is now providing wired connection access to your main router network. Wireless connections to the FlashRouter are disabled in this setup.

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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

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

Troubleshoot Here

Wireless Access Point Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 23, 2019 ·

A Wireless Access Point is a setup that has the FlashRouter using an existing network’s DHCP instead of assigning its own. The FlashRouter’s WAN/Internet port should be not be connected to your modem or other router while performing this setup.

Preparing for Wireless Access Point Setup

Locate the Local IP Address of the existing wireless network

Locate the Local IP Address of the existing router that the FlashRouter will be bridged to.

DD-WRT Router Setup for Wireless Access Point

Disable Firewall

Navigate to Security > Firewall

Wireless Client Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Disable Firewall
  1. Set SPI Firewall to Disable.
  2. Click Save.

Disable DNSmasq

Navigate to Services > Services

Wireless Repeater Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Disable DNSMasqButton
  1. Set DNSmasq to Disable.
  2. Click Save.

Change the FlashRouter's Local IP Address

Navigate to Setup > Basic Setup

Wireless Client Bridge Setup on FlashRouter DD-WRT - Set Local IP
  1. Set the Local IP Address to a different address on the same subnet as the existing network that you noted early. (example: if the existing network is 192.168.1.1 then set the Local IP Address to 192.168.1.2)
  2. Set the Gateway to the Local IP Address of the existing network. (example: 192.168.1.1)
  3. Set the Local DNS to the Local IP Address of the existing network. (example: 192.168.1.1)
  4. Click Save.

Change the FlashRouter's DHCP settings

DHCP Forwarder Setup for DD-WRT
  1. Set the DHCP Type to DHCP Forwarder.
  2. Click Save.

Change the FlashRouter's Operating Mode

Navigate to Setup > Advanced Routing

DHCP Forwarder Setup for DD-WRT
  1. Set the Operating Mode to Router.
  2. Click Apply Settings.

Reboot your FlashRouter

  • Power off the FlashRouter for 30 seconds and connect from the other router’s LAN port to one of the FlashRouter’s LAN port then power it back on.  When it boots back up you will be able to access the FlashRouter’s settings at the new Local IP Address that you set.

Back up your settings

Navigate to the Administration > Backup page.

  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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

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

Troubleshoot Here

Why can’t I send emails while connected to VPN?

TeamFlashRouters · Jun 4, 2019 ·

Can’t send or receive emails? Connecting to a VPN server can result in your email client not being able to send or receive emails. This can happen for several reasons:

  • The VPN provider you are connected to is blocking the ports the email client is using (SMTP).
  • Your email service is blocking access to datacenter IPs
  • Your email service is only allowing access to residential IPs
  • Your email service is only allowing access to IPs of its own country
  • Your email service is only allowing access to certain ISPs

This issue will only occur with email client applications and not with web browser email.

Steps to take if your email is not working

Change SMTP port

Access the settings of your email client and change the SMTP port to 587 or 465.

Change the VPN server

Connect to a different VPN server. The process for changing servers is detailed in your provider’s setup instructions.

FlashRouters Privacy App

DD-WRT Manual VPN Configuration

Disconnect from VPN

Disconnect from VPN on the FlashRouter and use your ISP Internet connection when using email.

Dual router setup users can leave the VPN running on the FlashRouter and simply connect to the other router’s network when using email.

Contact your VPN Service Provider

In some cases if you contact your VPN service provider they will be able to give you access to a specifically requested e-mail service.

Connecting to OpenVPN on Asus Merlin Firmware

TeamFlashRouters · Sep 22, 2021 ·

To setup VPN on your Asuswrt Merlin router, you will need to first download an OpenVPN (.ovpn) file from your VPN service provider and load it onto your router.

Review your specific VPN service instructions below. Follow these instructions to locate and upload your OpenVPN file. Depending on the VPN service, there may be additional steps and configurations required to complete the setup.

NordVPN

ExpressVPN

IPVanish

Astrill

Hide.Me

Hotspot Shield

IVPN

Mullvad

SaferVPN

StrongVPN

SurfShark

TorGuard

VPNUnlimited

VyprVPN

Windscribe

Using Asuswrt Merlin’s VPN Director, your router can store up to five different VPN connections and switch between them at will.

Surfshark TP-Link OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 29, 2024 ·

Preparing for Surfshark TP-Link Setup

Download your Surfshark .ovpn 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 OpenVPN as the Protocol.

Surfshark OpenVPN Protocol

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

Surfshark OpenVPN credentials

6. Click Location and 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 UDP .ovpn file for this Surfshark server location.

Surfshark download .ovpn file

TP-Link Router Setup for Surfshark

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.

TP-Link Advanced settings

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

TP-Link VPN Client

3. Check the Enable box next to VPN Client. Then click Save at the bottom of the page.

TP-Link VPN Client enable

4. Click the Add button in the Server List area.

TP-Link Add server button

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 Surfshark New York.

Set the VPN Type to OpenVPN.

In the Username and Password fields paste in the Surfshark username and password we obtained earlier.

Click Browse and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Save.

TP-Link Surfshark OpenVPN

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.

TP-Link add devices to VPN tunnel

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.

TP-Link select devices to add to VPN tunnel

8. Now that the devices have been assigned to the VPN connection click the Enable toggle in the Server List area.

TP-Link Surfshark OpenVPN connected

Verify a successful Surfshark connection

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

How to change the Surfshark 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

Should I be using my computer/phone/tablet VPN app while connected to the FlashRouter?

TeamFlashRouters · Jun 4, 2019 ·

  1. Do NOT connect to your VPN provider’s computer, phone, or tablet app while connected to the FlashRouter’s network. This may cause issues with access to your DD-WRT router settings as well as your internet connection.
  2. Connect any device in your home network to VPN by joining the FlashRouter’s network.

Why is my connection speed slower?

TeamFlashRouters · Jun 4, 2019 ·

The encryption provided by a VPN connection almost always results in slower connection speed. In some cases you may have noticed that your computer or tablet was working faster when running a VPN client application or program, that is because a computer has a processor that is normally about 4-6x times as strong as a the processor on a router, and that is for managing a single VPN connection. A router has a smaller processor and is managing an entire network of devices. Encrypting an entire network does take considerable processing power.

Speed test results while connected to VPN are never going to be accurate. A speed test measures the rate at which a data packet travels from one server to another, however when you are connecting to VPN the data packets travel to an extra server where they are encrypted and then sent back into the route. We strongly recommend disabling the FlashRouter’s VPN connection when testing speeds to make sure there isn’t and issue with the router.

Connection Types

Ethernet: Wired ethernet connections will almost always be the most stable and reliable connection. To speed up your internet connection, use an ethernet cable to wire your devices to the FlashRouter.

Wireless (5.0GHz): The 5.0GHz WiFi frequency has less range than the standard 2.4GHz WiFi, but also transmits your internet connection at a significantly faster speed. If you were previously using the 2.4GHz network and experiencing slow speeds please connect to the 5GHz wireless network which should improve your speed.

Connect to the closest VPN server

Our supported VPN providers offer many servers in different countries and regions. If a server has slower connection speed we recommend connecting to the server closest to your actual location.

The process for changing servers is detailed in your provider’s setup instructions.

FlashRouters Privacy App

DD-WRT Manual VPN Configuration

Select a UDP server

UDP servers do not authenticate every data packets the way TCP servers do which results in faster connection speeds.

VPN provider server recommendation

Contact your VPN provider for a server recommendation that should provide the fastest speeds for you.

Why can’t I connect to WiFi using the WPS button feature?

Dave · Apr 29, 2019 ·

DD-WRT firmware automatically disables the WPS feature as it is a known security vulnerability. This makes your router more secure with DD-WRT than with factory firmware.

For any device that uses a WPS WiFi connection there should always be an alternate method to connect the device via WiFi.

Windscribe WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Oct 13, 2021 ·

Preparing for Windscribe WireGuard Setup

Verify your Windscribe login information

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

Log in to your account on the Windscribe website.

Windscribe Login

Go to the Windscribe WireGuard config generator page and select the Server location and Port you would like to use. Click Download Config.

Windscribe Wireguard select server location

Open the .conf file that is downloaded using Notepad in Windows or TextEdit in Mac.

DD-WRT Router Setup for Windscribe WireGuard

Navigate to Setup > Tunnels 

Enter Winscribe WireGuard settings

1. Click Add Tunnel.

2. Set Tunnel to Enable.

Setup - Tunnel - Enable Tunnel

3. Select Wireguard from the dropdown.

Setup - Tunnel - Select Wireguard

3. Set CVE-2019-14899 Mitigation to Enable. Set NAT via Tunnel to Enable. Set Local Port to 51820. Set MTU to 1420.

Windscribe Wireguard Basic Settings

4. Check Firewall inbound and Kill Switch.

Windscribe Wireguard enable Firewall 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.

Windscribe Wireguard conf file PrivateKey
Windscribe Wireguard Local Private Key

6. Click Add Peer.

Windscribe Wireguard Add Peer

7. Set Peer Tunnel IP to 0.0.0.0. Set Peer Tunnel DNS to the DNS found in the .conf file.

Windscribe Wireguard Peer Tunnel IP and DNS

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.

Windscribe Wireguard conf file Endpoint
Windscribe Wireguard paste 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.

Windscribe Wireguard settings

10. Copy and Paste the PublicKey from the .conf file and paste it into the Peer Public Key field.

Windscribe Wireguard conf file PublicKey
Windscribe Wireguard Peer Public Key

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.

Windscribe Wireguard conf file PresharedKey
Windscribe Wireguard Pre-shared Key

12. Copy the Address from the .conf file and paste it into the IP Addresses/Netmask(CIDR) field.

Windscribe Wireguard IP Address
Windscribe Wireguard conf file Address

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.

Verify a successful Winscribe connection

Navigate to Setup > Tunnels

  1. You should Endpoint, Latest handshake, and Transfer in the WireGuard status area.
  2. Visit whatismyipaddress.com to verify your status as using Winscribe.

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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Using Device Groups to bypass VPN on ExpressVPN/Aircove firmware

TeamFlashRouters · May 12, 2022 ·

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.

ExpressVPNrouter.com
192.168.132.1

3. Login with your ExpressVPN FlashRouter admin password.

ExpressVPN Router admin login

4. Select VPN Off on the right hand side of the menu.

ExpressVPN select No VPN

5. Click and drag the device that you want to bypass the VPN tunnel to the No VPN area.

ExpressVPN No VPN select device
ExpressVPN No VPN select device 2

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.

VPN Unlimited Manual OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 19, 2019 ·

Preparing for Manual VPN Unlimited Setup

Verify your VPN Unlimited login information

If you are not already a VPN Unlimited user Sign Up Now.

Log in to your account on the VPN Unlimited website.

VPN Unlimited Website Login

Generate your VPN Unlimited OVPN Configuration Files

1. Navigate to the VPN Unlimited section in the dropdown on the top left.

VPN Unlimited Website Login

2. Set Device to “Manually create new device…”

3. Name your device.

4. Select Server.

5. Set Protocol to OpenVPN.

FlashRouters DD-WRT Privacy App - Create Open VPN Configuration files

6. Open the ‘.OVPN’ file in a word processing program.

NOTE: We highly recommend using Notepad++ for Windows or TextEdit for Apple to open these files in order to preserve text format.

DD-WRT Router Setup for VPN Unlimited

Navigate to the Services > VPN

Enter VPN Unlimited 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

At the bottom of the .ovpn file you downloaded above, you can find your server address, it should look something like us-la.vpnunlimitedapp.com

Port

1194 for Tunnel Protocol UDP
80 for Tunnel Protocol TCP

Tunnel Device

TUN

Tunnel Protocol

UDP or TCP

Encryption cipher

Blowfish-CBC

Hash Algorithm

SHA1

User Pass Authentication

Disabled

Advanced Options

Enable

TLS Cipher

None

LZO Compression

Adaptive

NAT

Enable

Firewall Protection

Enable

nsCertType verification

Checked

Additional Config

persist-key
persist-tun

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—–

Public Client Cert

Copy and Paste all contents in between the <cert> and </cert> lines from your .ovpn file starting and ending with:
—–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—–
…
—–END CERTIFICATE—–

Private Client Key

Copy and Paste all contents in between the <key> and </key> lines from your .ovpn file starting and ending with:
—–BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY—–
…
—–END RSA PRIVATE KEY—–

CLICK APPLY SETTINGS

Leave all settings not mentioned above as their default setting.

Verify a successful VPN Unlimited connection

Navigate to the Status > OpenVPN

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED SUCCESS message.
  2. Visit to WhatIsMyIPAddress 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 VPN Unlimited.

Back up your settings

Navigate to the 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 VPN Unlimited server

  1. Follow Steps 1-6 to Generate an .OVPN file for the server you wish to connect to and open it a word processing program.
  2. Copy and paste the server IP Address into the Server IP/Name field.
  3. Copy and paste the <cert> into the Public Client Cert field.
  4. Copy and paste the <key> into the Private Client Key field.
  5. Click Apply Settings.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Wireless Repeater Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 16, 2019 ·

If you need to extend your wireless and wired connection capabilities, you can setup a FlashRouter as a Wireless Repeater. In Wireless Repeater mode the FlashRouter connects to your main router via WiFi and then creates a completely separate network segment for you. This new “repeater” network then transmits your internet signal via FlashRouter LAN ports for wired internet access while also creating a new Wireless Extender network that will expand your wireless network range throughout your home or office just like a mesh network.

Preparing for Wireless Repeater Setup

Verify your wireless information

To connect your FlashRouter wirelessly to your existing wireless network you will need the Wireless Network Name (SSID) and Wireless Password of the existing wireless network that you will repeat. Verify and note this information.

We recommend using a 2.4GHz network to repeat as this network will have more range. Be sure to click Add under the 2.4GHz settings and not the 5GHz settings.

DD-WRT Router Setup for Wireless Repeater

Disable Firewall

Navigate to Security > Firewall

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Disable SPI Firewall
  1. Set SPI Firewall to Disable.
  2. Click Save.

Enter Wireless settings

Navigate to Wireless > Basic Settings

Select Add in the Virtual Interface area.

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Add Virtual Interface

In the Wireless Physical Interface settings for the 2.4GHz network set the Wireless Mode to Repeater.

FlashRouters with a Broadcom chipset will have Repeater as an option in the dropdown but FlashRouters with an Atheroes chipset will not. Select Client or Client (Routed) if Repeater is not listed for your FlashRouter.

Change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) to match exactly with the Wireless Network Name of the network that you will repeat.

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Set Wireless Mode to Repeater

In the Virtual Interfaces settings change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) to FlashRouter24 or any other unique SSID.

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Set SSID for Repeated Band

CLICK SAVE

Enter Wireless Security settings

Navigate to Wireless > Wireless Security

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Set Wireless Password
  1. Duplicate the wireless security settings that are set for the other bands for the newly created virtual interface.
  2. Change the WPA Shared Key to match exactly with the Wireless Password of the network that you will repeat.
  3. Click Apply Settings.

Verify the Internet Connection

In the top right hand corner of the DD-WRT you should see the WAN IP change from 0.0.0.0 to an actual IP Address. Once this changes navigate to any website to test your Internet connection.

Wireless Repeater Setup on DD-WRT FlashRouter - Verify WAN Connection

Back up your settings

Navigate to the Administration > Backup page.

  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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

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

Troubleshoot Here

Mullvad WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Aug 19, 2021 ·

Preparing for Mullvad WireGuard Setup

Verify your Mullvad login information

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

Log in to your account on the Mullvad website.

Mullvad Login

Select Manage ports and WireGuard Keys displayed on the account page.

Mullvad Manage ports and WireGuard Keys

DD-WRT Router Setup for Mullvad WireGuard

Navigate to Setup > Tunnels 

Enter Mullvad WireGuard settings

1. Click Add Tunnel.

2. Set Tunnel to Enable.

Setup - Tunnel - Enable Tunnel

3. Select Wireguard from the dropdown.

Setup - Tunnel - Select Wireguard

4. Click Add Peer.

Setup - Tunnel - Add Peer

5. Set Endpoint to Enable.

Setup - Tunnel - Enable Endpoint

6. Set Router Allowed IP’s via tunnel and Use Pre-shared Key to Disable.

Setup - Tunnel - Disable Preshare Key and Allow IP

7. Click Generate Key.

Setup - Tunnel - Generate Key

8. Set Advanced Settings to Enable.

Setup - Tunnel - Enable Advanced Settings

9. Copy the Local Private Key.

Setup - Tunnel - Copy Local Private Key

10. In a new tab (leave the DD-WRT settings opened), go to your Mullvad Account and click Manage Ports and WireGuard Keys.

Mullvad Account - Manage ports and Wireguard Keys

11. Click WireGuard configuration file.

Mullvad - Wireguard configuration file

12. Select Linux as your Platform.

Mullvad - Select Linux

13. Click Manage Keys.

Mullvad - Manage Keys

14. Paste the copied Local Private key to the Manage WireGuard Keys field and click Import Keys.

Mullvad - Import Key

15. Select your Country, City, and Server number that you want to connect to.

Mullvad - Select Location

16. Click Advanced Settings.

Mullvad - Advanced Settings

17. Set the Tunnel Traffic to Only IPv4.

Mullvad - Only IPv4

18. Click Download File.

Mullvad - Download Config

19. Open the config file that was downloaded to your computer with NotePad or Notepad++ for Windows or TextEdit for Mac.

20. In the downloaded config file under [Interface] enter the Address into the IP Addresses/Netmask(CIDR) field in the DD-WRT settings.

Config File - Copy IP Address
Setup - Tunnel - IP Address Netmask Note

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. In the config file under [Peer] copy the PublicKey and paste it into the Peer Public Key field in the DD-WRT Settings.

Config File - Copy PublicKey
Setup - Tunnel - Paste Public Key

22. In the config file under [Peer] copy the Endpoint and paste it into the Endpoint Address field.

Config File - Endpoint
Setup - Tunnel - Endpoint Address

23. At the bottom of the page click Save and then click Apply Settings.

Enter Mullvad WireGuard Commands

Navigate to Administration > Commands

1. Copy and paste the text below and click Save Startup.

sleep 30
echo "Update route table on startup..."
WGSERVER=$(/usr/sbin/nvram get oet1_rem0)
WANGW=$(/usr/sbin/nvram get wan_gateway)
WANIF=$(/usr/sbin/nvram get wan_iface)
route add -host $WGSERVER gw $WANGW dev $WANIF
route del default
route add default dev oet1
ip route flush cache
mkdir -p /tmp/etc/config
ln -s /tmp/custom.sh /tmp/etc/config/wg-route-fix.wanup
echo "... Done route table update."

2. Copy and paste the text below and click Save Custom.

#!/bin/sh
sleep 5
echo "Update route table on wanup ..."
WGSERVER=$(/usr/sbin/nvram get oet1_rem0)
WANGW=$(/usr/sbin/nvram get wan_gateway)
WANIF=$(/usr/sbin/nvram get wan_iface)
route add -host $WGSERVER gw $WANGW dev $WANIF
route del default
route add default dev oet1
ip route flush cache
echo "... Done route table update."

3. Copy and paste the text below and click Save Firewall.

WANIF=$(/usr/sbin/nvram get wan_iface)
iptables -t nat -I POSTROUTING -o oet1 -j MASQUERADE
iptables -I FORWARD -i br0 -o $WANIF -m state –state NEW -j REJECT –reject-with icmp-host-prohibited
iptables -I FORWARD -i br0 -p tcp -o $WANIF -m state –state NEW -j REJECT –reject-with tcp-reset

Set Mullvad DNS servers

Navigate to Setup > Basic Setup

Set Static DNS 1 to 10.64.0.1

Set Static DNS 2 to 193.138.218.74

Setup - Basic Setup - Mullvad DNS

Click Apply Settings.

Reboot the FlashRouter

Navigate to Administration > Management

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the red Reboot Router button. Wait for the FlashRouter to reboot and then reconnect.

Verify a successful Mullvad connection

Navigate to Setup > Tunnels

  1. You should see Endpoint, Latest handshake, and Transfer in the WireGuard status area.
  2. Visit Mullvad’s IP Check to verify your status as using Mullvad.

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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN 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

IVPN WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Oct 13, 2021 ·

Preparing for IVPN WireGuard Setup

Verify your IVPN login information

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

Log in to your account on the IVPN website.

IVPN website login

DD-WRT Router Setup for IVPN WireGuard

Navigate to Setup > Tunnels 

Enter IVPN WireGuard settings

1. Click Add Tunnel.

2. Set Tunnel to Enable.

Setup - Tunnel - Enable Tunnel

3. Select Wireguard from the dropdown.

Setup - Tunnel - Select Wireguard

3. Set MTU to 1412.

IVPN Wireguard MTU setting

4. Click Generate Key.

Setup - Tunnel - Generate Key

9. Copy the Local Public Key.

IVPN Wireguard Local Public Key

10. In a new tab (leave the DD-WRT settings opened), go to your IVPN Account and click WireGuard and then click WireGuard Key Management.

IVPN Wireguard Key Management

11. Click Add New Key.

IVPN Wireguard Add New Key

12. Paste the copied Local Public key to the Public Key field and click Add Key.

IVPN Wireguard Paste Public Key

13.Copy the IP Address assigned to your public key and add it to the IP Addresses/Netmask(CIDR) field followed by a /32 subnet mask.

IVPN Wireguard copy IP Address
IVPN Wireguard paste IP Address

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

14. Click Add Peer.

Setup - Tunnel - Add Peer

15. Set the Peer Tunnel IP to 0.0.0.0. Set Peer Tunnel DNS to 172.16.0.1

IVPN Wireguard Peer Tunnel IP and DNS

16. Set Endpoint to Enable.

IVPN Wireguard Enable Endpoint

17. Go to the IVPN Server Status page and copy the server name for the WireGuard server location you want to connect to.

IVPN Wireguard Endpoint server

Be sure to copy the WireGuard server address and not the OpenVPN server address.

18. Paste the server name you copied into the Endpoint Address field and set the Port to 2049.

IVPN Wireguard Endpoint Address

19. On the IVPN Server Status page copy the Public Key of the server location you entered. Paste the Public Key into the Peer Public Key field.

IVPN Wireguard copy server Public Key
IVPN Wireguard enter Peer Public Key

20. Leave Allowed IPs as 0.0.0.0/0. Set Router Allowed IP’s via tunnel to Enable. Set Persistent Keep Alive to 25.

IVPN Wireguard Peer settings

21. At the bottom of the page click Save and then click Apply Settings.

Set IVPN DNS servers

Navigate to Setup > Basic Setup

Set Static DNS 1 to 172.16.0.1

Set Static DNS 2 to 198.245.51.147

IVPN Wireguard Static DNS

Click Apply Settings.

Reboot the FlashRouter

Navigate to Administration > Management

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the red Reboot Router button. Wait for the FlashRouter to reboot and then reconnect.

Verify a successful IVPN connection

Navigate to Setup > Tunnels

  1. You should Endpoint, Latest handshake, and Transfer in the WireGuard status area.
  2. Visit IVPN’s website to verify your status as using IVPN.

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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Surfshark TP-Link WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 29, 2024 ·

Preparing for Surfshark TP-Link 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

TP-Link Router Setup for Surfshark

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.

TP-Link Advanced settings

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

TP-Link VPN Client

3. Check the Enable box next to VPN Client. Then click Save at the bottom of the page.

TP-Link VPN Client enable

4. Click the Add button in the Server List area.

TP-Link Add server button

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. Our example server was New York so I have entered in Surfshark New York.

Set the VPN Type to WireGuard.

Click Browse and select the .conf file you downloaded earlier. Then click Save.

TP-Link Surfshark WireGuard

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.

TP-Link add devices to VPN tunnel

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.

TP-Link select devices to add to VPN tunnel

8. Now that the devices have been assigned to the VPN connection click the Enable toggle in the Server List area.

TP-Link Surfshark WireGuard Connected

Verify a successful Surfshark connection

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

ProtonVPN TP-Link WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 29, 2024 ·

Preparing for ProtonVPN TP-Link 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.

TP-Link Router Setup for ProtonVPN

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.

TP-Link Advanced settings

2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.

TP-Link VPN Client

3. Check the Enable box next to VPN Client. Then click Save at the bottom of the page.

TP-Link VPN Client enable

4. Click the Add button in the Server List area.

TP-Link Add server button

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. Our example server was New York so I have entered in ProtonVPN New York.

Set the VPN Type to WireGuard.

Click Browse and select the .conf file you downloaded earlier. Then click Save.

TP-Link ProtonVPN WireGuard

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.

TP-Link add devices to VPN tunnel

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.

TP-Link select devices to add to VPN tunnel

8. Now that the devices have been assigned to the VPN connection click the Enable toggle in the Server List area.

TP-Link ProtonVPN WireGuard connected

Verify a successful ProtonVPN connection

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

Roqos Core Internet Setup and Activation

TeamFlashRouters · Mar 15, 2022 ·

Follow this article when you receive your new Roqos Core router to create your Roqos account, connect your Roqos to the Internet, and customize your network so it is ready to use.

Create your Roqos account

1. From any device that has a browser such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet visit login.roqos.com

Roqos Login URL

2. Select Create Account.

Roqos Create Account

3. Enter the Email address and password you want to set for your Roqos account. This will be your login to the Roqos settings moving forward. Click Next.

Roqos Enter Email

4. Enter the name and phone number you want associated with your Roqos. Click Next.

Roqos Enter Name and Number

5. Enter the address where your Roqos is located. This section may require a CAPTCHA to be completed to authenticate you are human. Click Create Account.

Roqos Enter Address

6. You have now created your Roqos account. In a new tab proceed to open the email from Roqos and click the Activate account button.

Roqos email activation

Activate your Roqos Internet

1. From the Account created page click Next to begin the Internet Setup of the Roqos.

Roqos Account Created

2. Select the Roqos model Teal RC10-P. Click Next.

Roqos Model

3. Connect the ethernet cable that came with your Roqos from the port labeled INTERNET on the back of your Roqos to an open ethernet port on your ISP Modem or other router in your network.

Roqos Wiring

4. Then connect the power adapter that came with the Roqos to the back of the Roqos. Wait for the light on the Roqos to begin blinking blue. Once your see the blinking blue lights on the Roqos click Next.

Roqos Power On

If your Roqos lights does not begin blinking blue after a long while please see the steps in this article and contact us.

5. Enter in the Roqos serial number found on the bottom of the device exactly as it appears there. Click Next.

Roqos Activation Code

Setup your Roqos Network

1. Enter in a name that you would like to call the Roqos. This is just the Roqo’s device name and it is not the WiFi network name. Click Next.

Roqos Device Name

2. Select the Time Zone of your actual location from the dropdown. Click Next.

Roqos Time Zone

3. Set the WiFi name and password for the Roqos. The WiFi name should be unique and not a duplicate of an existing wireless network. This will be the name that appears in your wireless devices available network list and the password to join the devices to the network. Click Next.

Roqos Set WiFi Name and Password

4. Select the custom alert settings as you best see fit using the toggle switches. We typically recommend having the first two toggles selected for Email Alerts and Consolidate Security Alerts. Click Next.

Begin connecting your devices to the Roqos network

You are now done setting up your Roqos to connect to the Internet and can begin joining your wireless devices to the Roqos network and exploring the Roqos Core Features.

Roqos Setup Done

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Surfshark AsusWRT WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 29, 2024 ·

Preparing for Surfshark AsusWRT Setup

Copy your Surfshark Private Key

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. A Public Key and Private Key will then appear. Use the copy box to copy the Private Key. You will not need the public key.

Surfshark Private Key

AsusWRT Router Setup for Surfshark

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.

Merlin VPN Tab

2. Navigate to the VPN Fusion tab.

Asus VPN Fusion

3. Click Add profile.

Asus Add profile

4. In the Connection Name field enter in Surfshark.

5. In the VPN Type dropdown select Surfshark.

6. In the Region dropdown select the Surfshark location you want to connect to.

7. In the Private Key field paste in the Surfshark Private Key obtained earlier.

8. Click Apply and Enable at the bottom of the page.

Asus Surfshark profile

If you only want certain devices to connect to the Surfshark 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.

Asus VPN devices
Asus VPN select devices

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

Asus Surfshark Connected

Verify a successful Surfshark connection

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

How to change the Surfshark server

  1. Use the profile service state toggle to disconnect the currently connected location.
  2. Then click into the Surfshark profile in the router’s settings.
  3. Then adjust the Region dropdown to a new location.
  4. Click Apply all settings.
  5. Use the profile service state toggle to connect the new location.

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

AirVPN Manual OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Jun 11, 2019 ·

Preparing for Manual AirVPN Setup

Obtain your AirVPN OpenVPN Information

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

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

AIRVPN OpenVPN Client Login for FlashRouter DD-WRT VPN Configuration

2. Click on the Client Area tab.

AIRVPN OpenVPN Client Area for FlashRouter DD-WRT VPN Configuration

3. Click on the Config Generator subtab.

AIRVPN OpenVPN Configuration Generator for FlashRouter DD-WRT VPN Configuration

4. Click on the Router icon under Choose your Operating System.

AIRVPN OpenVPN FlashRouter DD-WRT VPN Configuration

5. Select a Protocol under the Protocols section. We recommend UDP.

Select AIRVPN OpenVPN Encryption Protocol for FlashRouter DD-WRT VPN Configuration

6. Select one option under the Choose Servers section. AirVPN sorts these servers by Planet, Continent, Country, and Single servers. Choose whichever best suits your needs.

Sort AIRVPN OpenVPN Specific Certificates for FlashRouter DD-WRT VPN Configuration

7. Scroll down towards the bottom of the page and click on Generate.

Generate AIRVPN OpenVPN Specific Certificates for FlashRouter DD-WRT VPN Configuration

Open the file that was downloaded with NotePad++ for Windows or TextEdit for Apple. You will be copying the Server IP/Name, client.crt and client.key from this file.

Please note, all VPN servers have different keys and certificates. If you wish to change servers in the future, you will have to go through steps 1-7 again.

DD-WRT Router Setup for AirVPN

Navigate to Services > VPN

Enter AirVPN 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 selected in your account. Be sure there are no extra spaces or characters.

Port

443

Tunnel Device

TUN

Tunnel Protocol

UDP or TCP

Encryption cipher

AES-256-CBC

Hash Algorithm

SHA1

User Pass Authentication

Disable

Advanced Options

Enable

TLS Cipher

None

LZO Compression

No

NAT

Enable

Firewall Protection

Enable

nsCertType verification

Checked

Policy Based Routing

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

TLS Auth Key

—–BEGIN OpenVPN Static key V1—–
7bb7a23a0f5f28d01e792df68f1764ab
f2688719288808bf58e8a2d4f9354ecf
132625dfb895fc3f6330ae1e868e4dfa
c164c0931593d7f9a7da9595cf353433
8896e1d0a987a0d19838944af8fea4e5
215a3a0c76f4c67d5a4aee6a53be66a4
c88b84f850030840fb30f8550ed8068f
35c1ef34ee8f40a0ea5862dfb6f8d3c5
7ab5e27ac2799cf93e8765ff63cd8cd8
6b391b813925cd373bb202796f64d16f
003d042ca828d1b07f18ba1d0cb0323d
df3ee9287e9e084e655699efb3cffa92
3626946fa372e7beee245e7a95b4c1d8
7d16cae685218d4b8afc019b22e41083
476ee9883fe666d236301e55b2062551
4d91c8a69467a758293994df1e6fa7ae
—–END OpenVPN Static key V1—–

CA Cert

—–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—–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—–END CERTIFICATE—–

Public Client Cert

Copy and paste all contents between <cert> and </cert> make sure to also include the following lines when copying and pasting:
—–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—–
…
—–END CERTIFICATE—–

Private Client Key

Copy and paste all contents between <key> and </key> make sure to also include the following lines when copying and pasting:
—–BEGIN PRIVATE KEY—–
…
—–END PRIVATE KEY—–

CLICK APPLY SETTINGS

Leave all settings not mentioned above as their default setting.

Verify a successful AirVPN connection

Navigate to Status > OpenVPN

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED SUCCESS message.
  2. Visit whatismyipaddress.com 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 AirVPN.

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 AirVPN server

  1. Follow the instructions for obtaining the OpenVPN information from above.
  2. Enter the new Server Address in the Server IP/Name field.
  3. Enter the new client.key and private.key
  4. Click Apply Settings.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

Hotspot Shield Manual OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Jul 15, 2020 ·

Preparing for Manual Hotspot Shield Setup

Obtain your Hotspot Shield OpenVPN Information

If you are not already a Hotspot Shield user Sign Up Now.

1. Log in to your account on the Hotspot Shield website.

2. Click Hotspot Shield on the left side navigation.

Hotspot Shield - Website Admin

3. Under Choose your device click Router.

Hotspot Shield - Select Router

4. In the Set up your router section Select your desired virtual location and then click Download file.

Open the file that was downloaded with NotePad++ for Windows or TextEdit for Apple. You only need the <cert> and <key> from the .ovpn file. All Hotspot Shield servers have different keys and certificates.

Hotspot Shield - Download Configuration File

5. Copy the VPN Username, and Password that appear under Step 2 to a notepad, you will need this information later in the setup process.

Hotspot Shield - OpenVPN username and password

DD-WRT Router Setup for Hotspot Shield

Navigate to Services > VPN

Enter Hotspot Shield 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

At the top of the .ovpn file you downloaded above, there is a line e.g.:
remote universitycalendar.us 8041
universitycalendar.us is your Hotspot Shield server name. Enter the server name in this field.

Port

8041

Tunnel Device

TUN

Tunnel Protocol

UDP

Encryption cipher

AES-128-CBC

Hash Algorithm

SHA256

User Pass Authentication

Enable

Username

Enter the Username you obtained in your Hotspot Shield account.

Password

Enter the Password you obtained in your Hotspot Shield account.

Advanced Options

Enable

TLS Cipher

None

LZO Compression

No

NAT

Enable

Firewall Protection

Enable

Additional Config

resolv-retry infinite
remote-random
nobind
tun-mtu 1500
tun-mtu-extra 32
mssfix 1450
persist-key
persist-tun
ping 15
ping-restart 0
reneg-sec 0
remote-cert-tls server

Policy Based Routing

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

CA Cert

—–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—–
MIIFazCCA1OgAwIBAgIRAIIQz7DSQONZRGPgu2OCiwAwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQELBQAw
TzELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxKTAnBgNVBAoTIEludGVybmV0IFNlY3VyaXR5IFJlc2Vh
cmNoIEdyb3VwMRUwEwYDVQQDEwxJU1JHIFJvb3QgWDEwHhcNMTUwNjA0MTEwNDM4
WhcNMzUwNjA0MTEwNDM4WjBPMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzEpMCcGA1UEChMgSW50ZXJu
ZXQgU2VjdXJpdHkgUmVzZWFyY2ggR3JvdXAxFTATBgNVBAMTDElTUkcgUm9vdCBY
MTCCAiIwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADggIPADCCAgoCggIBAK3oJHP0FDfzm54rVygc
h77ct984kIxuPOZXoHj3dcKi/vVqbvYATyjb3miGbESTtrFj/RQSa78f0uoxmyF+
0TM8ukj13Xnfs7j/EvEhmkvBioZxaUpmZmyPfjxwv60pIgbz5MDmgK7iS4+3mX6U
A5/TR5d8mUgjU+g4rk8Kb4Mu0UlXjIB0ttov0DiNewNwIRt18jA8+o+u3dpjq+sW
T8KOEUt+zwvo/7V3LvSye0rgTBIlDHCNAymg4VMk7BPZ7hm/ELNKjD+Jo2FR3qyH
B5T0Y3HsLuJvW5iB4YlcNHlsdu87kGJ55tukmi8mxdAQ4Q7e2RCOFvu396j3x+UC
B5iPNgiV5+I3lg02dZ77DnKxHZu8A/lJBdiB3QW0KtZB6awBdpUKD9jf1b0SHzUv
KBds0pjBqAlkd25HN7rOrFleaJ1/ctaJxQZBKT5ZPt0m9STJEadao0xAH0ahmbWn
OlFuhjuefXKnEgV4We0+UXgVCwOPjdAvBbI+e0ocS3MFEvzG6uBQE3xDk3SzynTn
jh8BCNAw1FtxNrQHusEwMFxIt4I7mKZ9YIqioymCzLq9gwQbooMDQaHWBfEbwrbw
qHyGO0aoSCqI3Haadr8faqU9GY/rOPNk3sgrDQoo//fb4hVC1CLQJ13hef4Y53CI
rU7m2Ys6xt0nUW7/vGT1M0NPAgMBAAGjQjBAMA4GA1UdDwEB/wQEAwIBBjAPBgNV
HRMBAf8EBTADAQH/MB0GA1UdDgQWBBR5tFnme7bl5AFzgAiIyBpY9umbbjANBgkq
hkiG9w0BAQsFAAOCAgEAVR9YqbyyqFDQDLHYGmkgJykIrGF1XIpu+ILlaS/V9lZL
ubhzEFnTIZd+50xx+7LSYK05qAvqFyFWhfFQDlnrzuBZ6brJFe+GnY+EgPbk6ZGQ
3BebYhtF8GaV0nxvwuo77x/Py9auJ/GpsMiu/X1+mvoiBOv/2X/qkSsisRcOj/KK
NFtY2PwByVS5uCbMiogziUwthDyC3+6WVwW6LLv3xLfHTjuCvjHIInNzktHCgKQ5
ORAzI4JMPJ+GslWYHb4phowim57iaztXOoJwTdwJx4nLCgdNbOhdjsnvzqvHu7Ur
TkXWStAmzOVyyghqpZXjFaH3pO3JLF+l+/+sKAIuvtd7u+Nxe5AW0wdeRlN8NwdC
jNPElpzVmbUq4JUagEiuTDkHzsxHpFKVK7q4+63SM1N95R1NbdWhscdCb+ZAJzVc
oyi3B43njTOQ5yOf+1CceWxG1bQVs5ZufpsMljq4Ui0/1lvh+wjChP4kqKOJ2qxq
4RgqsahDYVvTH9w7jXbyLeiNdd8XM2w9U/t7y0Ff/9yi0GE44Za4rF2LN9d11TPA
mRGunUHBcnWEvgJBQl9nJEiU0Zsnvgc/ubhPgXRR4Xq37Z0j4r7g1SgEEzwxA57d
emyPxgcYxn/eR44/KJ4EBs+lVDR3veyJm+kXQ99b21/+jh5Xos1AnX5iItreGCc=
—–END CERTIFICATE—–
—–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—–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—–END CERTIFICATE—–

Public Client Cert

In the .ovpn file Copy and Paste all contents in between the <cert> and </cert> lines from your .ovpn file starting and ending with:
—–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—–
…
—–END CERTIFICATE—–

Private Client Key

In the .ovpn file Copy and Paste all contents in between the <key> and </key> lines from your .ovpn file starting and ending with:
—–BEGIN PRIVATE KEY—–
…
—–END PRIVATE KEY—–

CLICK APPLY SETTINGS

Leave all settings not mentioned above as their default setting.

Verify a successful Hotspot Shield connection

Navigate to Status > OpenVPN

  1. You should now see a CONNECTED SUCCESS message.
  2. Visit Hotspot Shield’s website 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 Hotspot Shield.

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 Hotspot Shield server

  1. Follow the instructions for obtaining the OpenVPN information from above.
  2. Enter the new Server Address in the Server IP/Name field.
  3. Enter the new Username and Password.
  4. Enter the new Public Client Cert and Private Client Key.
  5. Click Apply Settings.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

ProtonVPN WireGuard Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Jun 15, 2022 ·

Preparing for ProtonVPN WireGuard Setup

Verify your ProtonVPN login information

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

Log in to your account on the ProtonVPN website.

ProtonVPN Account login

1. On the left hand side select Downloads.

ProtonVPN Downloads

2. Then select WireGuard Configuration.

ProtonVPN WireGuard Configuration

3. Enter the Device Name to assign the FlashRouter to identify it among your ProtonVPN connections.

ProtonVPN WireGuard Desired Name

4. Set the Device platform as Router.

ProtonVPN WireGuard select Router

5. Select the VPN Options that you would like to connect with.

ProtonVPN WireGuard VPN Options

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.

ProtonVPN WireGuard select server
ProtonVPN WireGuard select servers

7. Click Download to download the .conf file of the server you selected.

ProtonVPN WireGuard download configuration

DD-WRT Router Setup for ProtonVPN WireGuard

Navigate to Setup > Tunnels 

ProtonVPN WireGuard DD-WRT Tunnels

Enter ProtonVPN WireGuard settings

1. Click Import Config and then select Choose file. Select the .conf file that was downloaded earlier.

ProtonVPN WireGuard Import Config and Choose File

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.

ProtonVPN WireGuard Persistent Keep Alive

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.

ProtonVPN WireGuard Status

Verify a successful ProtonVPN connection

Navigate to Setup > Tunnels

  1. You should Endpoint, Latest handshake, and Transfer in the WireGuard status area.
  2. Visit whatismyipaddress.com to verify your status as using ProtonVPN.

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.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here

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

SaferVPN Manual OpenVPN Setup

TeamFlashRouters · Apr 15, 2019 ·

Preparing for Manual SaferVPN Setup

Verify your SaferVPN login information

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

Log in to your account on the SaferVPN website.

FlashRouters Privacy App - SaferVPN Login

SaferVPN Server Addresses

View a full list of SaferVPN servers.

America

East Coast:
us1.safervpn.net

West Coast:
us2.safervpn.net

United Kingdom

uk1.safervpn.net

DD-WRT Router Setup for SaferVPN

Navigate to Services > VPN

Enter SaferVPN 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 SaferVPN connection locations, THIS IS THE ONLY FIELD YOU NEED TO CHANGE.

Port

1194

Tunnel Device

TUN

Tunnel Protocol

UDP

Encryption cipher

AES-256-CBC

Hash Algorithm

SHA1

User Pass Authentication

Enable

Username

Enter the Username you successfully logged in to your SaferVPN account with.

Password

Enter the Password you successfully logged in to your SaferVPN account with.

Advanced Options

Enable

TLS Cipher

None

LZO Compression

Adaptive

NAT

Enable

Additional Config

persist-key
persist-tun
tun-mtu-extra 32
mssfix 1450

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 SaferVPN connection

Navigate to Status > OpenVPN

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

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 SaferVPN server

  1. Copy the new SaferVPN server address from the above server list.
  2. Paste the server into the Server IP/Name field.
  3. Click Apply Settings.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Still having issues? Visit the VPN Troubleshooting section.

Troubleshoot Here
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