Preparing for PIA TP-Link Setup
Download your PIA .ovpn file
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1. Log in to your account on the PIA website.
2. Successfully log in with your account information then go to PIA’s OpenVPN Config Generator.
3. On the OpenVPN Configuration Generator select the following:
OpenVPN Version: OpenVPN 2.4 or newer
Select Platform: Linux
Select Region: Choose the server location you’d like to connect to
Select Port: Typically we recommend UDP/1198 RSA-2048 AES-128-CBC SHA1 for best speeds but feel free to select the one you want to use.
4. Click Generate to download the .ovpn file. Do not open this file once it is downloaded.
TP-Link Router Setup for PIA
Login to TP-Link firmware settings in a browser on any computer or smart device connected to the FlashRouter’s network.
1. Navigate to the Advanced tab.
2. Navigate to the VPN Client tab.
3. Check the Enable box next to VPN Client. Then click Save at the bottom of the page.
4. Click the Add button in the Server List area.
5. In the Description field enter in the name you’d like to use for this OpenVPN Client profile. We typically advise entering in the location. Our example server was New York so I have entered in PIA New York.
Set the VPN Type to OpenVPN.
In the Username and Password fields paste in the PIA username and password you use to successfully login to your PIA website account.
Click Browse and select the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier. Then click Save.
By default no devices will be assigned to the VPN Tunnel. With TP-Link firmware you must manually assign the devices that you want connected to the VPN tunnel. Proceed with the next steps to do so for all devices you want connected to VPN.
6. Click the Add button in the Device List area.
7. A list of devices connected to the FlashRouter’s network will appear. Check the devices that you want to connect to VPN. Then click OK.
8. Now that the devices have been assigned to the VPN connection click the Enable toggle in the Server List area.
Verify a successful PIA connection
- You should now see a CONNECTED message.
- Visit PIA’s IP Check to verify your new IP address and virtual location.
In some cases you may notice that the location is not showing the same location as the server you have input in your router settings; this is because geo tracking tools are often tricked by VPN connections. As long as you see an IP address that is not the same as your normal Internet IP address then you are indeed connected to PIA.
How to change the PIA server
- Follow the steps at the top of the page to obtain a new .ovpn file.
- Then proceed with the settings same as initial setup.