How to Set up a VPN to Work at the Router Level (and Why It’s Important)

Installing a VPN on a device is like locking the door to one room of your home. That room may be protected from intruders, but the rest of the house remains open and unprotected. Continuing this analogy, VPNs running directly on your router protect your front door. They protect the entire house, including all the rooms and safes within. By setting up a VPN at the router level, you force all connected devices on your network to pass through the encrypted tunnel created by your VPN. This means that any devices that don’t natively support VPN apps, such as your smart TV or PS5, are also protected by the same level of network security.

However, there are some caveats. For example, some users claimed that Xbox blocked their accounts for using a VPN, although I couldn’t find any official confirmation of this at the time. Some banking platforms and financial apps may even deny access to VPN traffic, forcing you to use a separate network for these purposes. With this in mind, I’ll discuss the pros and cons of setting up a VPN on your router, as well as provide setup instructions based on your router model.

How does VPN work at the router level?

Enabling a VPN through an app on your device creates a TCP tunnel that routes your traffic through a remote server, encrypting all incoming and outgoing traffic from that specific device. If an ISP or website attempts to trace this traffic back to its original IP address, it will be redirected to the remote server, not your local network. However, this only works for the device with the VPN enabled; all other traffic passing through your home network remains unencrypted and open. Setting up a VPN connection for every device on the network can be labor-intensive, potentially leading to errors that inadvertently reveal your online activity.

Many modern Wi-Fi routers have built-in support for secure communication protocols such as OpenVPN, WireGuard, PPTP, and L2TP over IPsec. This allows you to configure a VPN directly on the router, ensuring that every device on your network is always in an encrypted tunnel unless you disable it. Enabling a VPN is done through the router’s firmware, usually via a dedicated settings page where you can enter the VPN server and login credentials.

This method has many advantages. Setting up a VPN on a single router instead of ten different devices with separate apps makes installing firmware updates and security patches much easier. Many routers also offer a kill switch that automatically blocks all internet traffic if the VPN is somehow disconnected, providing an additional layer of protection against unexpected hacking.

What to consider when using a router-level VPN

However, this option has some caveats. You should be aware of them now so you can plan ahead. Installing a VPN on your router creates a single point of failure for your home network’s encrypted tunnel. Hackers who successfully compromise your router’s firmware can disable the VPN on all devices—this is a common attack pattern targeting older router models. While traffic between your router and the internet passes through the VPN tunnel, any traffic between your local devices and the router remains unencrypted and accessible to anyone with access to your home network.

As mentioned, some platforms, such as banking apps and streaming services, may automatically block VPN traffic due to local security, privacy, or IP address protection laws. When accessing these services, you’ll need to disable the VPN at the router level, which could leave other devices unprotected. Furthermore, advanced features such as cookie blocking, split tunneling, or post-quantum encryption (PQE) may only be available through the provider’s VPN apps and won’t be available if you configure them through your router firmware.

Finally, since TCP encryption is now handled by your router’s CPU, a weak router with a suboptimal CPU can cause performance issues across your entire network. More powerful routers, such as the ASUS RT-BE58U or Synology RT6600ax , shouldn’t cause any issues, but their cost can range from $100 to $350, or even more.

How to set up a VPN on a router

First, you need to make sure your Wi-Fi router model supports VPN protocols. Look for support for OpenVPN or WireGuard in your router’s documentation. Many popular VPN providers, such as Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Nord VPN, also list supported router models on their websites, along with step-by-step setup instructions. While individual steps may vary significantly depending on your router’s brand and model, firmware version, and VPN protocol, some points remain consistent across manufacturers and providers:

ASUS routers

ASUS makes setting up a VPN on its routers as easy as possible, although not all models support all manufacturers and protocols. You can usually check your VPN service’s documentation to see if your model is supported. Once support is confirmed, follow these steps for the actual setup:

1. On a device connected to your router’s Wi-Fi, open the ASUS Router web interface and ensure the firmware is updated to at least version 3.0.0.4.388.23000. You can also use the ASUS Router mobile app on your phone if you prefer.

2. Go to the VPN section , then VPN Fusion .

3. In the VPN Fusion tab, click Add Profile and select your VPN or provider type, such as OpenVPN, WireGuard, PPTP, or L2TP.

4. Here, you can upload your VPN configuration file or manually enter the VPN service’s IP address and port. Afterwards, be sure to enable the “Apply to all devices” option and click “Apply all settings” to save the changes.

5. Activating the newly created profile in the VPN Fusion tab will automatically connect your router to the VPN server.

GL.iNet Routers

On GL.iNET routers with firmware version 4.x, you can access the VPN client directly from the router’s administrative interface. These routers support all OpenVPN and WireGuard-based VPN services.

1. Download the VPN configuration file (WireGuard or OpenVPN) from your provider’s website.

2. Log in to your GL.iNET router’s admin panel, then go to VPN > VPN Client Profile .

3. Click “Add Manually” to upload the VPN configuration file.

4. Once configured, VPN protection is extended to all devices on the network by default. To enable or disable the VPN on specific devices, use the VPN control panel . Here, you can also choose which VPN server your router connects to and set rule-based exceptions to bypass the VPN when accessing specific whitelisted IP addresses.

5. Once completed, don’t forget to click the “Apply” button on the VPN control panel.

Routers TP-Link

Not all TP-Link routers support VPN setup, and even fewer support VPNs using the WireGuard protocol. However, if you have an Archer BE, GE, AX, AXE, GX, MR, or TL-MR model, you’ll find a VPN client built into the online interface. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Once connected to your TP-Link router, go to tplinkwifi.net .

2. Then go to “Advanced” > “VPN Client .” Turn on the “VPN Client” toggle and click “Save.”

3. In the Server List section of the VPN Client tab, click Add and select the VPN type.

4. TP-Link routers support up to six VPN profiles, as well as WireGuard, OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP/IPSec protocols. You can upload a VPN configuration file directly to create a new profile. Then activate it by turning on the toggle next to the profile.

5. Unlike other router manufacturers, TP-Link doesn’t enable VPN on all connected devices by default. You must manually enable VPN connections for each device by activating them in the VPN device list .

Other router models

Beyond the manufacturers we just discussed, there are many other router models that support VPN. While default VPN support may vary across router models, you can also flash custom firmware to your router to enable this support. However, it’s important to note that incorrectly flashing custom firmware can render the router unusable. If you choose to go this route, be sure to follow your VPN provider’s official documentation for specific steps for your router. For example, Proton VPN has published firmware guides for routers of various makes and models.

Popular pre-configured routers with built-in VPN features

If you don’t want to mess around with downloading configuration files or flashing firmware, many router models now come with pre-installed VPN support for popular services like ExpressVPN or Nord.

• ExpressVPN Fortify : ExpressVPN Fortify is a pre-configured VPN router powered by GL.iNet Flint 2 hardware, which was released in September of this year. It costs $199.99 and comes with 12 months of ExpressVPN Advanced. This router model supports up to 86 simultaneously connected devices and speeds up to 900 Mbps using the WireGuard protocol.

• FlashRouters : FlashRouters sells various router models pre-installed with their own open-source VPN firmware. You can choose from models from ASUS, GL.iNet, and TP-Link. But if you prefer to keep your existing router, FlashRouters also offers a “Flash My Router” service for your existing hardware.

• Cudy Mesh : Cudy mesh-ready router models, such as the WR5000 or WR3600, come with built-in Surfshark integration in the Cudy app or graphical user interface. When you purchase an annual subscription to Surfshark’s VPN service through Cudy, you also receive four months free, thanks to a partnership between the two companies.

Test your new VPN setup at the router level.

Once you’ve set up and enabled a VPN on your router, don’t assume it’s working by default. Connect your device to your router’s Wi-Fi network and use an IP address detection tool like DNS Checker , What Is My IP Address , or BrowserLeaks to ensure your real IP address isn’t revealed when the VPN is enabled.

If your router has a VPN kill switch, check it as well. Disable the VPN, then try accessing any website while connected to the router’s network. If internet access is immediately disconnected, the kill switch is working.

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