If you’re looking to protect your privacy and security online, ExpressVPN is a great solution. In this guide, we’ll show you how to install and use it with a DD-WRT router.
The “expressvpn router” is a VPN service that allows users to access the internet securely. This tutorial will show you how to install and use ExpressVPN with a DD-WRT Router.
I’m prepared to wager that a sizable portion of my readers use DD-WRT firmware on their Wi-Fi router. This is due to the fact that running DD-WRT firmware has a lot of benefits.
For UNIX-based routers, DD-WRT is an alternative firmware that is free and open source. When utilizing the router with the default firmware that is pre-installed on the router out of the box, it gives customers access to tools, utilities, and capabilities that aren’t accessible to them.
Many of the functionality offered by DD-WRT are only available on routers that cost hundreds of dollars more than a DD-WRT-compatible router.
Users may fine-tune the speed and security of their router using DD-WRT. Users who have children may set limits on the Wi-Fi connection’s availability periods and even on the websites that can be accessed by URL or keyword.
In this essay, we’ll be paying particular attention to security. How to configure your DD-WRT router specifically to utilize a VPN
You may secure all of your connected devices by using a VPN with your DD-WRT router as a single access point. Additionally, it enables you to strengthen and safeguard the connection of numerous streaming and gaming devices, as well as a video doorbell, which would otherwise be unable to benefit from a router.
DD-WRT firmware offers more freedom for VPN customers and their routers compared to other VPN companies, who only allow usage of their service with a limited number of router manufacturers and models.
I’ll guide you through setting up and running ExpressVPN on a DD-WRT router in this tutorial. The procedures you’ll do ought to work with other VPN services that support DD-WRT as well as the majority of DD-WRT routers that have the most recent DD-WRT firmware loaded.
We won’t go into how to install DD-WRT firmware on a router in this post since it is beyond the purview of this one. On the DD-WRT website, you can learn more about DD-WRT router compatibility as well as how to install the firmware.
You’ll be happy to hear that there are routers that come with DD-WRT pre-installed if you’re not confident installing DD-WRT firmware on your present router or if you’re unsure whether there is a version of DD-WRT for your router. For further details, speak to Best Buy, Amazon, or other retailers. DD-WRT routers are also available on Flashrouters.com.
July 2022 VPN Security July 2022 test
The best VPN I can suggest if you’re seeking for a dependable way to add VPN security to your DD-WRT router is ExpressVPN.
You may now have the freedom you wanted when you flashed your router with the DD-WRT firmware by using ExpressVPN on it. It also gives the same trustworthy VPN security you’ve come to expect from ExpressVPN’s applications on your different devices.
In addition to working with DD-WRT routers, the VPN service has a host of other features that make it a top pick for safeguarding all of your online activity.
The greatest download speeds in the industry can be found with ExpressVPN. In my most recent set of VPN provider connection speed testing, the company really provided the fastest download speeds. This makes it a fantastic router option, particularly if you live with a lot of gamers and movie buffs.
With ExpressVPN’s extensive native app compatibility, you can continue to enjoy top-notch safety even while you’re away from home. There are apps for the Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Chromebook, iOS, and Amazon Fire platforms. Users of the provider’s browser extensions may do so on Chrome and Firefox.
Although I haven’t had many problems utilizing ExpressVPN, things do happen. As a result, customer assistance offered by the company is a crucial consideration. ExpressVPN offers email help, a searchable support library, a problem ticket tracking system, and live chat support that is available around-the-clock.
With more than 3,000 servers located in 94 different countries worldwide, ExpressVPN has you covered when it comes to providing global server coverage.
It’s true that ExpressVPN costs more than a lot of its rivals. However, you have a fantastic degree of security for that money. An unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee is provided by ExpressVPN.
Read the whole of my ExpressVPN review here.
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Steps for Configuring ExpressVPN on a DD-WRT Router
It may seem difficult to set up ExpressVPN to function with your DD-WRT router at first. But if you follow my detailed instructions, you’ll soon be upgrading and safeguarding all of your linked gadgets.
the VPN configuration files for download
Follow the instructions below to get the ExpressVPN firmware.
- Use your Mac, Windows, or Linux computer to log into your ExpressVPN account on the provider’s website. Your account dashboard will be shown.
- The “Set Up Your Devices” feature may be found on the account dashboard. On the “Router” link, click.
- Your browser will open a new tab. Select your router from the pull-down menu by clicking there. Select “DD-WRT.”
- Click the “Configure OpenVPN” button on the next screen. Although you may set up your router to utilize PPTP and L2TP/IPSec as well, frequent visitors to my blog will already be aware that OpenVPN is the recommended choice in this situation.
- Note the username and password that appear on the next screen. (The login and password fields will copy to your computer’s clipboard if you click them. Paste them into a text file by clicking each one individually. No one has an excellent memory, and you’ll need them soon. Mine isn’t, at least.)
- You may find a section on this website that lists the locations of ExpressVPN’s servers by scrolling down a little bit. Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas are included in this region. Select the area you want to use for your VPN connection routing by clicking it. We’ll choose “Americas” for the sake of this essay, followed by “USA – Chicago.” (It’s the place I like.)
- Upon clicking the server site’s name, a “Save” dialog box will appear. Click the “Store” button after choosing a location to save the configuration file. I advise storing it to your desktop or another special location. It will soon be necessary for you.
Entering the Information for ExpressVPN
It’s time to set up your DD-WRT router so that it can communicate with the ExpressVPN service once you’ve copied down your username and password and downloaded the OpenVPN configuration file.
Note: Your router must have at least 8 MB of flash memory and the most recent version of DD-WRT firmware loaded. Whether you want to know if your router has enough memory, you need contact the manufacturer.
However, there’s a strong probability you’re fine to go if it supports DD-WRT and was released recently.
By the conclusion of the next few stages, you’ll have everything set up for using ExpressVPN with your DD-WRT router.
- Open a web browser on a computer that is connected to your DD-WRT router, then go to the router’s settings page. The default address for the majority of DD-WRT routers is http://192.168.1.1.
- Click the “Services” tab (labeled “A” in the picture below) when the Control Panel has loaded. When a row of tabs displays, click “VPN” (labeled “B” in the picture below).
- When you reach the “OpenVPN Client” section, scroll down the page. The “Start OpenVPN Client” option button should be set to “Enable.” The OpenVPN Client settings page will then become visible.
- Okay, now it’s time to put to work that configuration file you saved and that username and password you copied. First, open the configuration file in a text editor and copy the server address. It should look something like this:
Highlight and copy it to your computer’s clipboard. Also, take note of the 4-digit number immediately following the address. (In this case, it’s “1195.”) Don’t close the file just yet, as you’ll need some more information from it in a moment. - In the “Server IP/Name” box on the OpenVPN client, paste the server address. Then, as seen below, type the 4-digit number into the “Port” area that you recorded in the previous step.
- Enter or set the following values in the fields under the Port field: TUN, a tunneling device UDP Encryption in the Tunnel Protocol Cipher: CBC AES-256 SHA512 is the hash algorithm. On TUN, the inbound Firewall Leave User Pass Authentication unchecked: Activate Username: Here is where you enter your ExpressVPN login. Password: Use this field to enter your ExpressVPN password. Advanced Choices Enable
- More fields will show up after “Advanced Options” is enabled. Make sure the following is as they are set: No TLS Cipher Enable Adaptive NAT, Compression, and Firewall Protection. Enable Blank IP Address Blank Subnet Mask, 1500 Tunnel MTU, 1450 Tunnel UDP Fragment, and Enabled MSS-Fix Checked to confirm server certificate
- Enter the following in the “Additional Config” area after a little amount of scrolling down: fragment 1300 mssfix 1450 keysize 256 persist-key persist-tun
- You should still have the configuration file open in a text editor. Go to that file and copy the text in between the <tls-auth> and </tls-auth> block, as shown below:
- As seen below, paste the information you just copied into the TLS Auth Key area. (It could say “TLS Key” on the label.)
- From the configuration file, copy the text in between the <ca> and </ca> block, as shown in the image below:
- In the “CA Cert” area, as indicated in the illustration below, paste the copied text:
- From the configuration file, copy the text in between the <cert> and </cert> block, as shown in the image below:
- In the “Public Client Cert” box, as shown in the illustration below, paste the copied text:
- From the configuration file, copy the text in between the <key> and </key> block, as shown in the image below:
- In the “Private Client Key” area, as shown in the illustration below, paste the copied text:
- To begin the connection to the VPN, go to the bottom of the page, click the “Save” button, and then click the “Apply settings” button.
- Click the “Status” tab, then choose “OpenVPN” from the row of tabs that appears below the top row to verify that the VPN is functioning correctly. It ought to seem like the screenshot below:
- By visiting WhatIsMyIP.com or a similar website, you may examine your new IP address and confirm that you are connected to the server you choose. As you can see in the screenshot below, the website displayed my IP address as being in Chicago, Illinois, when I visited it. This indicates that everything is operating as intended since I chose that server location.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Connecting to a VPN Through Your DD-WRT Router
Advantages
Constant Defense
You get always-on security if you set up and utilize a VPN with your DD-WRT router.
When exchanging data, trying to access geo-restricted material, or just trying to keep their online activity hidden from prying eyes, many users (like myself) may sometimes forget to switch on their VPN program on their devices.
When a VPN is set up and operating continuously on your DD-WRT router, it always protects and improves your online activity.
All of Your Connected Devices Are Safe
Any device that connects to your network is automatically secured when your DD-WRT router is protected by a VPN. This safety is extended to gadgets like streaming boxes, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and even smart appliances like internet-connected refrigerators that ordinarily cannot benefit from VPN protection.
Disadvantages
Additional Upfront Cost
There is a strong probability that your existing router cannot be flashed with DD-WRT firmware because it is incompatible with it or because it was issued by your internet service provider. Therefore, you may have to purchase a new router that is DD-WRT compatible.
It may be difficult to find a Wi-Fi router with the compatibility and processing power required to run DD-WRT (and a VPN on top of that). Although there are a few less costly routers that can run DD-WRT, you may need to choose a more expensive router to guarantee satisfactory performance.
Additionally, if your VPN service supports DD-WRT routers, they could charge an additional fee for access to that function. (Fortunately, ExpressVPN offers this function as part of your membership at no additional cost.)
The Speeds of Your Connection Will Be Slower
You’ll probably notice that your connection speeds are at least a little bit slower while using a VPN on your computer or another connected device than when utilizing an unsecured connection.
This is true even if your DD-WRT router is connected to a VPN. This is a result of the additional work required to operate a VPN on your router, which often has a slower CPU than your computer or mobile device.
Additionally, a router’s internet connection is often shared by many devices, each of which consumes a portion of the connection’s bandwidth. The performance and your speeds decrease as the number of devices increases.
Less Versatility
You have control over when the VPN protection is switched on and off when using a VPN program on your own device. VPN protection is always active when you’re connected to a router that supports VPNs.
While it’s true that you can choose which devices are routed via the VPN tunnel and which aren’t on many routers, in order to toggle VPN protection on and off, you’ll need to know the administrator password.
Can I Use My DD-WRT Router With a Free VPN?
Most free VPN services only support the Big 4 platforms, as you’ll discover (iOS, Android, macOS and Windows). They thus won’t function with your router.
Additionally, it is never a good idea to use a “free” VPN service for any kind of online activity. First off, a lot of free VPN services either slow your connection speeds or place daily or monthly data consumption limits on you.
Numerous “free” VPN service providers also keep an eye on the internet activity of their customers, record the information, and then sell it to advertising or other interested parties.
It has been discovered that some free VPNs insert intrusive advertisements and monitoring cookies into their customers’ browser sessions. These cookies keep following you even after you stop using the service.
In conclusion
Installing a VPN like ExpressVPN on your DD-WRT router may have some drawbacks, but overall, the benefits far exceed the drawbacks.
Through a single access point, router-based VPN security provides complete 24/7 VPN protection for all of your devices. There is no need to configure this for every device. The moment the device establishes a connection to the router, it is secure.
ExpressVPN is compatible with DD-WRT routers and offers superior security, quick connection times, strong worldwide server coverage, and thorough customer service.
Check out ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN is a popular VPN service that allows users to connect to over 90 countries for free. In order to use ExpressVPN on your DD-WRT router, you will need the config files from the ExpressVPN website. You can find these files in the “express vpn config files” section of this article.
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