A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the best way to achieve privacy on your devices when you connect to the internet. However, did you know that with a ‘flashed’ router it is possible for every device in your home to be connected to the web privately via a VPN - all the time?
On some routers, it is possible to switch the stock firmware with open-source software known as DD-WRT. Once that is done, it is possible to run a DD-WRT VPN service directly on the router. DD-WRT allows this by providing access to the router's inner functionality, giving users much more control.
Top 5 DD-WRT VPN Services
- ExpressVPN - The best overall VPN for DD-WRT routers
- Private Internet Access - A privacy-oriented service that doesn't break the bank
- CyberGhost VPN - A great value-for-money VPN
- PrivateVPN - Perfect for beginners, with lots of customization
- IPVanish - Strong encryption and a zero-logs policy
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Installing a VPN client on a DD-WRT router is incredibly convenient. The first advantage is that it means every device connected via WiFi to the router is protected with the VPN’s encryption. That means that you won’t need to worry about getting a VPN that permits lots of simultaneous connections for multiple devices. Thus a DD-WRT VPN service is perfect for large families.
In addition, because all devices are connected to a remote VPN server, everyone connected to the router is hiding their true IP address. This means they can overcome censorship and geo-restrictions to access international content such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu.
For people who want to flash a router with DD-WRT themselves, there is a guide later in this article. For everybody else, our best DD-WRT VPN - ExpressVPN - sells a pre-flashed router. If you want to jump in a bit deeper, check out our 5 best DD-WRT routers article.
| TEST WINNER ExpressVPN | Private Internet Access | CyberGhost VPN | PrivateVPN | IPVanish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN | Private Internet Access | CyberGhost VPN | PrivateVPN | IPVanish |
| Ranking for DD-WRT VPNs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Performance | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Reliability | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Free trial | |||||
| Total servers | 3000 | 3386 | 11625 | 200 | 2000 |
| Payment | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency | PayPal Visa/MasterCard Amex Cryptocurrency |
| Unblocks: | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu | Netflix iPlayer Disney+ Amazon Prime Hulu |
| Supported platforms | Windows macOS iOS Android | Windows macOS iOS Android | Windows macOS iOS Android | Windows macOS iOS Android | Windows macOS iOS Android |
Best DD-WRT VPNs: Summary
ExpressVPN is a top-shelf provider with lightning-fast speeds and a massive choice of servers and locations to choose from – perfect for DD-WRT routers. ExpressVPN is one of the best, and most trusted, VPN services for DD-WRT routers. It has a video tutorial for setting up a flashed router at home and is available pre-flashed on FlashRouters. With ExpressVPN loaded onto a DD-WRT router, all your devices are protected with a strong privacy policy. It keeps no usage logs, and stores only a few aggregated statistics (that never reveal anything about individual users). Customer care is provided via 24/7 live chat, so no matter what your issue might be, you can get it fixed on the spot. Furthermore, Express offers its own VPN protocol (Lightway) for a faster and more secure VPN experience. Finally, because it provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, anybody can test the service risk-free to see just how reliable and fast it is. Private Internet Access is a budget-friendly VPN service with a solid reputation among the privacy community. Private Internet Access (PIA) is a zero-logs provider from America that continues to impress us – being one of the few providers to prove its logging policy in court. It offers a massive support catalog, with a knowledge-base full of articles, helpful guides, and even a live-chat function in case users need a human touch. With great support also comes great functionality, and you can make use of PIA's VPN kill-switch, DNS leak protection, a variety of VPN protocols to choose from. What's more, you can connect up to 10 devices at any time, and with apps for most major platforms, you can keep your devices protected at home, and when you're away without any hassle. Try it for yourself with a 30-day, no-fuss, money-back guarantee. CyberGhost is a low-cost VPN service with plenty of server locations to choose from – perfect for streaming. CyberGhost has been growing from strength to strength and now features at the top of a number of best 5 lists. The VPN works well on DD-WRT routers and is easy to use. Its servers provide fast and stable connection, which makes this VPN great for streaming. Encryption is also strong with this VPN, and the privacy policy is excellent. The only feature we would like to see in the future is robust obfuscation (stealth) technology. Even still, the VPN is fully featured and has everything you would expect to see from a world-class service. What's more, this VPN offers great value for money, and we love its live chat support. Finally, it has a whopping 45-day money-back guarantee to test it thoroughly without risking a cent. PrivateVPN is a budget-friendly VPN that takes the hassle out of a router VPN. PrivateVPN is a zero-logs Swedish provider. It features both a firewall-based system kill-switch and a per-app kill-switch, which is pretty neat. Full IPv4 and IPv6 DNS leak protection is also built-in to its client – helping to keep you safer online. We have been particularly impressed by PrivateVPN’s top level of customer service, which even features remote installation for technophobes! Up to a generous 6 simultaneous devices are permitted, as well as port forwarding, and we think its HTTPS and SOCKS5 proxies are a nice bonus. PrivateVPN offers a simple setup script for DD-WRT routers that takes the hassle out of manual configuration. Give it a go with their 30-day money-back guarantee. IPVanish is a fast and secure service that offers unlimited simultaneous connections. IPVanish is an excellent VPN provider that is rated highly by Flashrouters. It is based in the US and was recently criticized for providing some logs to the US authorities in order to help them catch a high-profile criminal. However, despite this, IPVanish remains a good VPN for the vast majority of people's needs. The VPN software is easy to use and IPVanish provides some of the fastest speeds on the market. This makes the VPN perfect for unblocking regional content and streaming your favorite shows. IPVanish provides high standards of encryption to keep your data secure and offers plenty of VPN protocols to choose from. This VPN also offers excellent value for money, which is why it is popular among people who decide to get a pre-flashed router. You can test IPVanish and its unlimited simultaneous connections with ease, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee. 1. ExpressVPN
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Privacy
If you are going to go to the trouble of installing a VPN on a flashed DD-WRT router, it is vital that the VPN is world-class. For that reason, all the VPNs in this guide provide the very best encryption available on the market (OpenVPN encryption). In addition, they have a proven track record of providing privacy for their subscribers. They also have watertight privacy policies, which means that your data will remain private at all times.
Connection Speeds
One of the main advantages of a VPN is that subscribers can overcome censorship and geo-restrictions. Connecting to a VPN server in the US or UK, for example, means that the VPN user appears to really be in one of those countries. Many VPNs provide very slow connection speeds, which means that streaming in HD is nigh on impossible.
Our number one recommended DD-WRT VPN service is ExpressVPN, because it provides lightning-fast access to servers in 94 countries worldwide. However, all the VPNs for DD-WRT that we have recommended in this list provide access to fast servers situated all over the world. Subscribers can unblock content in any of the countries in which their VPN has a server. With a flashed DD-WRT VPN service, that freedom is available on every device in your home!
Getting a DD-WRT Router
As already mentioned, the easiest way of getting a DD-WRT router is to buy one that is pre-flashed. This saves you the trouble of having to flash it yourself - a process that can result in "bricking” the router (making it unusable). Buying a pre-flashed router is more costly, but it is also a one-off investment (and doesn’t cost the earth). The best options for getting a flashed router are as follows:
Buy it directly from the VPN provider: Our most highly recommended VPN, ExpressVPN (and others such as StrongVPN), can provide users with a pre-flashed router that has the software already installed. You can simply log in to your VPN account and protect your home.
Visiting FlashRouters: FlashRouters provides a custom DD-WRT flashing and customizing service. All you need to do is purchase your VPN and buy a router from that provider. When it arrives, it will be set up and ready for you to log in to your account.
Buying directly from the router manufacturer: Many router manufacturers make DD-WRT routers, due to their popularity. You can purchase these on Amazon.
Set up OpenVPN Encryption on DD-WRT VPN
OpenVPN is by far the most secure VPN encryption on the market. It is the VPN encryption that we recommend that you use, so you should set up the VPN on your DD-WRT router to connect using it.
Setting up OpenVPN varies for different VPN providers. As such, these settings are only a guide. The good news is that each VPN has setup guides for loading its VPN onto a DD-WRT router. The best thing to do is to contact your VPN directly for instructions once you've subscribed.
Check That Your Router Supports OpenVPN
Make sure your DD-WRT router supports OpenVPN. Most DD-WRT routers accept OpenVPN by default, but it's worth checking. If you want to connect with OpenVPN (and you do!), make sure when you buy your router that it supports OpenVPN.
Now navigate to your VPN's website and log in. On your VPN's downloads page, download the .ovpn files (or at least the one for the server that you wish to connect to).
Set Up Your DD-WRT GUI Software
- Open the .ovpn file using a text editor. I would suggest using Notepad ++.
- Open your DDWRT Control Panel and navigate to "Setup -> Basic Setup.” Under Network Address Server Settings (DHCP) enter one of the following (check with your VPN to know which DNS address you should enter - these are only examples):
- For Google DNS: Static DNS 1 – 8.8.8.8, Static DNS 2 – 8.8.4.4;
- For OpenDNS: Static DNS 1 – 208.67.222.222, Static DNS 2 – 208.67.220.220; or
- For OpenNic: Visit the website to find the best one for you.
3. Select ‘Services’ in your DD-WRT software and go to the VPN tab to enable ‘OpenVPN Client.’
4. Input the following settings (these will vary for your VPN, so get them from your provider as these are only examples):
Server Address/Port: Look at the text file of the .ovpn file in Notepad++ to find the IP address of the server and the port number (443, for example). To locate them, look for the line that starts with "remote,” or ask your VPN for them (it will have a guide that you can use).
- Tunnel Device/Protocol: TUN/UDP
- Encryption Cipher/Hash: Blowfish CBC/SHA1
- nsCertTypeVerification: Disabled
- Advanced Options: Enabled
- TLS Cipher: None
- LZO compression: Yes
- NAT: Enable
- Tunnel MTU Setting: 1500
- Tunnel UDP MSS-Fix: Enabled
In the Additional Config box, paste the following:
client remote-cert-tls server ping 15 ping-restart 60 resolv-retry infinite nobind explicit-exit-notify 3 comp-lzo yes verb 2 route-gateway dhcp redirect-gateway def1
For the Keys, use the .ovpn file to:
- Copy the text between and to CA Cert;
- Copy the text between and to Public Client Cert; and
- Copy the text between and to Private Client Key.
Click Apply Settings.
Going to "Status -> OpenVPN” will display your connection status, and should say Connected: Success. You can also navigate to InfoByIP to check your connection.
Can I use a free VPN with my DD-WRT router?
It is technically possible to use any VPN with your DD-WRT router, but just because you can do it, doesn't mean that you should. Unfortunately, there are free VPNs that, on the surface, seem perfect (offering unlimited speeds and data), when in actuality, free VPNs that offer the world, usually come with the following issues:
- Little/no security: most usually come with weak encryption that is easily broken.
- Limited server and IP options: meaning geo-spoofing is usually impossible.
- Congested servers: making your VPN sluggish and even having to queue to connect.
- Malware: some have been reported to infect devices with malicious software.
- Invasive privacy policies: monitoring your internet usage and selling on your personal data to third parties to generate their income.
If a free VPN sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. Running a VPN service is expensive, and if that service isn't making money from direct payments, you can be sure that it will make it up elsewhere.
It's worth keeping in mind that even the best free VPNs come with data and speed restrictions, and may not be compatible with your router.
If you want to get the most out of a DD-WRT VPN, then we recommend using the services listed above with their money-back guarantee, as they are tried and tested to help you get the most out of your DD-WRT router. Alternatively, if you're willing to do some further research, there are some great budget-friendly VPNs – just be sure to check their compatibility, and make sure that whichever one you choose has fast servers where you need them.
DD-WRT VPN: Conclusion
In this article, we have recommended the best VPN for a flashed DD-WRT router and four runners-up. The easiest way to get a VPN running on a DD-WRT router is to buy it pre-flashed. For those of you who want to flash a router you already own, we have included a guide to give you an idea of how it is done.
Please remember, however, that the guide is only an outline and that the details will vary for each VPN provider. So please remember to get the details from your VPN provider. It will have a guide similar to the one above to walk you through the process.
All the VPNs in this guide are perfect for running on a VPN router, because they are trusted and reliable services that showcase the best of what VPNs have to offer. They all have lightning fast servers located around the world, which will allow you to unblock almost anything. All that is left is for you to decide which VPN you prefer.
We are confident there is an ideal VPN for everyone in this guide, no matter what your personal circumstances may be. So read through the options carefully and select your VPN with confidence. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us in the comments section below. For now, here's a quick reminder of the best DD-WRT VPNs:
- ExpressVPN - The best overall VPN for DD-WRT routers
- Private Internet Access - A privacy-oriented service that doesn't break the bank
- CyberGhost VPN - A great value-for-money VPN
- PrivateVPN - Perfect for beginners, with lots of customization
- IPVanish - Strong encryption and a zero-logs policy