To set up Surfshark on your router, confirm whether your router is Surfshark-compatible, install it, and voila! You have Surfshark router access.
The installation process differs from router to router. But don’t worry – I’ll take you through the installation process for the Asus router and provide links to tutorials for other supported routers.
Keep reading for the juicy details!
How to Install Surfshark on a Router?
The first step to installing Surfshark on your router is finding out if it’s compatible with Surfshark. You can do this in two ways:
- Ask Surfshark support via live chat or email if your router is compatible.
- Check Surfshark’s help center to see if your router is supported.
Additionally, the installation process requires using OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP, or WireGuard. I recommend WireGuard or OpenVPN.
Let’s take a closer look.
How to Install Surfshark on Asus-WRT Routers?
First, grab a Surfshark subscription with this huge discount. Then, follow these instructions to install Surfshark on an Asus-WRT router using OpenVPN.
Find Your Login Details
You’ll need your Surfshark service credentials to connect to Surfshark using a manual OpenVPN configuration.
To access these credentials,
- Login to Surfshark with your Surfshark account credentials.
- Click the “Credentials” tab to find the Surfshark service credentials. Jot them down.
Select a Surfshark Server
Every server or location has a configuration file you need to connect to Surfshark.
Feel free to download all the configuration files directly from Surfshark’s website.
Alternatively, you can
- Visit this page.
- Select the “Locations“ tab. You will now see all of Surfshark’s servers.
- Download the config file for the location you want. Click “Get OpenVPN configuration files” to download.
Configure the OpenVPN Client
Next, you need to configure the OpenVPN client on your router.
- Enter 192.168.1.1 in your URL bar to open your Asus Router control panel.
- Click the VPN tab under “Advanced settings.”
- Select “VPN Client” in the VPN tab.
- Click the “Add Profile” button at the bottom of the page.
- Select “OpenVPN“ tab. Enter the following details:
- Description (name of the connection)
- Username and password (Surfshark service credentials you saved in the previous step)
- Add a configuration file of the server you’d like to connect to. Click “Choose File.”
- Select the directory to which you downloaded the configuration files and click “Open.”
- Select “Upload,” and you should see a message stating “Complete” if the process was successful.
- Leave the “Import the CA file or edit the .ovpn file manually” unticked and click “OK.”
- Click “Activate” to connect the router to a Surfshark server. Now your router is Surfshark protected.
- Once the connection is successful, a blue checkmark should appear in the “Connection Status” column.
Verify Your Connection Was Successful
Conduct an IP and DNS leak test to verify your connection was successful.
You can use Surfshark’s dedicated leak tests to do so.
Congratulations! You successfully installed & configured the Surfshark VPN on your Asus router.
Other Surfshark Router Setups
If you want to set up Surfshark on non-Asus routers, you can do so using Surfshark’s in-depth guides. Here are the setup tutorials for
Can All Routers Use Surfshark?
Not all routers can use Surfshark. Some routers don’t have support for OpenVPN, at least not with their default firmware.
For example, you can’t use the following routers with Surfshark:
- Arris
- Belkin
- Cisco
- Fritz Box
- Linksys (except Tomato-supported routers from this list)
- TRENDnet
- TotoLink
- Ubee
- Google WiFi
- Most ISP-provided routers
If your router doesn’t support OpenVPN, consider buying a new router or installing new firmware on your current router.
If you buy a new router, I recommend one with VPN functionality by default.
Here are a few examples:
- InvizBox 2 VPN router (Surfshark-ready)
- Vilfo
- Synology RT2600AC
- Asus RT-AC86U AC2900 Dual Band Gigabit WiFi Gaming Router
- GLiNet GL-MT300N-V2 Mini Smart Router “Mango”
How to Set up a Manual Surfshark Wireguard Connection on a Router?
To set up a manual Surfshark WireGuard connection on a router, you need a router with custom firmware. I recommend OpenWRT (21.02 or later), as it’s widely supported and gets frequent updates.
Follow these steps
- Log in to Surfshark using your account credentials.
- Click “VPN” and “Manual Setup.”
- Click “Router” and “WireGuard.”
- For this connection, you need a pair of public and private keys.
- If you have these keys from a previous setup, click I have a key pair, enter your public key, and click “Save.”
- If this is your first time, click I don’t have a key pair, generate a new key pair, save your key pair, and click “Save.”
If you fail to generate a key pair before downloading the configuration file, the file won’t have your key pair.
In such a case, you’ll need to generate a key separately and input it manually into any missing fields.
- Choose a location and download the WireGuard configuration file.
- Go to a new browser tab, enter your router’s default gateway address, and log in. If you are using OpenWRT, it’s 192.168.1.1.
- At the top, select “System” then “Software.” It will take you to a new window where you can download a special package that you’ll use to set up the WireGuard connection.
- Type in WireGuard in the search & look for luci-app-wireguard. Click “Install.”
- Reboot the router. Click “System,” “Reboot,” and “Perform Reboot.” After, refresh the page & log in to the router’s control panel again.
- Set up the WireGuard interface. Select “Network,” “Interfaces,” and “Add New Interface.”
- For the name, type in wg0 and select “WireGuard VPN” for the protocol. Click “Create Interface.”
- Under General Settings, configure the Interface by entering the Private key from Surfshark’s config file.
- Enter the IP address, also found in the Surfshark config file.
- Under “Advanced Settings,” uncheck “DNS servers advertised by peers.”
- Enter Surfshark’s DNS addresses:
- 162.252.172.57
- 149.154.159.92.
- Assign a Firewall Zone. Click “Firewall Settings” and “Unspecified.”
- In the bottom field, enter “VPN.”
- Head to the “Peers” tab and click “Add Peer.”
- Under Description, fill in the location of the file you downloaded.
- Enter your “Public Key.” You will find it in the config file you got from Surfshark.
- In the Allowed IPs section, enter the following address: 0.0.0.0/0
- Check the “Route Allowed IPs” box.
- For the “Endpoint Host,” enter the location address from the config file. It should end with Surfshark.com.
- Enter the “Endpoint Port.” These are the last 5 numbers at the end of the address. Click “Save.”
- You will notice the message “Interface has 7 pending changes” on the WireGuard protocol. Click on the “Save & Apply” button to confirm them.
- Configure your VPN zone. Go to “Network,” then “Firewall.”
- At the bottom, you will notice three zones: lan, wan, and vpn. You need to change the input, output, forward, and masquerading options of the vpn zone to match those of the wan zone. Click “Save.”
- Lan to wan zone needs to be edited. Click “Edit” and check the box on “MSS Clamping.”
- On the “Allow forward to destination zone,” click the arrow and select VPN.
- Click “Save” and reboot the router (System >> Reboot).
The VPN is now enabled. To verify, go to “Network” and “Interfaces.”
You will notice the Wg0 interface is sending and receiving packets.
Installing Surfshark on a Router: Pros and Cons
Installing Surfshark on your router depends on your use case.
Regardless, here’s a list of pros and cons to help you make an informed decision:
Pros
- Secures all devices connected to the network
- Works on all devices, including those that don’t support VPNs
- Removes the monotony of installing Surfshark on every device
- Ensures buffer-free & private streaming of geo-restricted content
- Protects the devices of guests in your home
Cons
- The installation process requires technical knowledge
- Settings are harder to control compared to those in the Surfshark app
- The connection between the router and the device isn’t secure
- Router dependability is high
My recommendation is that you should always stay protected.
Going the Surfshark router way is the best way to do so.
FAQ
Can You Use Surfshark With Ethernet?
It’s possible to use Surfshark with Ethernet. However, this option requires a Windows computer, an active Surfshark subscription, and an Ethernet cable.
Conclusion
Setting up Surfshark on your router might seem intimidating.
However, it’s not difficult once you’re well-informed. The advantages of always-on protection and simultaneous device protection speak for themselves.
I recommend Surfshark, as it supports a variety of routers. Not to mention, you get 3,200 optimized servers with great speeds.
Get your Surfshark subscription at a discount today!
