How to set up a VPN on your router (whole-home protection)

Installing a VPN on your router protects everything behind it — phones, laptops, the TV, games consoles, smart-home gadgets — through a single connection. It’s the most complete way to cover a household, and the only way to protect devices that can’t run a VPN app themselves. It’s a bit more involved than installing an app, so here’s what’s actually required.

Before you start: check compatibility

Not every router can run a VPN. You need one that supports VPN client mode — many aftermarket firmwares and higher-end routers do, while a lot of basic ISP-supplied boxes don’t. Check your router’s admin page for a “VPN Client” section, or look up your model. If yours can’t, a dedicated VPN-capable router is inexpensive.

The general steps

Exact menus vary by router, but the flow is the same:

1. Log into your router’s admin page (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
2. Find the VPN Client section and choose to add a new connection.
3. Enter the configuration details from your VPN provider (server, protocol and keys — your account dashboard provides these).
4. Save, connect, and confirm the router shows an active VPN connection.
5. Reconnect a device and check it’s protected with our Privacy Check.

Things to know

A router VPN usually counts as a single device against your plan’s connection limit while covering everything in the house — great value. The trade-off is less flexibility: switching server locations means logging into the router rather than tapping a button, so many people run the router VPN for whole-home coverage and keep the app on their phone for when they’re out. One subscription covers both.