How to Configure NordVPN on Netgear Routers

Netgear is a very popular brand of router that is used by millions of people worldwide. In fact, they manufacture some of the best VPN routers.

Unlike Asus, however, Netgear routers do not support OpenVPN right out of the box. Without this OpenVPN support, Netgear routers cannot be used with NordVPN without some additional work being done first.

Check If Your Netgear Router Supports DD-WRT

If you have a Netgear router and want to use NordVPN with it, you may be able to depending on what type of Netgear router you have and whether you can “flash” it with DD-WRT firmware.

To find out whether or not your Netgear router is supported by DD-WRT, find out its model number and then cross-reference it with this list of routers.

Did you find your Netgear router on the list? Then let’s move on.

Flashing Your Netgear Router with DD-WRT

If your Netgear router is on this list, then this means you can “flash” it with DD-WRT and continue with this tutorial. If not, you will need to invest in a different router.

Installing (or “flashing”) DD-WRT onto your router is quite a technically-involved task. The developers of DD-WRT have created an in-depth guide to walk you through the process, though.

Follow this guide carefully. Once you have successfully flashed your router with DD-WRT, return here.

The main points of the DD-WRT installation guide are:

1. You need to first do some research and make sure you select the correct firmware.First steps are often the most difficult. This is an extremely important step which they emphasize as well.
2. They also mention that failure to do research and setting things wrong can brick your device (render it useless and unrepairable).
3. Prepare to go offline! Your router is the connection to the internet. During the flashing process, the router will not function. This means printing the instructions or using your mobile connection to troubleshoot.
4. Flashing through various methods. Usually the command line is the easiest but it is quite intimidating for those who have never typed a command line before.

Setting Up NordVPN With Your Netgear Router

When you have flashed your router with the DD-WRT firmware, you will be able to set up an OpenVPN connection to NordVPN.

The setup steps are as follows:

1. Open the DD-WRT admin panel.
2. Disable IPv6.
3. Enable OpenVPN with NordVPN login credentials.
4. Run scripts.
5. Configure OpenVPN.
6. Check that everything works.

Read the full DD-WRT Setup Guide for NordVPN to learn how to do the setup in a step-by-step format with pictures.