In this tutorial, you will learn how to configure the Surfshark VPN tunnel on your AsusWRT router.
You will learn how to:
- Find your login details
- Choose a Surfshark server
- Configure the OpenVPN client
- Make sure your connection was successful
To proceed, you need to have a router with AsusWRT firmware and an active Surfshark subscription.
Don't have a subscription yet? Get Surfshark here!
Find your login details
You’ll need Surfshark service credentials to connect to the VPN using a manual OpenVPN configuration method explained below.
Here is how you can get your Surfshark service credentials:
- Go to this page where you can find all the details required for a manual connection.
You may need to log in before proceeding to this page. In that case, enter your email address and your password, then click Log in. - Click on the Credentials tab on top. You will find the Surfshark service credentials there.
It is a good idea to keep this page open for now. You will need these credentials a bit later.
Choose a Surfshark server
- Go to this page. It’s the same page where the Surfshark service credentials are stored.
- Make sure you selected the Locations tab. There, you will see all of the Surfshark servers.
- You will need an OpenVPN configuration file for the location of your choice. If you wish to connect to Germany, download the files for Germany - Berlin or Germany - Nuernberg servers by clicking on the location and then on UDP to download the configuration file.
Configure the OpenVPN client
Before connecting to the VPN, you will need to configure the OpenVPN client on your router.
1. Start by connecting to the Control panel of your Asus router. You can do that by entering your Default Gateway address into your browser's URL address bar. In most cases, by default, it is 192.168.1.1
2. You will see the login prompt. If you have never configured your router before, the credentials should be admin/admin or admin without a password. You can also check the back of your router for the default credentials.
3. When logged in to the Control panel, you should see the VPN tab in the left sidebar.
4. Select VPN Client in the VPN tab.
5. You should see the Add profile button at the bottom; click on it.
6. Select the OpenVPN tab and enter the following:
- Description: you can name this connection however you like;
- Username: the Surfshark username service credentials that you saved on the previous step;
- Password: the Surfshark account service password that you saved on the previous step;
7. You will now have to add a configuration file of the server you'd like to connect to. Click Choose File. A prompt will appear asking you to select the configuration file that you want to use.
8. Select the directory that you have downloaded the configuration files to and then click Open.
(If you have a .ovpn file, select that)
9. After selecting the configuration file, click Upload, and you should see a message stating Complete if it was successful.
10. Now, click the OK button. Import the CA file or edit the .ovpn file manually option should be left unticked.
11. Finally, you should see a new connection set up. Click on the Activate button to connect your router to a Surfshark server. Please note that you can only create one VPN connection at a time. If you'd like to have another connection configured, you should add another VPN profile (you will see a button for that).
12. After a successful connection, a blue checkmark should appear in the Connection Status column.
Make sure your connection was successful
It's always recommended to check whether your connection was successful after setting up a VPN for the first time. This can be easily done by doing an IP leak test and a DNS leak test which is available on our website. Click here to find out how to make sure your connection was successful.
Congratulations - you have successfully installed and configured Surfshark VPN on your router! As long as you’re connected, your location is private and your sensitive data is secure.
You may also be interested in:
- How to make sure if my connection was successful?
- How to enable 2FA on your Surfshark account?
- How to set up a VPN-protected Wi-Fi hotspot using Windows?