Private Internet Access (PIA) can be used with a router, provided the router supports custom firmware installation. Many standard routers support this, but mesh network devices and modem-router combination devices are generally not supported.
When a VPN runs on a router, the router encrypts and decrypts traffic for every device on the network. Because many consumer routers have limited processing power, VPN speeds are often lower than on a phone or computer. A router with AES hardware acceleration can handle encryption more efficiently and help maintain better speeds.
Popular compatible firmware options include:
- DD-WRT
- ASUSWRT-Merlin
- OpenWRT/LEDE
- pfSense
Once the VPN is set up on the router or device, every device on the network connects through it without a separate app.
Before proceeding, check your router model against the supported device lists for each firmware:
- DD-WRT: http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices
- ASUSWRT-Merlin: https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki/Supported-Devices
- pfSense: https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/What_hardware_is_supported
- OpenWRT: https://openwrt.org/toh/views/toh_fwdownload
None of these firmware options is created or supported by PIA. PIA is not responsible for any issues that may occur when flashing router firmware. Use these options at your own discretion.
Setup guides are available for the following configurations:
- DD-WRT v44715 (OpenVPN Setup)
- LEDE 21.02.3 (OpenVPN Setup from Config File)
- AsusWRT (OpenVPN Setup from Config File)
- AsusWRT-Merlin 384.16 (OpenVPN Setup from Config File)
- pfSense 2.6.0 (OpenVPN Setup)
If you experience issues during setup, please contact support and include your router model, the issue encountered, and a screenshot of your configuration.