Absolutely, let’s streamline the steps to set up NordVPN on a fresh OpenWrt device using CLI commands. This guide assumes you have basic knowledge of how to access your router via SSH and that OpenWrt is already installed on your device. ### Step 1: Access Your Router Connect to your router via SSH: ```bash ssh root@192.168.1.1 ``` Replace `192.168.1.1` with your router's IP address if it has been changed from the default. ### Step 2: Update and Install Necessary Packages Update the package manager and install OpenVPN and the necessary IP utilities: ```bash opkg update opkg install openvpn-openssl ip-full ``` ### Step 3: Download and Set Up NordVPN Configuration Files Choose a NordVPN server that you want to connect to and download its OpenVPN UDP configuration. You can find server configurations on the NordVPN website. 1. **Download a server config file directly to your router**: Replace `SERVERNAME` with your chosen server's name. ```bash wget -P /etc/openvpn https://downloads.nordcdn.com/configs/files/ovpn_udp/servers/SERVERNAME.udp.ovpn ``` 2. **Rename the downloaded configuration file for easier management**: ```bash mv /etc/openvpn/SERVERNAME.udp.ovpn /etc/openvpn/nordvpn.ovpn ``` ### Step 4: Configure VPN Credentials NordVPN requires authentication with your service credentials. 1. **Create a credentials file**: Open a new file using `nano`: ```bash nano /etc/openvpn/credentials ``` Enter your NordVPN username and password, each on a separate line. Save and close the editor. 2. **Modify the NordVPN configuration file to use the credentials file**: ```bash sed -i 's/auth-user-pass/auth-user-pass \/etc\/openvpn\/credentials/' /etc/openvpn/nordvpn.ovpn ``` ### Step 5: Enable and Start OpenVPN 1. **Automatically start OpenVPN with the NordVPN configuration on boot**: ```bash echo 'openvpn --config /etc/openvpn/nordvpn.ovpn &' >> /etc/rc.local ``` 2. **Start OpenVPN manually for the first time**: ```bash /etc/init.d/openvpn start ``` ### Step 6: Configure Network and Firewall Ensure the VPN traffic is properly routed and the firewall is configured to allow it. 1. **Edit the network configuration**: Add a new interface for the VPN: ```bash uci set network.vpn0=interface uci set network.vpn0.ifname='tun0' uci set network.vpn0.proto='none' uci commit network ``` 2. **Set up the firewall to allow traffic from LAN to the VPN**: ```bash uci add firewall zone uci set firewall.@zone[-1].name='vpn' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].network='vpn0' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].input='REJECT' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].output='ACCEPT' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].forward='REJECT' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].masq='1' uci commit firewall uci add firewall forwarding uci set firewall.@forwarding[-1].src='lan' uci set firewall.@forwarding[-1].dest='vpn' uci commit firewall ``` 3. **Restart the firewall to apply changes**: ```bash /etc/init.d/firewall restart ``` ### Step 7: Test the Connection Check if the VPN connection is active and working: ```bash ping -c 4 google.com ``` You should now be connected to NordVPN through your OpenWrt router using the configured OpenVPN setup. This streamlined guide ensures you have a clear path through the configuration process with easy-to-follow CLI commands. --- The CLI instructions you're interested in offer a more hands-on approach to setting up NordVPN on an OpenWrt router. This method is ideal if you're comfortable using the command line and want more control over the VPN configuration. Here's a simplified version of the process, broken down into manageable steps: ### 1. Access Router via SSH Connect to your OpenWrt router using SSH. The default IP is usually `192.168.1.1` unless you have changed it. The default username is `root`. ### 2. Install Necessary Packages Update your package list and install the required OpenVPN packages: ```bash opkg update opkg install openvpn-openssl ip-full luci-app-openvpn ``` (Optional) Install `nano` for easier file editing: ```bash opkg install nano ``` ### 3. Download OpenVPN Configuration Use NordVPN's server recommendation tool to find the best server and download its configuration file directly to your router: ```bash wget -P /etc/openvpn https://downloads.nordcdn.com/configs/files/ovpn_udp/servers/[server-name].udp.ovpn ``` Replace `[server-name]` with the actual server name, such as `uk2054.nordvpn.com`. ### 4. Configure OpenVPN Edit the downloaded .ovpn file to include your NordVPN credentials: ```bash nano /etc/openvpn/[server-name].udp.ovpn ``` Modify the `auth-user-pass` line to point to a credentials file: ```plaintext auth-user-pass /etc/openvpn/credentials ``` Create the credentials file: ```bash echo "YourUsername" > /etc/openvpn/credentials echo "YourPassword" >> /etc/openvpn/credentials chmod 600 /etc/openvpn/credentials ``` ### 5. Enable OpenVPN to Start on Boot Ensure OpenVPN starts automatically with your router: ```bash /etc/init.d/openvpn enable ``` ### 6. Set Up Networking and Firewall Create a new network interface for the VPN and configure the firewall to route traffic through the VPN: **Network Interface Configuration:** ```bash uci set network.nordvpntun=interface uci set network.nordvpntun.proto='none' uci set network.nordvpntun.ifname='tun0' uci commit network ``` **Firewall Configuration:** ```bash uci add firewall zone uci set firewall.@zone[-1].name='vpnfirewall' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].input='REJECT' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].output='ACCEPT' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].forward='REJECT' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].masq='1' uci set firewall.@zone[-1].mtu_fix='1' uci add_list firewall.@zone[-1].network='nordvpntun' uci add firewall forwarding uci set firewall.@forwarding[-1].src='lan' uci set firewall.@forwarding[-1].dest='vpnfirewall' uci commit firewall ``` ### 7. Configure DNS Change DNS settings to use NordVPN DNS or another preferred DNS service: ```bash uci set network.wan.peerdns='0' uci del network.wan.dns uci add_list network.wan.dns='103.86.96.100' uci add_list network.wan.dns='103.86.99.100' uci commit ``` ### 8. Prevent Traffic Leakage (Optional) To enhance security, add custom rules to block all traffic if the VPN disconnects: ```bash echo "if (! ip a s tun0 up) && (! iptables -C forwarding_rule -j REJECT); then iptables -I forwarding_rule -j REJECT; fi" >> /etc/firewall.user ``` ### 9. Start the VPN Start the OpenVPN service and verify it's running properly: ```bash /etc/init.d/openvpn start ``` ### 10. Check Connection Status Visit NordVPN's homepage or another site like `ipinfo.io` to check your IP address and ensure your traffic is routed through the VPN. This setup should give you a robust and secure VPN connection on your OpenWrt router using NordVPN. If you encounter any issues, you may need to review the configuration steps or consult NordVPN's support for further troubleshooting.