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VPN for OpenWrt routers

One command over SSH, then you manage it in LuCI. Your TV, set-top box and everything on your Wi-Fi go through it without separate apps.

What you get

Devices without a VPN app

Smart TVs, set-top boxes, consoles and smart-home gear go through the router. Nothing to install on them.

Local sites stay direct

In simple mode only services from the catalog go through the VPN: YouTube, Discord, Instagram, AI tools. Everything else, banks included, uses your normal IP.

Your own rules

Send a site through the VPN or keep it out, subscribe to a list by URL, exclude a device by IP or MAC.

Updates on a button

New versions install from LuCI. The router never updates on its own, so you decide when the house goes offline for a couple of minutes.

Which routers work

  • OpenWrt 22.03 or newer. Release images ship with LuCI.
  • At least 15 MB free on flash.
  • ARM64, ARMv7, ARMv5, MIPS or x86_64 CPU. The installer detects the architecture and fetches the right build.
  • We run it ourselves on a Cudy WR3000P.

Keenetic, TP-Link and ASUS on stock firmware won't work: install OpenWrt first. Vendor firmware without nftables (some GL.iNet models) falls back to a slower mode.

Install

  1. Get your account number from @loopvpn_bot or your account page on the site.
  2. SSH into the router and run:
    sh -c "$(wget -qO- https://master.theloopvpn.com/openwrt)"
  3. The installer asks for the account number and time zone. After that everything is in LuCI: Services → The Loop.
Full guide

FAQ

Will banking apps keep working?

Yes. In simple mode local sites bypass the VPN, so banks see your normal address.

I have a Keenetic or TP-Link. Will it work?

Not on stock firmware. You need OpenWrt: many TP-Link, Xiaomi and Cudy models support it, check yours on openwrt.org.

Will my home internet get slower?

Direct traffic keeps its speed. Speed through the VPN depends on the router CPU: old MIPS routers are noticeably slower than ARM64 ones.

Do I still need the phone app?

Not at home, the phone goes through the router. Away from home use the app with the same account number.