How to run WireGuard on a router

If you're interested in WireGuard, then you'll want to read our newest guide on how to install and run WireGuard on a router. In this post, we outline the benefits of using WireGuard.

We've tested WireGuard on five routers: two Linksys models, ASUS, GL-INET6416, and NUC.

What are the benefits?

Installing WireGuard on your router comes with a number of benefits:

• You can secure your whole network and all devices connected to the router.
• You can run the same Mullvad account on more than five devices (a router and anything connected to it is counted as one device).
• Via the router, you can run Mullvad on devices that have no support for OpenVPN or WireGuard.
• Multihopping is possible via the SOCKS5 proxy when using Mullvad with WireGuard.
• Compared to OpenVPN, WireGuard is a considerably faster protocol – connecting and disconnecting more quickly – and operates more seamlessly.

WireGuard is a faster protocol

Below you can compare our results of running WireGuard and OpenVPN on various LEDE routers connected to Mullvad. In every case, WireGuard outperforms OpenVPN.

Router               | CPU    | OpenVPN       | WireGuard                     
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GL-iNet6416          | 400mhz | 2–5 Mbit/s    | 30–40 Mbit/s
ASUS RT-N66U         | 600mhz | 5–10 Mbit/s   | 40–60 Mbit/s
Linksys WRT1200AC    | 1.3Ghz | 20–25 Mbit/s  | 250–300 Mbit/s
Linksys WRT1900AC    | 1.6Ghz | 30–35 Mbit/s  | 300–350+ Mbit/s
NUC QuadCore Celeron | 2.0GHZ | 60–100 Mbit/s | 650+ Mbit/s (maximum unknown)

Are there disadvantages?

In certain scenarios, you could end up "bricking" your router, meaning the device will stop working entirely (we've addressed this in the guide).

We are running WireGuard servers in a limited number of locations. However, we are slowly expanding this list (see our list of WireGuard servers).

About WireGuard

WireGuard is a new VPN protocol designed with simplicity in mind. Back in March, we made WireGuard available for Linux testing with Mullvad. We are offering this service in compliance with Mullvad's strict no-logging policy.

Not only is WireGuard simple but it's also meant to be easily implemented in very few lines of code. In addition, the VPN protocol can easily be reviewed by individuals for security vulnerabilities. It is suitable for smart phones, small embedded devices, and fully loaded backbone routers.