VPN on a D-Link DIR router: where WireGuard and AmneziaWG exist
A WireGuard page with WireGuard or AmneziaWG only exists in D-Link's 4.5.x firmware; the Russian 4.0.x has no VPN client. Uploading the file, why to change AllowedIPs, and what to do without WireGuard.
A VPN on a D-Link router depends not on the model but on the firmware. In 4.5.x firmware marked NON4RU, D-Link has a WireGuard page with a protocol choice — WireGuard or AmneziaWG — and a file upload button: setup takes five minutes. In the Russian 4.0.x firmware (installed on every DIR model we checked from dlink.ru's Russian pages), there is no such page, and you cannot bring up a VPN on the D-Link itself. Below are both cases, honestly. If you are in Russia, be sure to read the "Are you in Russia?" block.
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Download the file from your account
Open your account → "Connection" → "Manual". Choose a server, choose "Router" in the device list and click "Create". Download the AmneziaWG file — it is in the AmneziaWG 1.0 format. Next to it is a plain WireGuard variant: you need it if your firmware's "Protocol" list has no AmneziaWG and your network does not throttle VPNs. You need an active plan or trial.
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Check your firmware version
Go into the router's web interface — the settings page in your browser. The software version is shown on the "System Information" page (along with the model and hardware version) and under "System" → "Firmware Update", the "Current Software Version" field. Version 4.5.x: the menu on the left has a VPN section with a WireGuard page — go to step 3. Version 4.0.x and earlier: there is no WireGuard page, and the VPN section only has IPsec, GRE, IPIP and PPTP/L2TP servers — go to the "Are you in Russia?" block.
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Upload the file on the WireGuard page
First fix the file — see the note under the steps. Then, in the menu on the left: the VPN section → the WireGuard page → the "+" button. In the "Protocol" field, choose AmneziaWG; if it is not in the list, choose WireGuard and the WireGuard file. Click "LOAD CONFIGURATION FILE", choose the file and click "Upload". The connection appears in the table with the status "Enabled" and a green mark.
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Check that traffic is flowing
In the router, open "Statistics" → "Network Statistics": the Rx/Tx counters on the WireGuard connection should not be zero. Then, on a TV or laptop behind the router, open the "What is my IP" page — it should show the NvoVPN server's address, not your provider's.
Before uploading, replace the AllowedIPs line
This is D-Link's official requirement: open the file in "Notepad" and, instead of AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0, write AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/1, 128.0.0.0/1. That is the same "all addresses", split into two halves — that is how the firmware accepts it. Do not put more than 100 subnets in AllowedIPs: with a long list, the router's interface is temporarily unreachable while the routes are added (D-Link calls this a hardware limitation). The guide itself is the PDF "Configuring WireGuard for D-Link Routers".
Are you in Russia? You cannot bring up a VPN on a D-Link with Russian firmware — here is what works
Plain WireGuard is throttled in Russia — only AmneziaWG works, WireGuard with traffic obfuscation. On D-Link, the Russian 4.0.x firmware has neither WireGuard nor AmneziaWG, and the 4.5.x firmware mentions AmneziaWG in a single line — with no protocol version. There are three honest options.
Option 1 — the NvoVPN app on every device
The router stays as it is. Install the app on your phone, computer and TV, and press the shield; if the network throttles the VPN, it switches to stealth mode by itself. A subscription covers up to five devices at once.
Download the appsOption 2 — a second router with AmneziaWG behind the D-Link
Keenetic understands the AmneziaWG file from your account with no tweaks needed. Connect the D-Link's LAN port to the Keenetic's WAN port with a cable (where the provider's cable usually goes), upload the file — and everything connected to the Keenetic goes through the VPN; the D-Link distributes internet as before. How to set it up: the VPN on Keenetic guide.
Option 3 — if you already have firmware 4.5.x
In the "Protocol" field, choose AmneziaWG and upload the AmneziaWG file from your account (format 1.0, the simplest one). D-Link does not state which AmneziaWG version the firmware understands. Connected, but sites will not open? Message support: we will prepare a configuration with a route for Russia.
Honestly, about the 4.5.x NON4RU firmware
On ftp.dlink.ru, next to the Russian 4.0.x firmware, sit 4.5.x files marked NON4RU — these are the ones with the WireGuard page, and D-Link's pages for other countries list this firmware as the stock one. D-Link has no official explanation of what NON4RU stands for. Whether you can install this firmware on a router bought in Russia is not confirmed by the manufacturer — the question went unanswered on D-Link's forum. So we do not recommend reflashing as an easy route.
If it will not connect: D-Link and general pitfalls
- Status "Enabled", but the Rx/Tx counters are zero. Check that you replaced AllowedIPs with the two halves (the note above). Zeros on a WireGuard connection in Russia are normal: the protocol is throttled; you need AmneziaWG or the options from the "Are you in Russia?" block.
- The router's interface "froze" after uploading. This happens with a long AllowedIPs list — wait for the router to add all the subnets; keep no more than 100 in the file.
- The tunnel is up, but sites will not open. D-Link's guide says nothing about DNS. DNS is the internet's "phone book": it turns website names into addresses. Set the DNS manually on the device (TV, laptop) — the address from the file's
DNS =line. - Heavy pages hang, light ones open. Set MTU to 1420 on the VPN connection, if the firmware has that field. MTU is the maximum data packet size; one that is too large will not pass through the tunnel.
- One file, one device. You cannot use the router's configuration on a phone at the same time: the connection will drop on both. Create a separate file for the phone — a subscription covers up to five.
- A kill switch (blocking direct internet access when the tunnel drops) is not mentioned in D-Link's guide or specs. If it matters to you, turn it on in the app on your devices: how to do that.
Models and firmware: where a D-Link router has WireGuard
Per the manufacturer's data as of September 2026. The WireGuard page only exists in 4.5.x firmware marked NON4RU — on ftp.dlink.ru it is posted for three models:
| Model | Russian firmware — no WireGuard | Firmware 4.5.x NON4RU — WireGuard and AmneziaWG |
|---|---|---|
| DIR-853 (R3) | 4.0.1 (March 17, 2025) | 4.5.1 (June 20, 2025) |
| DIR-1260 | 4.0.1–4.0.7 (latest February 20, 2026) | 4.5.0, 4.5.1, 4.5.2 (June 19, 2026) |
| DIR-X1860 | 4.0.2–4.0.7 (latest November 11, 2025) | 4.5.0, 4.5.1, 4.5.2 (June 8, 2026) |
On dlink.ru's Russian pages, the VPN section for every model checked has no WireGuard (IPsec, PPTP/L2TP, L2TP over IPsec, GRE/EoGRE/EoIP/IPIP, pass-through): DIR-842/R7, DIR-825/R7, DIR-825/GFRU, DIR-X1530, DIR-X1510, DIR-830M, DIR-820, DIR-815, DIR-620S, DIR-615/Z, DIR-615/GF, DIR-841, DIR-841/GF, DIR-1260/SE, DIR-853/SE, and the Russian 4.0.x versions of the three models in the table. The Russian manual for the DIR-853 R3, for firmware 4.0.1 (from July 6, 2026), does not mention WireGuard once.
OpenWrt is free firmware where AmneziaWG installs through third-party packages. Officially supported: DIR-842 C1/C2/C3, DIR-853 A1, R1 and A3, DIR-878, DIR-882, DIR-2150, DIR-3040, DIR-X1860 B1, DIR-X1550, DIR-1360, DIR-1960, DIR-2640, DIR-2660, DIR-3060, DIR-825 B1/B2/C1 and DIR-806A. There is no OpenWrt for DIR-842/R7, DIR-825/R7, DIR-825/GFRU, DIR-X1530, DIR-X1510, DIR-830M, DIR-1260 R1, DIR-853 R3 and DIR-X1860 R1; DIR-615, DIR-620, DIR-300 and DIR-320 are out of support. This route is for advanced users — see the OpenWrt section in the general router guide and the OpenWrt device table.
FAQ
Which file should I take — AmneziaWG or WireGuard? In Russia, only AmneziaWG: plain WireGuard is throttled there. Abroad, either one works; if the AmneziaWG connection does not come up, upload the WireGuard variant with "Protocol" → WireGuard.
Will a VPN slow the router down? The DIR-853, DIR-1260 and DIR-X1860 have an MT7621 CPU: on OpenWrt it gives 80–105 Mbps through a WireGuard tunnel (measurements from the OpenWrt forum); there are no measurements for the stock firmware. That is enough for a TV and everyday use.
Can I route only the TV through the VPN? D-Link's guide does not describe device selection: every device behind the router goes through the tunnel. If only some of them need the VPN, connect those to a second router with a VPN.
Does the router count as one device? Yes: to NvoVPN it is one configuration, no matter how many devices sit behind it. A subscription covers up to five configurations.
Related guides: VPN on a router: general guide and pitfalls · VPN on Keenetic: AmneziaWG out of the box · AmneziaWG vs WireGuard: what is the difference · A router from your provider: how to add a VPN
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