Step-by-step guide
- Go to https://www.hotspotshield.com/ and click on Account. Sign in if you’re asked.
- Go to https://hotspotshield.aura.com/app/hotspotshield/router
Go to the Select location dropdown and pick the virtual location that the router will use. Now click on “Download file.” The configuration file (config.ovpn) will be downloaded to your computer (Note where the file will be located, as you will need this later).
- In the separate browser window, sign in to the Control Panel of your router
For most routers, you’ll want to enter 192.168.1.1 in the address bar or refer to your router documentation for your router’s address.
Note: The user name and password for your router are different from the credentials you obtained from the Hotspot Shield account page. - Log in to your router settings, navigate to VPN section on the left side of the window and select VPN Client tab.
- In the OpenVPN Client Settings, under Client Control, click on the Choose file button and find Configuration file you downloaded from HSS Account page. Click the Open button and then the Upload button.
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All corresponding settings will be refreshed and most of the fields will be filled automatically. To make sure everything is setup as required, check all fields to be configured as shown on this screenshot:
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Server Address and Port number can be found in configuration file you downloaded from your Account page (https://hotspotshield.aura.com/app/hotspotshield/router). Open it with any text editor and copy/paste into required fields, if they are empty.
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Under Authentication Settings copy/paste your VPN credentials from your Account page (https://hotspotshield.aura.com/app/hotspotshield/router) into Username and Password.
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Check if Crypto Settings, Advanced Settings, and Custom Configuration match the screenshot above.
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Click Apply to turn on Hotspot Shield
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To verify connection, go to VPN Status tab and check if OpenVPN Client is Connected.
Note: To double-verify if your VPN connection is established, go to https://whatismyipaddress.com or http://www.findipinfo.com/ and check if your IP address is different from your default IP that’s provided by your ISP.
Disconnecting from Virtual Location
When you want to disconnect from the VPN service, you can log in to the Control Panel of your router and in the VPN Client tab switch Service state toggle to OFF.
Troubleshooting
When you enable the VPN but for some reason VPN cannot connect to the server, there will be no Internet in your network. Some of the reasons the VPN might not be able to establish a successful connection are:
- Your ISP does not allow VPN to be enabled (leased equipment, firewall, etc.)
- Your Premium subscription has ended
- Our server is temporarily unavailable for a particular virtual location
Restore your previous settings
If you need to turn off the VPN, go back to the Control Panel on the router and select the Services tab and then the VPN tab. Disable the VPN client.