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Forum Discussion
Orbi 970 Series VPN / Armor Plus
I have an Orbi 970 Series BE27000 (2 satellites) that was purchased in Feb 2025. I also have a Home Assistant installation controlling numerous IoT devices running on this wireless network. To date...
Just an FYI, here is the information on the 3rd-party firmware I mentioned above. I do not plan to do anything like this, but it does seem to indicate that NETGEAR could indeed update their firmware to allow the use of VPN clients if they were so inclined.
Use Custom Firmware (DD-WRT or Tomato)
This method involves replacing your router's operating system with third-party, open-source firmware that supports VPN client functionality. This process is complex and carries the risk of "bricking" (permanently damaging) your router and voiding its warranty, and is only recommended for advanced users.
- Check compatibility: Verify if your specific Netgear 970 model (e.g., RBRE970) is listed on the DD-WRT or Tomato compatibility lists.
- Flash the firmware: Follow the detailed, specific instructions provided on the DD-WRT or Tomato websites to install the custom firmware on your router at your own risk.
- Configure NordVPN: Once the custom firmware is installed, log into the new admin panel and follow the NordVPN guide for DD-WRT or Tomato to configure the VPN client using OpenVPN configuration files from your Nord Account.