Is Your VPN Not Working With eero? [Detailed Guide]

Tips, Fixes, and Trustworthy Providers for a Private Connection.

Reading time icon 6 min. read


Readers help support VPNCentral. We may get a commission if you buy through our links. Tooltip Icon

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help VPNCentral sustain the editorial team Read more

vpn not working with eero

VPN not working with eero? You’re in the right place. In 2019, eero raised the ire of privacy-minded users after Amazon acquired it. To help ease surveillance fears, the smart home automation company promised not to snoop on average internet users. Still, the mesh WiFi router brand’s stock price plummeted after the news broke out.

Lately, some subscribers complained about VPN issues with eero. So first, the service turned into Big Tech. Then, it stopped working with certain VPN providers.

What does this mean for your privacy and can you fix it? Our guide is here to answer all your questions.

Why is your VPN not working with eero?

If your VPN isn’t working with eero, it’s probably because your router’s VPN passthrough is disabled. It’s a common reason why WiFi routers block VPN connections. eero is no exception.

To be clear, you can’t directly install your software on it. But it also won’t block your encrypted traffic by default.

So, personal VPNs are fully supported! Unfortunately, you may have some trouble when using a business provider.

From what we found, Pulse Connect Secure, AWS Client VPN, and Cisco AnyConnect are problematic. Their users couldn’t connect to their remote access VPN. Additionally, they could only tap company resources from home but couldn’t do anything else online.

What to do when your VPN is not working with eero

Thankfully, eero’s help desk should be able to troubleshoot it. The customer support team may:

  • Ask you to create a guest network
  • Guide you in tweaking some desktop settings
  • Walk you through turning off eero Secure to get rid of content filters or reconfigure your DNS settings.

Future product rollouts may permanently solve the bugs with certain remote access VPNs so eero VPN issues will become a thing of the past. 

How to set up a VPN with eero?

To set up a VPN with eero, you only need to:

  • Create an account with your preferred service provider
  • Enable your router’s VPN passthrough.

Using ExpressVPN for Android as an example, follow these steps:

  1. Get an ExpressVPN subscription.

    ExpressVPN pricing plans

  2. Finish the signup process.

  3. Install ExpressVPN’s Android version.

    ExpressVPN on Google Play

  4. Launch your eero app.

  5. Go to Settings.

  6. Choose Advanced Settings.

  7. If off, toggle on VPN Passthrough.

  8. Open your ExpressVPN app.

  9. Tap on the ellipsis icon.

    ExpressVPN app dashboard

  10. Select any server location you like.

    ExpressVPN server location options

  11. Once connected, browse more privately and securely with your eero mesh WiFi router system.

    ExpressVPN app interface

Best VPNs that work with eero

Any personal VPN should work perfectly with this Amazon router. It even comes with Encrypt.me for eero Plus members.

However, Encrypt.me isn’t a solid choice for streaming and torrenting. Plus, it has a dubious data logging policy.

That’s why we recommend you consider other, more trustworthy services like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark. Let us explain why they’re much better deals for eero owners like you.

ExpressVPN

In terms of compatibility, ExpressVPN is second to none. It has native apps for major desktop and mobile operating systems. It can also mesh with a long list of VPN routers.

ExpressVPN doesn’t suffer from the usual limitations of other router services, making it a great VPN for eero. So, it’s a good choice if you want to protect your traffic on a network level.

Moreover, it supports the secure tunneling protocols OpenVPN, IKEv2, and the in-house Lightway.

From a privacy standpoint, the provider offers RAM-only servers in 94 countries and territories. It’s also headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, so data retention laws aren’t an issue.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN

Secure your entire network with ExpressVPN and never worry about online privacy again.

NordVPN

NordVPN’s feature set is one of a kind. Its RAM-only server fleet can lend you IP addresses in 50+ international jurisdictions.

It natively supports the most popular OSes and you can install it on a wide variety of WiFi routers.

Furthermore, Nord has specialized servers for double VPN, obfuscation, P2P, and Onion over VPN. Powered by the NordLynx proprietary protocol, it also offers a Meshnet internet routing solution for gamers.

When it comes to security, NordVPN can:

  • Protect you against tapjacking
  • Block ads, trackers, and malicious sites
  • Notify you of data breaches.

This company’s home base is in Panama, which means your data is safe from Fourteen-Eyes countries. And its no-logs policy carries weight because it’s actually audited.

NordVPN

NordVPN

NordVPN is a versatile and feature-rich service that’s easy to set up on your router.

Surfshark VPN

Surfshark has one of the largest RAM-only server networks we’ve seen: 99 countries and territories (as of now). In addition, its entire network is optimized for Dynamic MultiHop and obfuscation.

It also has dedicated apps for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and browser extensions. More importantly, it’s compatible with different router models.

This VPN tunnels data using WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. Furthermore, it can regularly change your masked IP and override your GPS location data to avoid suspicion. Surfshark can stop ads, cookie pop-ups, trackers, and malware-related URLs as well.

Likewise, this company has passed its independent privacy and security audit with flying colors.

Surfshark

Surfshark

Surfshark’s impressive server coverage and compatibility make it an excellent choice for protecting your router.

What to do if eero is blocking VPN?

eero is not specifically targeting VPNs, even though many users have problems making the two work together. If you’re having issues, contact the support team. Also, make sure to configure your VPN properly as shown in the guide above.

Other things to try:

  • Toggle WiFi:
    • Turn off and on WiFi on the laptop to reestablish the VPN connection
  • Wired Connection:
    • Try connecting the laptop to the eero gateway or a leaf node using a wired connection to rule out WiFi-related issues.
  • Disable IPv6:
    • Check if disabling IPv6 in the network settings resolves VPN connectivity problems.
  • Enable SQM in eero Labs:
    • Turning on Smart Queue Management (SQM) in eero Labs might help with buffer bloat and improve VPN performance.
  • Update VPN software
  • Use Guest Network:
    • Some users report success by connecting to the eero’s guest network instead of the main network when using a VPN.
  • Switch Router Roles:
    • Consider using the ISP modem/router as the firewall/router and putting the eero devices in bridge mode, as some users claim eero routers are not as effective in that role.

Wrap up

So, now you know how to fix your VPN not working with eero. It’s fairly straightforward for personal services. It all comes down to configuration: you just need to turn the VPN passthrough on.

And if you’re worried about eero’s connection with Amazon, you can use a robust provider to protect your privacy. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark are excellent candidates for this.

Stay safe and good luck!

More about the topics: eero, VPN not working

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *