Using NordVPN on Linux 2024
One of the most popular VPN service providers, NordVPN is known for its safety, privacy, and strong connections. NordVPN is a Panama-based virtual private network service provider, so it doesn’t have to follow any mandatory data retention laws. It also blocks suspicious sites, ads, and trackers, and deletes malware so that no malicious software can infect your device. Overall, NordVPN offers unrivaled service to enjoy the best internet experience.
The VPN is compatible with both iOS and Android, along with Linux, among others. So, when it comes to configuring NordVPN on your Linux device, in this article, we will help you keep your device safe online.
Why Use NordVPN with Linux
Linux is a popular, accessible, and open-source software operating system that powers 96% of the top 1 million websites and the world’s top 500 most powerful supercomputers.
NordVPN is fully compatible with a Linux operating system. It even has a native application for Linux devices. The application gives you easy access to its different advanced features such as CyberSec, AutoConnect, and automated Kill Switch on different Linux systems such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Linux Mint, and OpenSUSE.
There are tons of other reasons to make this choice. Let’s take a look at them!
READ: NordVPN Review
Global & Faster: Speedy Downloads and Streaming
If you want no restriction regarding streaming or downloading internet content, then NordVPN is a pretty great choice for you. NordVPN allows you to bypass content restrictions worldwide with its more than 5200 servers located across 60 countries for safe and reliable internet service. Its servers are dedicated, physically located where they claim to be, and aren’t just virtual locations.
Having a vast network of servers further translates to fast connections because the closer you are to the server, the faster the internet speed. NordVPN also has the TCP/UDP protocols to switch between the protocols depending on your need for connection speed and level of security.
While VPNs sometimes slow down our internet speed, NordVPN still allows you to experience breakneck speed while your Linux device is connected to this VPN.
Easy to Use: An A+ Experience
Another reason why NordVPN is a good match for Linux is its ease of use. NordVPN operates through a command-line tool on Linux. It has several autocomplete widgets that provide suggestions when you type in commands, allowing you to have the best VPN experience.
Minimal Logging: Your Data Stays Yours
When you don’t use a VPN, your internet service provider (ISP) gets access to all your internet activities, which can then be shared with third parties. A VPN, meanwhile, protects all data that you receive or send over the internet and surf the web anonymously.
NordVPN follows a no-logging policy thanks to being located in Panama, which does not fall within Five-Eyes, Nine-Eyes, and Fourteen-Eyes jurisdiction. These are surveillance groups in countries that are not VPN friendly and could force VPN providers to hand over their user data.
However, there is some information such as your email address, payment data, and the time of your last session that NordVPN stores to keep your account as functional as possible. It also gathers data that helps it improve its user experience.
Military-grade Encryption: Guarding Your Activities
NordVPN uses AES 256-bits Advanced Encryption Standard to secure your online activities. To establish secure connections to its services even if the internet connection is interrupted, it uses two internet protocols: IPSec and IKEv2. It can be helpful when you use your iPhone or Android, especially public WiFi.
NordVPN also has a Double VPN feature to ensure maximum security. With this multihop connections feature, you get multiple layers of encryption. This tool routes your connection through another VPN server instead of just one to ensure your connection remains secure in case the first leg of it is somehow compromised.
Data Usage: Unlimited
NordVPN is also a good choice if you love torrenting and streaming online. Not only can you binge-watch your favorite TV shows and movies, but you also don’t have to wait for the episode to buffer due to a poor connection. No data cap options limit you to download only a certain amount of data each month.
Moreover, geo-restrictions aren’t a concern when you have NordVPN. It efficiently unblocks a range of streaming services abroad, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, HBO Max, and YouTube.
Additional Features: Confidential and Incognito
NordVPN is all about privacy and security, and for that, it offers a built-in kill switch. If your VPN connection drops, this feature blocks your computer from accessing the internet outside the encrypted VPN tunnel, ensuring security.
It also offers exceptional P2P support while the DNS leak protection allows you to surf the internet incognito. NordVPN further provides direct access to the Tor anonymization network for free, making it harder to trace your connection and allowing you to access hidden websites.
Split-tunneling is another feature that lets you designate the apps you want to route through the VPN connection. Additionally, it allows you to route traffic to the VPN server and a public WiFi network both simultaneously.
Cost-effective: Money-saving for the Win
Besides offering you some great features, NordVPN is also pretty affordable. The 1-year plan comes at $6.99/month, while the one-month plan costs $11.95, which allows you to connect up to six devices simultaneously.
Most exciting of all, these plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee for you to test out the features in detail and risk-free. You can get static IP addresses for $5.83 per month or $69.96 per year as a subscription add-on. You can choose this address for the UK, the US, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Besides, for an additional fee, you get to secure your passwords with its NordPass password manager and encrypt your files with NordLocker.
As for customer support, NordVPN offers several options, including a FAQ section, 24/7 live chat, and email support.
How to Install NordVPN on Linux
Now that you know why NordVPN is perfect for protecting your Linux device let’s help you with step-by-step instructions on how to install NordVPN on supported distributions and start using it.
NordVPN’s Linux client is available in DEB and RPM packages, compatible with Debian, Ubuntu, Elementary OS, Linux Mint, Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, Qubes OS, and openSUSE.
You can connect to NordVPN from your Linux operating system through OpenVPN or the native NordVPN application. The latter will optimize your experience.
Set up using NordVPN’s Native Application
- Download and install the NordVPN repository package via .deb.
- Open the Terminal (keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + T) and run the following command to download the Debian Package. wget -qnc https://repo.nordvpn.com/deb/nordvpn/debian/pool/main/nordvpn-release_1.0.0_all.deb
If wget is not installed on your system, then run this command:
sudo apt install wget
3. You may now be asked to enter your user password to confirm your identity. You can find your username and password in your NordVPN online account.
4. Now install the NordVPN package and refresh the package list:
sudo dpkg -i nordvpn-release_1.0.0_all.deb
sudo apt update
- If the installation was successful, you could remove the Debian package as it is not needed anymore:
rm nordvpn-release_1.0.0_all.deb
6. The .deb package only installs the NordVPN repositories, and we still have to install the NordVPN native application. To obtain NordVPN, run this command:
sudo apt install nordvpn
- Now you can connect to the NordVPN server using the following command, with the server selected automatically:
nordvpn connect
If you want to connect to a specific country and city, you would have to provide the additional info:
nordvpn connect United_Kingdom Manchester
Using the following command, you can get a list of all the available countries and cities:
nordvpn countries
nordvpn cities
Setup a NordVPN using OpenVPN
- First, launch the VPN terminal (you can run the VPN terminal by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + T keys).
- Now, install the OpenVPN client using the following command:
sudo apt-get
If you are asked to enter your password, put in the one you used to create your account.
- Connect to an OpenVPN server using this command:
cd /etc/OpenVPN
- Get the OpenVPN configuration files for NordVPN by using the following command:
sudo wget https://downloads.nordcdn.com/configs/archives/servers/ovpn.zip
In case you encounter an error during the download step that says, “The certificate of ‘nordvpn.com’ is not trusted,” it may be necessary to install the ca-certificate package using this command:
sudo apt-get install ca-certificates
- If you don’t have Java installed, you’ll need to download the zip package, which can be done using this command:
sudo apt-get install unzip
- Now, extract this ZIP file:
sudo unzip ovpn.zip.
- To safely remove the files you no longer need, enter this command:
sudo rm ovpn.zip
- After unzipping ovpn.zip there will be a folder ovpn_tcp and ovpn_udp, containing the NordVPN server configuration files for OpenVPN. Now you can connect to OpenVPN through one of the NordVPN servers:
OpenVPN /etc/openvpn/ovpn_udp/de442.nordvpn.com.udp.ovpn
- OpenVPN will prompt you to enter your credentials for NordVPN. It will successfully grant you a secure connection with the VPN.
Connect to a VPN using Linux Network Manager
Much like what you did using Terminal, you can do it with Linux Network Manager and set up a manual NordVPN OpenVPN protocol on Linux using the command line method.
- First, download the OpenVPN Configuration File Package and extract them into a folder.
- Click on the network selection button present in the screen’s upper-right corner.
- Click the VPN Off.
- From the drop-down menu, select VPN Settings.
- Once a configuration window has opened, press the + icon next to VPN to add the VPN configuration.
- You will be prompted to choose a connection type. Select the option “Import from file…”
- You have to select a file you would like to import. Go to the folder where you have extracted the configuration files, choose one of the files from the list, and click Open.
- Enter your NordVPN username and password in the pop-up window, then click on Add.
- Now click on the toggle switch under the VPN section to connect to a NordVPN server. Once the VPN is connected, the toggle switch will turn green.
Despite the NordVPN native Linux application being much easier to install and operate than the other methods, many users prefer to rely on the Network Manager and Terminal method to connect their Linux with the VPN tunnel.
Is NordVPN Free to Use?
NordVPN offers free VPN trials for you to try out all of its features utterly risk-free through its 30-day money-back guarantee. To avail of this option, you have to first subscribe to a plan.
Once paid for, download the NordVPN app on your device and test its security features with no limits on your bandwidth or speed. Once 30 days are over, you can either continue using NordVPN or cancel your subscription and get your money back.
Does NordVPN have a Kill Switch?
NordVPN offers a built-in Kill Switch feature integrated into its Linux, iOS, and macOS apps. The Kill Switch continuously observes your connection to a NordVPN server, looking for changes. If the connection drops, it instantly detects that and blocks your device from accessing the internet. When the tunnel to a NordVPN server is reestablished, the Kill Switch restores your internet access too.
The feature is not automatically activated when you download the app. Instead, you would have to go to the app settings to turn it on. You can keep it on at all times, as Kill Switch won’t impact your connection quality.
Can you Install NordVPN on more than one Linux Device?
Yes, you can install and use NordVPN on more than one Linux device. In fact, one NordVPN account covers six devices at the same time. Besides Linux, NordVPN also protects other devices like Android, Windows, macOS, and Apple. Your simultaneous connections can be all different devices to shield your IP address and encrypt the traffic. NordVPN can even be set up on a router for many more connections.
But if you connect all six devices to the same server, you have to choose different VPN protocols. Because only five devices can be connected to one server simultaneously, you have to connect it to another server using any protocol to add another one.
Conclusion: Stay Protected with NordVPN
Once successfully installed and running on your Linux device, NordVPN will start protecting you online.
Besides being a popular VPN provider in the market, NordVPN is pretty affordable. It is a reliable and trustworthy option that also offers a free trial for you to test out the service before deciding on the subscription plan. NordVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you don’t like the service, you can always ask for a refund. There is a 24/7 customer support service to help you with all your concerns.
Interested in what more a VPN like NordVPN can do for you? See our guide on how to access blocked sites on Linux.
If you need a VPN for a short while when traveling for example, you can get our top ranked VPN free of charge. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. You will need to pay for the subscription, that’s a fact, but it allows full access for 30 days and then you cancel for a full refund. Their no-questions-asked cancellation policy lives up to its name.
