kemangVPNBlog · 18 Sept 2026
Setting Up a VPN on a Mikrotik Router for Your Whole Network
A VPN on a Mikrotik router protects every device at once. Here is how it works, when it makes sense, and what to watch out for.
Installing a VPN app on every device gets tedious. Some devices get missed, some you forget to switch on, and some cannot run an app at all. Moving the VPN to the router solves all three at once.
Mikrotik is a common choice for this in Indonesia, because it supports VPN clients out of the box and is widely used in both homes and small offices.
How it works
Instead of each device building its own tunnel to the VPN server, the router builds it. Every device connected to that router, wired or WiFi, automatically goes through the same tunnel.
The devices do not need to know anything. No apps, no logins, no settings. Smart TVs, consoles, network printers, smart home devices, even a guest's laptop on your WiFi: they are all protected.
When this makes sense
- You have many devices that cannot run an app. This is the most common reason.
- A small office that wants all of its traffic to go through one encrypted path without managing each employee's device individually.
- You want to keep things simple. Set it up once and you do not have to touch it again.
When it is not ideal
- You only want some devices to use the VPN. Selective configuration on a router is possible, but far more complicated than simply turning on the app on specific devices.
- You move around a lot. A VPN on the router only protects you while you are on that network. Away from home, your devices still need the app.
- Your router has a weak processor. See the next section.
Speed limits to be aware of
This is the most important consideration and the one most often overlooked. VPN encryption is handled by the router's processor, and router processors are generally much weaker than those in phones or laptops.
That means the speed you get through a VPN on the router may be limited by the router's capability, not by your internet speed. On entry-level Mikrotik models, this limit can be very noticeable if you have a fast internet plan.
If your speed drops sharply once the VPN is active, check the router's CPU usage while the VPN is running. If the CPU is maxed out, that is the hardware's limit, not a problem with the VPN service. There is a fuller explanation in our article on VPN speed.
Configuration steps
kemangVPN supports L2TP/IPSec, which Mikrotik supports natively without any extra packages. The full guide with screenshots is in Mikrotik Manual Settings.
In outline: create an L2TP connection profile with your account credentials, enable IPSec, then set up routing rules so that local network traffic is sent through the tunnel.
Before you start
Make sure you have admin access to the router and note down its current configuration. If the router serves a network other people are using, do the work outside busy hours: a routing misconfiguration can cut off the whole network until it is fixed.
A lower-risk alternative: use a separate small router just for the VPN, and leave your main router as it is. This approach is covered in our article on devices without apps.
About kemangVPN
kemangVPN is a subscription VPN service built for Indonesia: 84 servers in 45 countries including Jakarta, AES-256 encryption, no activity logging, and 10 devices on one account.
Plans start at US$3.99 a month, paid via PayPal; rupiah payments (QRIS, bank transfer) are available when you order in IDR. Activation is instant once payment is confirmed, with a 7-day money-back guarantee.