Using Meshnet on Linux

Before you begin

Verify that you have NordVPN installed on your device.

Meshnet is available for these Linux distributions:

• Debian, Ubuntu, Elementary OS, and Linux Mint

• Fedora and QubesOS

• RHEL and CentOS

• openSUSE

Enable Meshnet on Linux

Complete the following steps to turn on Meshnet on your device:

1. Open the Linux terminal.

2. Type the following command and press Enter:

   Copy

   nordvpn set meshnet on

You should now see a message confirming that you've enabled Meshnet:

When connected to Meshnet, your device is assigned a unique Nord name and a Meshnet IP address, both of which you can use to access the device from other linked devices.

Add devices to Meshnet

As you start using Meshnet, you may want to connect multiple devices to your Meshnet to unlock its full potential. Expanding your network enhances device communication, enabling seamless file sharing across your network and traffic routing through a chosen connected device, among other benefits.

You can add devices to your Meshnet in two ways, depending on whether the device is your own or belongs to another NordVPN user.

Add your own devices

To add more of your devices to your Meshnet:

1. Install the NordVPN app on the device you want to connect.

2. Log in to your NordVPN account.

3. Turn on Meshnet.

Once you enable Meshnet on your other devices, they should be connected automatically.

Meshnet allows you to add up to 10 devices that use the same NordVPN account.

Add external devices

To add an external device, meaning a device owned by another NordVPN user, you need to send an invitation through the NordVPN app specifying their email address. They will receive the invitation on all their devices that have NordVPN installed and Meshnet activated. As soon as the other user accepts the invitation on each device individually, their devices will become part of your Meshnet network.

For detailed guidance on adding external devices, refer to Adding external Meshnet devices on Linux.

View your Meshnet device list

To view a list of your Meshnet devices, run the following command:

nordvpn meshnet peer list

Alternatively, you can view a list of linked devices for each of your devices on the Nord Account website. To access this feature:

1. Log in to your Nord account dashboard.

2. Scroll down to NordVPN Meshnet free.

3. Select View details.

Remove your device from Meshnet

If you want to unlink your device from Meshnet, you can use either the CLI (command-line interface) or the GUI method, as explained below.

Unlinking devices via CLI

Enter the following command, where <device> is the device’s Nord name or Meshnet IP address:

nordvpn meshnet peer remove <device>

Example

Unlinking devices via the Nord Account dashboard

1. Go to the Nord Account website and log in to your NordVPN account.

2. Scroll down to NordVPN Meshnet free.

3. Select View details.

4. Find the device that you want to remove another device from and select See linked devices next to it.

5. Next to the name of the device you want to remove, click Unlink device.

   
6. Confirm that you want to unlink the device by clicking Unlink.

See also

For insights on how you can manage device access within your network, see Explaining Permissions.