Router setup + 4-step install guide
Pick the right hardware, follow 4 steps, and every device on your home network — TV, console, smart speaker — gets seamless VPN.
Prepare hardware
These five models are field-tested with k2r and span entry-level to pro-grade budgets.
Redmi AX6S (RB03)
The OpenWrt community workhorse — best price-to-performance
- CPU
- MT7622B (A53×2 1.35GHz)
- RAM
- 256MB
- Storage
- 128MB
- Wi-Fi
- WiFi6 AX1800
- Ports
- 1×千兆 WAN + 3×千兆 LAN
- k2r throughput
- 400-500 Mbps
Pros
- ✓Largest OpenWrt community install base; firmware is mature
- ✓Cheap on second-hand markets — units in good condition for ~¥150
- ✓Dozens of step-by-step flashing guides online
Caveats
- !Only gigabit WAN/LAN — can't saturate 1Gbps uplinks
- !Wi-Fi capped at AX1800
Best for
300M-500M home broadband / users new to flashing
Xiaomi AX3000T (RA82)
The sweet spot — slightly stronger than AX6S
- CPU
- MT7981B (A53×2 1.3GHz)
- RAM
- 256MB
- Storage
- 128MB
- Wi-Fi
- WiFi6 AX3000
- Ports
- 1×千兆 WAN + 3×千兆 LAN
- k2r throughput
- 500-650 Mbps
Pros
- ✓Slightly faster CPU than AX6S; full 2402Mbps Wi-Fi
- ✓Mainline OpenWrt support — stable firmware
- ✓Whole-home Wi-Fi 6, mesh-friendly
Caveats
- !Still gigabit ports only, no 2.5G
- !Flashing is slightly trickier than AX6S
Best for
500M-800M home broadband / mainstream households
GL.iNet Flint 2 (GL-MT6000)
Ships with OpenWrt — zero flashing required
- CPU
- Filogic 880 / MT7986A (A53×4 2.0GHz)
- RAM
- 1GB DDR4
- Storage
- 8GB EMMC
- Wi-Fi
- WiFi6 AX6000
- Ports
- 1×2.5G WAN + 1×2.5G LAN + 4×千兆 LAN
- k2r throughput
- 1 Gbps+
Pros
- ✓OpenWrt out of the box — no flashing risk
- ✓Hardware AES acceleration; k2r saturates 1Gbps
- ✓Dual 2.5G WAN/LAN ports for gigabit-plus broadband
- ✓Real international warranty
Caveats
- !Premium price
- !Limited availability in mainland China retail channels
Best for
Gigabit broadband / users who want no-flash convenience
J4125 4-port gigabit soft router
The reliable mid-range workhorse
- CPU
- Intel Celeron J4125 (4×2.0GHz, AES-NI)
- RAM
- 4-8GB DDR4
- Storage
- 64GB SSD
- Ports
- 4×Intel i211/i225 千兆
- k2r throughput
- ~1 Gbps
Pros
- ✓4-core CPU + AES-NI saturates gigabit easily
- ✓Cheap on second-hand / OEM markets — from ~¥400
- ✓Run iStoreOS, OpenWrt, or iKuai — your choice
Caveats
- !Capped at gigabit — no 2.5G headroom
- !No Wi-Fi — needs a separate access point
Best for
Sidecar router / households that already have a Wi-Fi AP
N100 4×2.5G soft router
Performance monster — won't bottleneck for 5-10 years
- CPU
- Intel N100 (4×3.4GHz Boost, AES-NI)
- RAM
- 8-16GB DDR5
- Storage
- 256GB NVMe
- Ports
- 4×Intel i226 2.5G
- k2r throughput
- 2.5 Gbps+
Pros
- ✓Boost 3.4GHz + AES-NI — 2.5G QUIC effortless
- ✓Virtualize OpenWrt + AdGuard + NAS on one box
- ✓i226 2.5G ports match modern fiber broadband
Caveats
- !Premium price; needs OS install
- !No Wi-Fi — separate AP required
Best for
Gigabit-plus broadband / power users running multiple services
Install the OS
The path depends on hardware type. Flashing carries brick risk — newcomers should consider a pre-flashed Overleap router (see bottom of page).
⚠️ Flashing has bricking risk. Always back up the stock firmware first; if you're not comfortable, choose the pre-flashed Overleap router service below.
Flash OpenWrt firmware
ARM routers need third-party OpenWrt firmware. Common choices are ImmortalWrt or mainline OpenWrt. Core steps:
- 1Find the ImmortalWrt or OpenWrt sysupgrade image for your model on the OpenWrt forum, GitHub Releases, or 恩山论坛 (Right.com)
- 2Flash via SSH / TFTP / U-Boot (procedure varies by model)
- 3Open 192.168.1.1 in a browser, set the root password and WAN config
Install k2r
SSH into the router and run this one-liner — it auto-detects ARM64 / x86_64 / ARMv7 and downloads the matching binary.
$ wget -qO- https://kaitu.io/i/k2r | sudo shThe script does three things: ① download the k2r binary for your CPU; ② install an /etc/init.d service; ③ start k2r immediately. After that, open http://<router-IP>:9000 in your browser to reach the admin panel.
Common issues
wget: command not found▾
OpenWrt usually ships wget-ssl. Use curl instead: curl -fsSL https://kaitu.io/i/k2r | sudo sh
Download fails▾
Some Chinese ISPs block the CDN. Manually download the binary from https://d0.all7.cc/kaitu/k2r/LATEST/ and scp it to the router.
How to upgrade▾
Re-run the install command. The script swaps the binary and restarts the service.
Set up & activate
On first launch, the admin panel asks you to bind a Overleap account and paste a license key (or k2subs subscription URL).
- 1
Open the admin panel
Visit http://<router-IP>:9000. You'll be prompted to set an admin password the first time.
- 2
Sign in to your Overleap account
Use the email associated with your Overleap purchase; you'll receive a one-time code.
- 3
Paste your k2subs subscription
On the Smart Server tab, paste your k2subs:// URL. The router auto-picks the best server.
- 4
Devices connect transparently
Any device on this router's Wi-Fi or LAN now uses the VPN automatically — TVs, consoles, smart speakers, no per-device setup.
(Admin panel screenshot — coming soon)
FAQ
What if flashing bricks my router?▾
ARM routers have U-Boot recovery (short-circuit + TFTP back to stock), but full bricks happen. If you're uncertain, the pre-flashed Overleap K2 Mini / K2-001 (bottom of page) eliminates this risk.
Does flashing void the warranty?▾
Manufacturers usually deny warranty claims for 'unauthorized modification'. Buying second-hand or OEM units to flash is one workaround; pre-flashed Overleap units come with their own warranty.
Can routers outside this list run k2r?▾
Yes — any router with arm64 / armv7 / amd64 / mipsle running OpenWrt or Linux works. Performance scales with CPU: old MIPS routers do ~100Mbps; A53×4 @ 2GHz saturates gigabit.
Do I need to know the command line?▾
Step 3 needs one SSH command (use PuTTY or Termius — beginner-friendly). Step 4 is fully GUI in the browser.
How much RAM does k2r use?▾
Binary is ~17MB; runtime usage is ~30-50MB. Comfortable on 256MB RAM entry-level routers.
Router vs. client app
Why we recommend the router approach
Smart router
Recommended
- All household devices connect automatically, no per-device setup
- Always on — works the moment you power up any device
- Supports smart TVs, consoles, smart speakers — anything that connects to Wi-Fi
- No technical learning curve — even kids and grandparents can use it
- Configure once, runs for years
Client app
Traditional
- ·Install and configure on every device
- ·Manual launch — easy to forget
- ·Smart TVs, consoles, smart speakers not supported
- ·Steeper learning curve
- ·Maintain login state across every device
Don't want to flash? Get a pre-flashed Overleap router
We also sell ready-to-use routers with k2r pre-installed. Plug in and go — 1-year warranty included.
开途 Mini 智能路由器
Kaitu K2 Mini Router
轻巧便携，随时随地畅享高速网络
Features
- 超紧凑设计
- 即插即用
- 低功耗静音
- 全球电压支持
- 便携收纳包
Pre-order pricing — contact us · 1-year warranty
开途 001 路由器
Kaitu K2-001 Router
多应用智能路由器，轻松畅享自由网络
Features
- 多应用安装支持
- 灵活扩展性
- 内置开路者服务
- 远程管理支持
- 用户友好设计
Pre-order pricing — contact us · 1-year warranty · activation code included