How to use Surfshark OpenVPN in Zgemma STBs (H7 and 9 series) with PurE2 in order to protect your traffic and content of your STB, the easy but effective way!

I am demonstrating this on SurfShark because one can have unlimited number of devices protected with their service!

NordVPN has a limit of only 6 devices, so for me it was a no-brainer, given the number of Enigma2, Android and laptops and PCs we have in my family…

SurfShark have Android and Windows special and easy to use apps for VPN and in those one can use IKEv2 encryption, which takes away only about 10% from your full internet connection speed.

With Enigma2 one must use OpenVPN, for now, and the procedure is carefully described below…

https://satellitedirect4u.com/…nigma2-unlimited-devices/

PREPARATION

Pay attention when you sign up and note the following:

“Surfshark provides you with separate login and password for OpenVPN connection.”

So, you do not use your normal credentials, which you use with your Windows or Android Surfshark apps (your email and password you chose). With NordVPN they are the same but not with SurfShark!

MENU > Setup > System > Network > OpenVPN setup > confirm.

When done go back and do not use automatic DHCP but manually set preferred servers in:

Network > Device Setup > choose your interface (LAN= eth0 or WLAN = wlan0) > Nameserver settings > add the following:

1.1.1.1

1.0.0.1 > Save and go back to it and yellow button to add another

8.8.8.8 > Save and as above…

8.8.4.4 > Save

Then follow the tutorial…

Prepare your SurfShark files from ovpn file given to you by SurfShark…

Here is the end result, my client.conf (minus the bits that one is not to show publicly)…

Please, make sure you do it exactly as described by

–opening an ovpn file using Notepad++, then

–editing it as below (with your full details, obviously, not the way I am demonstrating it below, since I have changed some bits with XXXX):

And here is my password.conf containing my edited username and password – they are given to you when you create an account with SurfShark VPN:

Once edited in Notepad++ go to: File > Save As… > Save as type (drop down menu) > All types > client.conf (and password.conf) > Save.

Start FileZilla Client on your PC > connect it to your STB > choose etc folder > right click on it > Create directory > write “openvpn” (without the “” signs) > OK.

Now, right click on it > Attributes to > 755. Close FZC (confirm to close if needed).

(From experience I would advise you to close it to make sure you will see the changes you made.)

Start FZC, connect to your STB and find the new folder, open it/get inside it.

Now, send the 2 files just created on your PC ==> into openvpn folder in your STB.

Give them attributes to 644 and confirm if needed.

Reboot your STB.

Once up, go to System > Setup > Network > OpenVPN plugin and start the plugin, plus make it autoconnect/autostart on E2 reboot, if you wish it so… Hit the Exit button a few times…

You must be patient at this point. If you have done it all correctly eventually you will be connected to OpenVPN SurfShark. First sign to watch out for is loss of a TV channel image, if you were on CS. Usually, this happens when you lose the connection that is typical, before you have gained a VPN connection. Once it is up again – it should be “it”… You should see colours on your TV again… via your VPN, not your ISP’s network!

If it doesn’t work, you may need to reboot your STB with the VPN plugin running/on autostart…

Now, check your STB’s IP address via pManager > Network… again…

Once you connect to VPN Surfshark your IP address will change to 2 types:

-VPN’s internal network which looks like 10.x…

-usual IP address of the VPN server (for London it starts with 5.xxx…) – usually quite different from one’s normal IP address given to one by one’s ISP (which you should have noted before you started this VPN business, for reference).