What is Meshnet? How does it work?

NordVPN introduced Meshnet in 2022. However, there's a good chance you haven't checked out this powerful feature yet. Since it's now free, it might be time to check it out.

What is Meshnet and how does it work?

Meshnet is a pretty simple technology. This NordVPN feature is a virtual network that you can use to connect external devices, along with the devices that you have logged into your Nord account.

If you remember the old days when LANs (as opposed to WANs) were king, you'll understand the gist of it. However, while LANs require physical connections and distance, Meshnet eliminates this limitation and allows you to remotely connect different devices into a single secure network.

By combining the NordLynx protocol and P2P technology, Meshnet connects two or more points (devices with unique IP addresses that you add to the network), thus forming an encrypted tunnel and turning the device into a kind of VPN. Cool, right?

The options here are endless. You can securely share files, set up a game server, access your webcam remotely, and more. For example, you can easily connect your devices via Meshnet and now access your main Windows machine when working outside the office.

Since Meshnet is available on every platform, you can connect any device you want (even less common ones like Android TV).

How to Use Meshnet Without a NordVPN Subscription

You'll be glad to know that even without a NordVPN subscription, Meshnet is completely free. This isn't always the case, so kudos to Nord Security for making this powerful technology available to everyone.

To get started, navigate to NordVPN's Meshnet page, then download and install the app for your operating system from the list. Now you're ready to use this convenient feature!

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While you do need to set up a NordVPN account, an active subscription is not required to use Meshnet. You can now start sharing files between devices and enable remote access through Meshnet.

How to Link Devices via Meshnet to NordVPN

Let's say your desktop is a regular Windows 10 system and the remote machine is a MacBook running macOS Monterey. Use your old NordVPN account on the desktop, whether you're still signed in or not. On the Mac, create a brand new account using your Apple ID. You'll be connecting these computers as external devices. Let's get started:

1. Use the slider to enable Meshnet on the devices you are trying to link.
2. Click Link external devices and enter the email address associated with your Nord account on your other computer. This isn't necessary if you're connecting devices on the same subscription, as you can enable Meshnet on both ends.
3. Accept the invitation on another device.

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The two devices are now linked and have received a Nord device name and a unique IP address. Now, before you can start sharing files seamlessly, click on the three dots next to the linked device, select Manage device , and enable sharing and receiving files.

Sharing is super easy. Just click Send files and select a file - it will be transferred straight to the other device.

Working with remote access

Let's say you still want to access your home computer from your laptop when you're away. Luckily, it's easy to set up despite using two different operating systems. Since you're using a Mac to access your PC remotely, you'll first need to install the Windows App from the App Store. On Windows, it's even easier because you can use the built-in Microsoft Remote Desktop tool.

Here is the entire process:

1. Enable remote access on the "target" Windows computer by going to Start > Settings > System > Remote Desktop and turning on the Remote Desktop slider . Make a note of the device name because you'll need it later.
2. Copy the Nord name (or IP address) of the device you are trying to access.
3. In the Meshnet app, enable Route all traffic on your linked device.
4. Open Microsoft Remote Desktop (or the Windows App on Mac) and click the plus icon to add a PC.
5. Paste the Nord name or IP address of the device into the PC name field .
6. When prompted, enter the device name you found in Remote Desktop and the password to access the device.

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That's it! Even when you're not in your home office, you can still use your main workstation via Meshnet. Make sure to disable Sleep in Windows so your PC is available when you need it.

Is Meshnet safe?

Connecting two devices in this way seems to open up new vulnerabilities.

In fact, Meshnet is extremely secure because it is based on the underlying NordVPN infrastructure (it's not one of the best VPN services for no reason).

As mentioned, Meshnet runs on the NordLynx protocol, which makes for fast and reliable connections. They're so fast that you can host a LAN gaming party remotely (seriously - you and your friends can play Quake remotely).

Thanks to this protocol, your connection is secured by NordVPN's end-to-end encryption - just like when you're connecting to a VPN server. Hopefully, this will give you enough peace of mind and motivation to try Meshnet for yourself.

Jessica Tanner

Update 09 December 2024