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Installing and setting up XKeen on a Keenetic router

1. Preparing the USB drive​

To run XKeen on a Keenetic router, you need a USB drive formatted with the Ext4 file system. It will store all packages and configs.

1.1. Download Paragon Partition Manager​

Download the free version of Paragon Partition Manager 18 and install it.

Downloading Paragon Partition Manager

1.2. Format the drive in Ext4​

Open Paragon Partition Manager, select your USB drive, and format it with the Ext4 file system.

Selecting the drive in Paragon

Formatting in Ext4

At the end, click Format now.

1.3. Connect the drive to the router​

Insert the formatted USB drive into the USB port of your Keenetic router.

2. Installing firmware components​

In the router's web interface, install the following components (OPKG guide). The main and required component is "Open packages support":

  • ✅ USB interface
  • ✅ Ext file system
  • ✅ File and printer sharing over SMB
  • ✅ Open packages support
  • ✅ DNS-over-TLS proxy server
  • ✅ DNS-over-HTTPS proxy server
  • ✅ IPv6 protocol
  • ✅ Netfilter subsystem kernel modules
  • ❌ SSH server

Important: Before installing Entware, make sure the "SSH server" Keenetic firmware component is NOT installed. If it is installed — remove it, since Entware uses its own SSH server.

3. Installing Entware​

3.1. Create the install folder on the drive​

In the router's web interface, go to the file manager. Select your drive (it may be labeled differently).

Selecting the drive in the file manager

Create the install folder on the drive.

Creating the install folder

3.2. Download the installer archive​

You need to put a file in this folder that matches your specific router model.

Architecture reference:

mipsel — for models 4G (KN-1212), Omni (KN-1410), Extra (KN-1710/1711/1713), Giga (KN-1010/1011), Ultra (KN-1810), Viva (KN-1910/1912/1913), Giant (KN-2610), Hero 4G (KN-2310/2311), Hopper (KN-3810) and Zyxel Keenetic II / III, Extra, Extra II, Giga II / III, Omni, Omni II, Viva, Ultra, Ultra II: → mipsel-installer.tar.gz

mips — for models Ultra SE (KN-2510), Giga SE (KN-2410), DSL (KN-2010), Skipper DSL (KN-2112), Duo (KN-2110), Hopper DSL (KN-3610) and Zyxel Keenetic DSL, LTE, VOX: → mips-installer.tar.gz

aarch64 — for models Peak (KN-2710), Ultra (KN-1811), Giga (KN-1012), Hopper (KN-3811), Hopper SE (KN-3812): → aarch64-installer.tar.gz

Download the archive matching your router and upload it to the install folder.

Uploading the archive to the install folder

Archive uploaded

It should look like this:

install folder with archive

3.3. Start the OPKG installation​

Go to the Management tab and click OPKG.

Management tab — OPKG button

Starting OPKG installation

3.4. Check installation progress (optional)​

If you go to the Diagnostics tab, you can watch the entire package installation process.

Diagnostics tab

Package installation log

Wait until the router shows "5/5 installation complete".

OPKG installation complete

4. Installing XKeen​

4.1. Connect to the router via SSH​

Use an SSH client (for example, PuTTY) with the following settings:

ParameterValue
Address192.168.1.1
Port222
Loginroot
Passwordkeenetic

PuTTY connection settings

Successful SSH connection

4.2. Update packages​

First, update the package list:

opkg update

opkg update result

Then upgrade installed packages and install dependencies:

opkg update && opkg upgrade && opkg install curl tar

4.3. Download and run the XKeen installer​

Run the following commands:

curl -sOfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jameszeroX/XKeen/main/install.sh
chmod +x ./install.sh
./install.sh

4.4. Go through the menu installation​

In the menu that appears, choose 1 — install.

XKeen menu — choosing install

Choose the newest kernel (first in the list).

Choosing the Xray kernel

Choose install geosite.

Installing geosite

Geosite installed

When installation finishes, you'll be prompted to configure the config.

XKeen installation complete

5. Configuring XKeen​

5.1. Add a routing policy​

In the router's web interface, add a new routing policy.

Adding a routing policy

Policy created

5.2. Copy the configs​

Open the router's network folder:

\\192.168.1.1\xkeen\etc\xray\configs

Copy 3 configs there:

5.3. Fill in 04_outbounds.json​

The file structure looks like this:

04_outbounds.json structure

Fill it with data from your VLESS link. Open your account, copy the VLESS key, and paste it into the XKeen Config Generator.

Copying the VLESS key

Transfer the data from the generator into 04_outbounds.json.

Filling the data via Config Generator

5.4. Start XKeen​

In the SSH console run:

xkeen -start

Starting XKeen

6. Verifying it works​

6.1. Assign the policy to a client​

Go to the Client list.

Router client list

Choose the device on which you want to test the VPN, and assign it the routing policy you created.

Selecting a client and assigning the policy

Policy assigned to the client

6.2. Check the connection​

Open a browser on the chosen device and check that the VPN works.

Checking the VPN

Done! XKeen is installed and configured on your Keenetic router.