WireGuard VPN Plugin for NetworkManager tested – works well

I have Manjaro on test computer and AUR is active. There are so many toys in there. I know that a graphical WireGuard VPN plugin for NetworkManager is in development and that’s why I was looking for it.

If you have AUR enabled and search for wireguard, the WireGuard VPN plugin for NetworkManager will appear in the list.

You can install it with just one click.

WireGuard VPN Plugin for Network Manager – how it works

If you click on the plus in the NetworkManager settings on the lower left, you can add a VPN connection. The VPN protocol WireGuard will now also appear here.

Here you have the possibility to set up the WireGuard connection manually or import a file. You can use the normal .conf files that you create for a WireGuard connection. How this works is explained in the detailed article, how you can set up and use a WireGuard VPN server yourself.

After you have set up the connection or imported a .conf file, you can view the settings via the NetworkManager. There are a few things I don’t quite get yet. For example, the two tabs IPv4 and IPv6 seem to be obsolete. I define the IPv4 and IPv6 in the configuration. But this is also a developer version and it is not finished yet.

In the GUI, for example, I cannot currently save multiple DNS servers. I can only specify one or do not know the correct separator. Spaces or commas do not work in any case.

Establish connection

After you have set up the VPN connection, it appears in the NetworkManager as usual. With a simple click you establish the connection. There are no delays at all and the Virtual Private Network is immediately established. You even get a message that the connection is established.

In any case, we now know what we can look forward to. I hope the WireGuard VPN plugin for NetworkManager will be finished and released soon. By the way, the official client for Android works quite well, too.

If you’re looking for a VPN for Linux with integrated WireGuard, check out NordVPN or PIA. Both VPN providers support WireGuard in all clients, including Android, Windows, macOS and iOS.