VPNs

[audi321]

Hi all, do I have to run a VPN on each device, or am I able to run it just once through the router directly so every device which connects to the router is protected automatically?

Thanks for any advice.

[camel_landy]

Assuming you don't allow split tunnelling at the router...

...but have you thought about how the VPN is protecting you? What happens when you appear at the other end of the VPN tunnel?

M

[3george]

Typically VPN would run on the device itself ( pc / tablet / phone etc ) but you can also get some routers that can run VPN software as an alternative. Have a look at Open VPN for example.

[audi321]

I'll admit, I haven't thought about it too much.

I'm just fed up of having to install and run my current VPN on every device I use (phones/tablets/laptops/desktops/firesticks/etc etc), so just wondered if I could apply it at the router level to save this hassle.

Given that I have absolutely no idea what split tunnelling is, it's safe to say I don't use it lol.

[bitchstewie]

What are you using it for?

I'm always nervous when I see the word "protection" used with VPNs.

[audi321]

I just want it to 'appear' as though I'm in the UK - I won't give any more details than that lol. Maybe 'protected' was the wrong terminology

[bitchstewie]

In which case so long as your router lets you setup a VPN tunnel and your VPN provider support the protocols your router supports you should be able to do that.

It's that word "protection" I have an issue with as I don't like how VPN companies advertise as if you're magically somehow "safer" using a VPN than you are without one

[audi321]

Cool - any recommendations for a VPN supplier?

How difficult is this to set up? Is it something a layman can do, or do you need a degree in Computer Science to be able to do it?

[bitchstewie]

Not specifically as it's been a while but I would keep in mind that if you do this then by definition you're passing all your Internet traffic through your VPN provider which is something you might want to keep in mind when you're considering just how much you trust a company with its headquarters in Panama governed by Ecuadorian law or whatever weird st some of these VPN companies do.

Router wise you need something with a VPN client built in.

I would have thought OpenVPN would be the simplest as hopefully it's username and password and the VPN server you want to connect to and that's that.

I've not done so much with home kit so others will know far better on that one

[Monsterlime]

IMO, your best choice is finding a provider that supports Wireguard, along as your router/device also supports it. A good chunk of providers do, such as Surfshark, Mullvad etc (this is not a recommendation for any of them, just examples).

If your router doesn't support Wireguard, it may support OpenVPN, and again, most providers support downloading/generation a config file for OpenVPN (a .ovpn file), for example - https://support.surfshark.com/hc/en-us/articles/36... (this is for Windows, but the file creation part will be the same) and then importing it. Google will have instructions for whatever router you are using, if it supports this.

Alternatively, if your router DOESN'T support either, you can use a RPI or some other low power device to act as a VPN gateway, but that is reasonably advanced.

Wireguard is a newer protocol, and is generally viewed as superior to OpenVPN.

[jagnet]

We use ExpressVPN and installed their router software on an Asus RT-AC68U, so everything runs through that. Can setup different VPN location groups as well as a "no VPN" group. Easy drag and drop to switch groups for any device.

Was simple enough to install and setup, with the added bonus of much much improved WiFi coverage from the router upgrade.

[superpp]

if this is to spoof location for streaming services, look at a smart DNS solution instead.

[Somebody]

OP, I have flashed DD-WRT on old discarded routers, set up vpn clients on them (pptp/openvpn protocols) and piggy-backed off the main router (i.e. plug into one of the main router's ethernet ports) so devices can route through the the vpn router via wifi on a separate SSID.

If no spare router you can buy a router like this, https://www.amazon.co.uk/GL-iNet-GL-AR300M16-Ext-e... and plug into your main router. Most vpn providers have how-to's to guide you through set up on routers.

Edited by Somebody on Thursday 16th November 13:32

[Captain_Morgan]

Depending where you are and the server connection to the vpn server expect the service speed to slow down, a lot.

[Corso Marche]

What I did in the past for a similar scenario was create a second Wi-Fi network and only connected the specific devices I wanted to that network, which ran the VPN 24/7.
I didn't buy anything to do it - just repurposed an old unused laptop (Linux OS & desktop), connected it to the router with a LAN cable, and set the laptop as a Wi-Fi transmitter/router which the VPN ran on. Then set it to run with the display off and hid it behind the TV cabinet in the room.

New use for old hardware which would've otherwise been dumped or left on a shelf.

[somouk]

2 ways to do this really:

1. Get a VPN provider that does automation and turns the VPN automagically when you connect to certain networks.

2. Use a router and VPN provider that gives you some options. A friend does this using a router with DD-WRT installed as its firmware and proton VPN as his provider. You can load the Open VPN profiles in to the router and it will connect and route any clients you choose out to the remote point.

[eeLee]

The real anwer is this:
1. Get a linux host, could be a Pi or something similar
2. Install Pihole and PiVPN on it
3. Add Wireguard connectivity to your devices going to your PiVPN

If you want to add a SmartDNS service to the mix to beat region restrictions, set the Pihole DNS to be pointing to that service.

On iOS, you can connect on demand which is nice.