In recent years, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have gone from technologically advanced programs used only by IT professionals to user-friendly tools familiar to the mainstream public. Many people now use VPNs, or at least know about the security and privacy benefits that the best VPNs bring.
As a quick reminder, VPNs route your internet traffic through encrypted and secure servers on the web. Speeds may be slightly slower if you use a VPN, but it makes it harder for anyone else to see what you’re doing online, whether it’s your Internet provider, government agencies, or The person sitting at the next table is sharing the same. Coffee Shop Wi-Fi
Many users connect to their VPN by running an app on their phone or laptop. But what’s less well-known is that you don’t need to run the app on your device: you can install one on your router instead. This means that every device in your home that connects to the router is going through the VPN when it accesses the wider web, so you have options to toggle on or off, or from scratch. No need to worry about setting up new devices.
It also means that devices that don’t necessarily support VPNs natively—like your smart TV or your home security camera—can still reap the benefits of VPN protection. Everything on your Wi-Fi network is covered.
Choosing a router
This is not something you can do on any router. It should be a model with support for VPN installations, and there are quite a few of them on the market now. A quick web search will lead you to several options, but if you already have a VPN provider you’re committed to, be sure to check the router and provider will work together. This can also help narrow down your hardware choices.
When you’ve got your list of routers that are going to work with your VPN of choice, all the usual considerations come into play: how much you have to spend, what features you want, and How is the current setup configured? If you think you might want to expand your network in the future, or you have an existing mesh Wi-Fi network that you want to link to, make sure it’s supported.
