Setting up a VPN on your router
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Want to keep the websites you visit, the videos you watch, and your favorite message boards private? Then it’s time to invest in a virtual private network, known as a VPN. And if you want a great deal of online privacy for the least amount of hassle, you should consider installing a VPN on your router at home or work.
But what if you think you don’t have the computing skills to install a VPN on your own? You can always buy a router that comes pre-equipped with its VPN firmware. If you do not know, then the firmware is a program that is downloaded to a small memory stick. This chip is then inserted into the device. One of these chips will be inserted into the router with the VPN.
Don’t know what a VPN is? At its simplest, it is a private VPN server that you sign up for – either for free or for a fee – that keeps your online activities private. When you search the internet or go online, your computer will first connect to your VPN before it can connect to the web. Your VPN connection is a bit like a wall between your physical connection and the Internet.
If a government agency or private company wants to track your search history, it will only reveal the IP address of your VPN, not the IP address of your computer or mobile device. If you connect to the Internet through a VPN — including using public Wi-Fi — the only snoopers who know what sites you visit, files you download, or links you click will be your VPN provider and the companies behind those sites, links, and files . Even your Internet Service Provider – your ISP – will have no record of your browsing data.
Benefits of setting up a VPN on your router
There are many ways to access a VPN. You can access VPN providers online, using their web-based services to first connect to a VPN before surfing the internet. You can also download the VPN service directly from a provider to your computer. You can then open this download before you go online.
However, there is a drawback to this approach. To get the best VPN services, you will have to pay a fee. This means that you will have to pay to install VPNs on all your devices if you want to be fully protected. You’ll need a VPN on your phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop computer, for example. This can be expensive, although some VPN products cover more than one device.
If you don’t work with a VPN on all of your devices, you won’t be completely protected. You may only search the web from your laptop after connecting to the VPN. This will help protect your privacy when using this device with your VPN connection. But what if you spend time every day searching the web through your smartphone? Not having a VPN protecting this device may expose your search history, clicks, and downloads to cybercriminals, government agencies, or private companies.
You can install the VPN software on all your devices. This can be a little stressful. The most effective solution is to install a VPN service on the router in your home or office. If you do, every device that connects to the internet through this router will be protected by a VPN.
Protection across your entire network of devices
Think about how many devices in your home network are connected to the Internet, everything from smart TVs and voice assistants to smartphones, laptops, and tablets. There are a lot of devices to protect. By installing the VPN firmware on your router — or by purchasing a router that already comes with a VPN pre-installed — you’ll get protection for all of those devices right away.
Once you install a VPN on your router, the data that flows to and from any of the connected devices in your home will automatically be encrypted, providing you further protection against cyberspying and tracking.
Fewer steps for you
When you install a VPN on your router, you don’t have to remember to turn on this protection every time you log on to the internet from your laptop, tablet or smartphone. This is an especially important benefit for anyone who routinely forgets to activate their VPN service when they log on to the Internet.
If the VPN firmware is connected to your router, it works automatically, no matter what device you are using to surf the web. Setting up your router is ready to go.
You’ll enjoy online privacy on all your connected devices
Most VPN providers offer services that work on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Most of them also offer services that run on Android and iOS mobile devices.
But no VPN service works with all devices that can connect to the Internet today. There are simply too many specialized operating systems for this to be possible.
By installing a VPN on your router, you won’t have to worry about this. You will automatically receive privacy protection on each device served by this router.
How to set up a VPN on your router
Installing a VPN on your router is not the easiest task. You will need some technical skills. And be careful: if you install the VPN incorrectly, it can damage your router.
First, you have to know your router’s Internet Protocol address – known as IP – so that you can log into your router’s management page from your computer. How you find your router’s IP address will vary depending on the operating system of the device you’re using to log into your router.
For a Windows 10 device, for example, click on the Start menu and type “command prompt” before clicking enter. Then type “ipconfig” and hit Enter again. This will bring up a box on the screen, near the bottom of it, that will have an IPv4 address. The numbers following this address – in a format like 192.178.14.101 – are your router’s IP address.
Open your web browser and type your router’s IP address into the URL bar. This will take you to the login page which will then allow you to access the administrative features of your router.
If you’ve never logged into your router before, and you’ve never changed your username or password, you’ll need to enter the default username and password that came with your router. This should be listed in the manual that came with your router. If you do not have this manual and do not know these settings, you may have to call your router’s support number for assistance.
Logging into your router will bring up an administrative page on your screen. From here, you will need to find the button that allows you to install the router firmware update. This process will vary depending on your router, which is why it is best to call a customer support line with your router to have a technician walk you through the process.
Or better yet, you can simply buy a router that comes pre-installed with the VPN.
VPN Routers: The Easiest Alternative
As the name suggests, a VPN router is a router that automatically connects you to a VPN from any device in your home or office served by this router. An increasing number of manufacturers are offering routers that come with a VPN pre-installed on them.
Yes, this could mean spending money on a new router if your home’s current version doesn’t have VPN protection. But ask yourself if you are tech savvy enough to install a VPN on your current router. If you have doubts, it is best to buy a router that comes with this protection already built in.
Disadvantages of setting up a VPN on your router
There are potential drawbacks to installing a VPN on your router yourself. the biggest? If you do it incorrectly, you may damage your router, making it inoperable. Then you will be responsible for spending the money to buy a replacement router.
Another problem is speed. The more devices you connect to a VPN-enabled router, the slower your router will be. In fact, with every device you connect to a VPN-equipped router, you’ll have to sacrifice at least some speed. Keep this in mind before installing a VPN on your router.
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