VPN router vs on-device VPN
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In this article we will discuss VPN on router issue vs. VPN app installed on the device.
Quick summary:
VPN on device: With a VPN installed on the device, you will only be able to access the VPN connection through that specific device and only when the app is running. If you need more devices connected to a VPN, you will have to install a VPN app on each device.
VPN on router: With a VPN router, you only need to install the VPN on the router itself. Every device connected to the VPN router will share the VPN connection. You will not have to install an app on any other device.
So, which one to use and when:
Use a VPN app: If you only need a VPN connection on one (or a few) of your devices and you only intend to use the VPN connection intermittently (like unblocking streaming sites, for example).
Related: Check out our website Best VPNs A tour if you are looking for a VPN.
Use a VPN router: If you have multiple devices that need a stable and commonly used VPN connection (work computer, office environment with multiple devices, etc.). This way you don’t have to manually install and setup the VPN app on all devices.
You should also use a VPN router if you have a device that you exclusively want to connect to the VPN server alone and never with your usual connection.
A VPN router is also useful when you are using an operating system that most VPN applications are not compatible with, such as Tails OS.
Below we will explain in detail how both VPN apps and VPN routers work and also show you how to set up a VPN router yourself.
speedy transfer: Use this to go to the section that shows you how to set up a VPN router.
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VPN Router vs. VPN on Device
Take a look at the charts below.
In the first – VPN on the device – we can see a laptop connected to the Internet through a VPN connection. This is how most consumer VPNs are set up. This system works fine
Below we can see how things are set up with a VPN router. Several devices can connect through the same VPN service, which is now handled by the same router.
Depending on the router operating system (firmware) used, certain devices can be connected simultaneously to the VPN, while others connect directly to the Internet as normal, without the VPN.
VPN Router Advantages
There are many advantages to running a VPN on your router rather than on every device. One of the main things I love is the level of control and customization you have over your entire home network when you are using the higher firmware of a VPN router.
With a VPN router, you can connect all WiFi devices and wired devices to the Internet through VPN, even devices that do not support VPN locally. This means that all of your internet traffic is encrypted by the VPN and that the obvious location of your entire network will be the location of the VPN server.
Furthermore, your ISP will see encrypted packets and won’t be able to determine if you’re torrenting on your laptop, unblocking Netflix on your phone, or playing online through a console.
This setup and forget is a very good way to keep your home network protected, but I’d suggest testing the VPN connection periodically with a tool like DNSLeakTest, rather than actually forgetting, as VPN connections can drop.
VPN routers provide more security
Obviously, encrypting all of your internet activities by default will increase the overall security of your network.
While most websites and services these days actually encrypt data between your computer and their servers, not all do, and the services you use can still be detected, even if an attacker can’t see what you’re sending and receiving.
This is a weakness that is often overlooked.
Most people would never consider the services they use to be the first piece of information an attacker looks for. This could be the beginning of a spear phishing attack, in which the hacker uses social engineering to specifically target an individual.
In this case, they will start learning about the services you use online so that they can create a fraudulent form of communication from that service, with the goal of stealing confidential information.
Of course, this private method is impossible if you are using a VPN.
However, remember that just using a VPN is not a safe way to hide your identity online, and anyone who tells you this is either lying or believing a lie someone else told them. In either case, this is not true.
Disadvantages of a VPN router
There are indeed some disadvantages of VPN routers. The thing that probably puts most people off is the cost of the hardware.
The primary router you get from your ISP is unlikely to be compatible with the VPN, and you won’t be able to update it with firmware. The VPN-compatible type of router is usually more expensive, with most basic models starting around $50, but can run higher than that if you want something a little more grunt.
If you have a lot of devices connected to WiFi at once, your router will need more processing power to keep up with the VPN’s continuous encryption and decryption. For most home applications, this should not be an issue, and a consumer-grade VPN compatible router should be fine.
Another thing worth bearing in mind is that when you run a VPN on your phone or computer, you get the full feature set of a VPN app, which typically supports multiple VPN protocols and cipher suites, and allows you to quickly change the configuration.
On the other hand, a VPN on a router requires manual configuration, and often only supports OpenVPN (which is better anyway, at least). Changing the server location on a VPN router is much more difficult.
VPN Router Software
So how is a VPN router different from a regular router?
A VPN router is like any other router, but it has the ability to power up a VPN connection. To do this, a special operating system is required, known as firmware.
All the following router firmware options mentioned below offer advanced customization, and give users several options in addition to running a VPN through the router.
QoS (Quality of Service) is a common feature available in most custom firmwares. QoS allows the network administrator to allocate bandwidth based on the type of Internet traffic.
You can, for example, ensure that your PS4 connection always has a preference over someone browsing the Internet, that a particular device gets more bandwidth than mobile connections, or that P2P downloads are restricted to avoid slowing down the network.
Some routers like Netgear, some D-Link and Linksys models, and most enterprise/business routers come with direct VPN compatible firmware, but this firmware is usually not the most powerful in terms of its other features, many people prefer to install a custom firmware Like Tomato, Sabai OS, or DD-WRT.
DD-WRT
DD-WRT is probably the most widely used of any dedicated router firmware, and it handles VPN connections very well.
It is a free open source firmware that has a huge online community of useful DD-WRT users so you can find instructions on how to setup anything capable of it. You have to do some configuring yourself though.
DD-WRT can be installed at home on a variety of routers. Flashing a router is very simple, but if you do it wrong, you will likely end up with an expensive weight of paper, so if you are unsure, it is best to buy a preconfigured device from Amazon.
tomatoes
Tomato is another free, open source firmware that can be installed on a variety of routers.
It can handle a lot of very complex operations and has huge customization options, but it requires a much greater level of user knowledge as every feature has to be programmed in it.
Tomato cannot really be considered a consumer-level option due to the potential difficulty of setup for non-programmers. However, it is very powerful.
For more information, as well as download links, visit the official Tomato firmware website.
Sabai OS
Sabai Technology is a small company with a big name. I’ve worked with them for about 2 years and can say they are 100% legit. They really care about their work, and offer some of the best customer support in the industry.
Now on their VPN router firmware – it’s by far the most user-friendly on this list, and it’s easy to set up and use, but it’s not free. Sabai OS (their firmware name) is based on Tomato but is preconfigured to make your router run fast and easy, so you don’t need expert knowledge to make your regular Tomato build work properly.
Sabai OS has a great feature called Gateways that makes it easy to configure which devices are connected via VPN and which are over the normal internet.
They also sell VPN routers that are pre-made and ready to go right out of the box. This means that there is no need to risk disabling the router while trying to update it yourself.
pfsense
pfsense is an entirely different beast. You can actually install this operating system on an old computer and use it as a very secure VPN router with lots of extra features like built-in antivirus (at the router level, so malware can’t get into your device). Of course, using an old computer will cost a lot of electricity, so I really suggest getting a box built for this purpose or building one yourself.
There is a large pfsense community spread across many forums, with many people designing their own routers and giving advice. Get started with pfsense here.
Related guide: How to block ads on all your devices with pfSense, Squid and SquidGuard
Related guide: How to set up IP Filtering and DNS Blackholing on pfSense using pfBlockerNG
How to build a pfsense router from an old computer
How to set up a VPN on the router
When using one of the router firmware versions described above, setting up a VPN is fairly easy.
You will need the VPN login credentials from your VPN provider. You still need to subscribe to a VPN service.
If you need some help choosing, check out our list of top ranked VPNs. For two great VPN options that work with routers, check out our ExpressVPN or ProtonVPN review.
Many VPN services provide detailed instructions on how to set up their VPN on a router, and this usually consists of a list of steps to take to set up a VPN and DNS connection, install encryption certificates, and choose a server.
Again, this takes more time than just using a VPN app on your laptop, but it protects your entire network rather than a single device.
It’s also fun to set up, if you’re interested in that kind of thing.
Additional VPN Guides:
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