We live in a world of digital connectivity where maintaining one’s security while surfing the internet or doing anything online is critical. Having a VPN service can help achieve this by making your browsing private. But not everyone wants to subscribe to a VPN service. In some regards, these VPN services have their drawbacks, as setting up VPN software one by one on every single device OR turning it on every time you want to surf the web can be a little time-consuming.
Thankfully, VPN routers provide an easier-to-use solution if you want VPN protection on your devices and your home network. These VPN routers work similarly to your typical routers but offer a secure network to all devices connected to them. These routers make it simple to set up a VPN connection.
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Why Do You Need A VPN Router?
If you are looking for VPN routers, you are probably already familiar with VPNs’ security and privacy benefits. They encrypt your data helping you stay anonymous when surfing the web and even accessing websites that are banned in your area.
Even though you can set up a VPN on any device connected to your regular Wi-Fi router, we still recommend investing in a good VPN router, as it provides various other benefits, as given below.
Automatic Connectivity
You will no longer have to turn your VPN on with a router manually. You will be connected to the VPN as soon as you join the network of the VPN router.
Protect Every Device
As mentioned earlier, any device connected to a VPN router’s Wi-Fi is automatically connected to the VPN network, ensuring protection on devices like smartphones, televisions, and those that generally do not have VPN software support.
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Factors to Consider when Choosing a VPN Router
Now that you know a little about the benefits of having a VPN router, there are some factors that you have to consider when choosing one that is best for you.
Frequency
Many VPN routers provide a 2.4 GHz or a 5 GHz frequency, so it is best to know the use of both and choose accordingly. Firstly, the 2.4 GHz band’s Wi-Fi connection is slower but has an excellent range. On the other hand, the 5 GHz frequency supports high-quality streaming but is less powerful.
Encryption and Security
Privacy is probably the most important factor you should consider when choosing a VPN router. It is best to look for VPN routers that support Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and IP Security (IPsec) encryption and protocols, as they are better and more secure.
Speed
The speed and reliability of VPN routers are generally related to encryption standards. When choosing the best VPN router, you do not want one that provides security but makes gaming, streaming, or browsing processes slow and aggravating.
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Which Are The Best VPN Routers?
With so many different VPN routers on the market, it can be a little tough to figure out the right option for your home. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best VPN routers. If you’re looking for a powerful router for your home or office that will get you premium protection, won’t cause your network to slow down, and won’t break the bank…you’re going to want to check these out.
TP-Link ER7206 Router
The TP-Link ER7206 router comes fully configured with Omada SDN Cloud Controller, so all you need to do is connect it to your network with an ethernet wire to get started. The cloud controller’s SDN user management lets you know the device and location of anyone using your network.
The TP-Link ER7206 offers various features like Bandwidth Control, Port VLAN, UPnP, Firewall, and many more. More of its key features include:
- Integration into Omada SDN
- Centralized Management
- Gigabit Ports
- Up to 4 WAN Ports
- Highly Secure VPN
- Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, and IP/MAC/URL filtering
NETGEAR ProSafe FVS336G Dual WAN VPN Firewall Router
The Netgear FVS336Gv2 ProSafe Dual WAN VPN Firewall Router has an SSL and IPsec supported VPN providing the ease of spreading broadband internet access throughout your network. This router provides Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and IP Security (IPsec) VPN tunnels in two different configurations for the most secure access to your network. We recommend it because it is a great option to securely connect remote users or remote LAN locations to your network.
It supports two broadband connections with a load-balancing structure, thus adding to its reliability. Its key features include:
- 25 IPsec VPN Tunnels
- 10 SSL VPN Tunnels
- Dual WAN Gigabit Ports
- Total of 4 LAN Gigabit Ethernet Ports
- Load-Balancing or Fail-Over WAN Setups
- NAT Firewall, SPI & Other Security
- 350 Mbps LAN-to-WAN throughput, 10,000 concurrent sessions
TP-Link AX6600 WiFi 6 Gaming Router
The TP-Link AX 6600 WiFi Gaming Router (Archer GX90) is a tri-band router for low-latency gaming that supports the Wifi 6. But despite its popularity as a VPN router, you don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate this router. This is a great one for streaming as well.
Its setup comes with the additional benefits of antivirus and parental controls. The bandwidth for each device connection is displayed on the quality-of-service controls. Its features also allow you to configure priority on devices connected to the network, which is helpful if you have limited bandwidth. One of my favorite features of this VPN router is prioritizing device connections. Its features include:
- TP-Link OneMesh Supported
- 4.8 Gbps Game Band
- Detect and optimize gaming streams
- Up to 5 WAN Ports
- Expansive Coverage
- OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology
- 1.5 GHz Quad-Core CPU
Synology RT 6600ax VPN WiFi Router
By far my favorite VPN router is the Synology RT 6600ax. This tri-band VPN router features 2.5 Gbps ethernet, VLAN segmentation, supports multiple SSIDs, has robust parental controls, and enhanced threat prevention. This VPN router provides one of the most comprehensive VPN server solutions with site-to-site tunneling that provides secure remote connectivity and remote desktop capabilities. It’s everything you want out of a VPN router and then a lot more.
What I love is that this router is powered by the Synology Router Manager (SRM) which helps you manage its security and performance. And don’t worry, you won’t have to be a techy to customize its web filtering and threat detection features. It comes with default profiles that make it easy to customize your control over your home network. Some of its features include:
- Supports Wifi 6
- Tri-band Wi-Fi
- Expanded 5.9 GHz support
- Support for the fastest ISPs
- Ability to create up to 5 separate networks
- Can be configured for WAN or LAN
- 1.8 GHz Quad-Core CPU
- 1 GB of Memory
- Incredible tech support from Synology
Users of this VPN router agree with me on how incredible it is. On Amazon, it scores 4.4 out of a 5 rating. There are nearly 3.4K reviews pushing that rating as well. It’s most highly rated features according to verified users are WiFi signal (4.3), User Interface (4.2), Ease of Use (4.2), and Easy To Install (4.1). In fact,
VPN Routers Are A Solid Home Network Device
If you’re looking for a way to improve your home network, you might want to consider buying a VPN router. To recap, a VPN router can provide many benefits over a traditional router, including improved security and privacy. One of the biggest benefits of a VPN router is that it can help to protect your devices from hackers. I’ve pounded this drum time and time again: any time you can add an extra layer of security to your devices, you should seriously explore that option. When you connect to the internet through a VPN router, all of your traffic is encrypted. This means that hackers won’t be able to see what you’re doing or gather any information about you.
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Another benefit of a VPN router is that it can help to improve your privacy. I’ve been in the business a long time and can tell you that almost every app and every website is tracking everything you do and storing that data. That’s why every website blasts you with pop-ups about cookie policies. When you use a traditional router, your ISP (and most websites) can see everything that you’re doing online. However, when you use a VPN router, your traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel. This means for the most part that your ISP can’t see what you’re doing or collect any data about you.
And another awesome perk with these router types is a VPN router can also help to improve your speed and performance. When you use a traditional router, your traffic has to travel through several different servers before it reaches its destination. However, when you use a VPN router, your traffic is routed directly to the server that you’re trying to reach. This can help to improve your speed and performance, especially if you’re trying to stream video or play online games.
If you use a VPN service or are considering doing so, getting one of the top VPN routers we’ve touched on above will really help heap on that extra level of security. I love these routers because you get VPN protection at the network level and not the device level. However, one drawback is if your device disconnects from the network and uses cellular data, you won’t have the protection. This is one of the advantages a VPN service has over a VPN router and why I’m a big proponent of a VPN service. Regardless, if you’re not into getting a VPN service and still want that VPN level of security, one of these routers is a fantastic addition to your home network.
