Top 3 Best VPNs for routers
Virtual Private Network (VPN) services aren’t anything new to cash app the average web user. Many people are familiar with them because of their necessity at work, school, and even home. It’s an essential security and privacy tool that grants loads of benefits in a neat package.
However, not all devices support VPN software natively. This discrepancy is a potential flaw in your online and local network security. Plus, you’ll miss out on benefits related to unblocking foreign movies and TV shows on various home entertainment devices.
Thankfully, it’s easy to patch these holes if your VPN provider offers manual router configuration. This method allows you to secure your internet connection at the source and protect every device in your household. Read on to learn which three providers with this functionality are worth trying.
What is a VPN?
First, let’s briefly overview how VPNs work and what benefits they provide. The primary feature is rerouting your web connection through a remote server. This simple process hides your actual whereabouts and makes it appear that you’re located wherever the VPN server is. Naturally, your IP address is masked and replaced with the server’s address.
Additionally, all your activities are further obfuscated with top-grade encryption. It makes your online escapades unreadable to unwelcome onlookers, such as your ISP (Internet Service Provider), network administrators on public Wi-Fi, and even malicious hackers.
Furthermore, traveling through a VPN tunnel makes your network immune to intrusions via man-in-the-middle or DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks. Moreover, a security-focused provider will protect you against ads, web trackers, and malware. Ultimately, you gain an impressive cybersecurity arsenal.
However, staying secure online requires more than just installing a VPN on your device. You’ll need a few extra tools and follow a few guidelines to remain cautious. You can learn more about the complicated topic of cybersecurity on the Cool Tech Zone website.
All the previously-mentioned perks sound great, but what if the VPN provider you’ve been eyeing doesn’t offer dedicated apps for your favorite at-home device? Then your best bet is to take advantage of manual router configuration with a VPN. Here are some considerations before you do so.
Pros and cons of manual router configuration
Installing a VPN on your router is the best way of gaining its benefits on devices that don’t support VPN software. However, this path has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a brief introduction to the most noticeable pros and cons.
Pros:
- Secures all devices on the router network
- Doesn’t affect the provider’s simultaneous connection limit
- Works 24/7
- Grants VPN benefits for any device
Cons:
- Complicated installation
- Doesn’t work with all routers
- Harder to customize
- Lacks security features present in VPN apps
The most appealing aspect of manual configuration is that all your at-home internet-connected devices are protected by default. Additionally, all of them will have their actual locations hidden and have access to exclusive foreign content. However, you can also consider this a downside if you want the change only on one device.
Many VPN providers allow a certain number of simultaneous connections with one account. Thankfully, manually configured routers don’t count towards this limit and can even expand the number of devices you can protect with one subscription.
The most daunting thing about router installation is how complicated it can be. Unsurprisingly, the process will depend on your router model and VPN provider. Furthermore, you must remember that not all routers support manual configuration and check the details in advance.
Finally, customizing your VPN connection on a router isn’t as convenient as on a typical application. You’ll have to access the router’s settings whenever you want to change something. Plus, you’re missing out on many features that are included with VPN apps, such as kill switches and ad blockers.
Ultimately, the choice is yours whether you need to utilize this method of securing your home devices.
Top 3 VPNs for installing on routers
Although hundreds of VPN providers are on the market, only a handful have what it takes to ensure excellent performance via routers. The key aspects are reliability, top-notch security, and thousands of servers worldwide. With that in mind, we picked the three following providers for you to consider.
NordVPN
NordVPN is arguably the best VPN on the market and a top choice for protecting your router. It boasts over 5400 servers across 59+ countries and uses cutting-edge technologies to ensure reliable security, connection performance, and absolute anonymity.
The service is reasonably-priced, offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and can be tested for free through the 7-day free trial on the Google Play Store. The only scathing drawback is a meager 6 simultaneous connection limit per account.
Surfshark
Consider Surfshark if you’re looking for the most budget-friendly option for securing your router and everything else you own. The provider is slightly cheaper than the #1 option yet grants comparable results and even greater perks in some regards. Most notably, one account supports unlimited device connections.
Besides that, you can select from an impressive network of 3200+ servers across 100+ countries. That means Surfshark also unlocks the most diverse selection of foreign content out of our three recommendations. Subscription prices are affordable and include a 30-day money-back guarantee as a safety precaution.
ExpressVPN
Our final suggestion is a reliable and well-performing provider with a substantial price tag. ExpressVPN uses an impressive stack of proprietary and familiar technologies to deliver top results on various devices. It’s also exceptionally confidential and proved repeatedly that it doesn’t store any logs about its customers.
A severe downside is the pitiful 5 concurrent connection limit with one account. Luckily, that’s not a huge issue if your main goal is installing the VPN on a router. Plus, the provider offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for risk-free testing.
How to install a VPN on your router
As mentioned previously, the installation process will depend on your chosen VPN provider and router model. It would be wise to check in advance for installation guides or ask customer support agents for assistance. Here’s a general guide if you’re curious about the steps.
- Sign up for a router-compatible VPN service.
- Visit the provider’s website and download a configuration file for a particular VPN server.
- Open your router’s settings on a web browser and find the VPN options.
- Install the VPN on your router.
- Check your IP address and location to ensure everything is running correctly.
Conclusion
Blessing your router with a VPN connection is necessary if you want to change your location on devices that don’t support dedicated apps. This action is especially relevant to smart TV owners and console gamers who wish to access geo-exclusive movies, TV shows, and video games. On the flip side, it’s also great for anyone looking for convenient ways of digitally securing their households.
Don’t forget that protecting your network with a VPN connection isn’t the only step toward well-rounded cybersecurity. You can learn more about additional security measures by diving into the Cool Tech Zone website.