Purchasing a Wi-Fi router with built-in VPN capabilities can offer several advantages, particularly in terms of security, privacy, and convenience. Here’s why someone might consider this option:
- Enhanced Privacy and Security:
- Encryption: A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, making it much harder for hackers, ISPs, or government agencies to monitor or intercept your data. This is especially useful on public Wi-Fi networks where security might be lax.
- IP Address Masking: VPNs hide your actual IP address, which can prevent tracking your online activities back to you, enhancing your anonymity online.
- Ease of Use:
- Network-Wide Protection: Instead of installing VPN software on each device, a router with VPN capabilities protects all connected devices automatically. This is particularly beneficial in homes with multiple devices like smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and IoT gadgets.
- One-Time Setup: Once configured, there’s no need to log in to a VPN service for every device or after each reboot, simplifying the process for all users, including those less tech-savvy.
- Content Access and Geo-Unblocking:
- Bypass Geographic Restrictions: With a VPN, you can access content that might be restricted in your region, like streaming services or websites. This can be set up to be always on, ensuring you can watch your favorite shows or access services regardless of your location.
- Protection from ISP Throttling:
- Maintain Speed: ISPs sometimes throttle bandwidth based on the type of content you’re accessing. A VPN can prevent this by masking your activities, potentially ensuring a smoother streaming or browsing experience.
- Remote Access:
- Secure Access from Anywhere: If you’re traveling or away from home, you can securely connect to your home network as if you were there, which is useful for accessing files or controlling home automation systems securely.
- No Additional Hardware or Software:
- Cost and Clutter Reduction: Instead of needing separate VPN subscriptions for multiple devices or an additional hardware VPN device, you have everything integrated into one router, which might be more cost-effective over time.
Should you replace your Wi-Fi router with a VPN-ready one? Here’s how mine fared | ZDNET
Here are the key points from the ZDNET article:
- VPN Convenience: Using a VPN for home coverage can be technical and time-consuming, but a VPN-ready router simplifies this by integrating VPN functionality directly.
- Product Tested: The article reviews the Privacy Hero 2 router, which supports NordVPN and Surfshark, costing $199 and comes with a year of Privacy Hero Wireguard VPN access and a promotional year of NordVPN.
- Physical Build: The Privacy Hero 2 is described as lightweight, compact, and having a plastic feel, which makes it lighter than many other routers.
- Installation Process:
- The router was easy to set up with provided guides and took about 10 minutes to update after plugging in.
- Configuration involves creating a Privacy Hero account for dashboard access and setting up the Wi-Fi network, with options to match your existing network name and password for ease of transition.
- VPN Setup:
- Requires signing up for NordVPN using a voucher included with the router, generating an access token, and entering it into the Privacy Hero dashboard.
- The initial token entry might require multiple attempts due to timeout issues.
- User Experience:
- Once set up, the VPN automatically connects to a UK server by default, but users can manually change the server location.
- The complexity of configuring VPN on traditional routers versus the simplicity of a VPN-ready router is highlighted, noting that many routers support third-party VPNs but require significant technical knowledge.
- Conclusion: The review suggests that while VPN-ready routers provide a straightforward solution to home VPN coverage, the setup still involves some technical steps but is far less complex than manually configuring a traditional router for VPN use.