Choosing the Best VPN Router – Buying Guide
Out in the market for the best VPN router that money can buy, but can’t seem to decide on one? Here’s our guide explaining what a VPN router really is, why you would need it, and a selection of hand-picked VPN routers for you to choose from.
In this modern age of computers, mobile phones, and smart devices that span across homes, online security is in focus. The need for setting up a virtual private network (VPN) has steadily increased over the years in personal and business setting as well, and plenty of services have sprung up to offer the best of it. Whether you’ve chosen to employee a VPN service to mask your online activity from the prying eyes of your ISP, or need one to keep the data that is going through your local network under the wraps, you are going to need a dependable VPN service to get the job done.
Traditionally, you would need to install the VPN service as an app on your computer or mobile device to allow filtering of the incoming and outgoing connection. While this is doable for domestic use around the house and even up to an extent for a small-scale business, how do you make sure that the internet connection on an enterprise level is being put through the protected servers of a VPN service provider? This is where the need for the best VPN router comes in handy, giving you a way to secure the internet connection right at the source, so you don’t need to manually set it up on devices one by one.
What is a VPN Router?
The wireless internet router that you choose to set up for your home or your business is the entry point for any incoming or outgoing online traffic. Generally speaking, we tend to focus on aspects such as bandwidth support and the extent of network connectivity when choosing a wireless router, but seldom do we consider whether it comes with VPN support. Regardless of what your thoughts are on the current state of federal-level web monitoring, it is essential for most workspaces to establish a VPN connection, especially if the business depends on the internet for remote connectivity and work done online.
This is where the need for the best VPN router comes into play, allowing you to bottleneck the incoming and outgoing network traffic. All of the internet traffic is filtered directly through the remote servers of the VPN, thus ensuring that each and every megabyte of data that is sent in and out of the wireless connection is concealed by the VPN service provider that you choose to set up the internet router with.
Why Choose ExpressVPN for your VPN Router?
While there are dozens of VPNs out there, ExpressVPN has managed to make a name for itself not just a preferred service provider, but one that works seamlessly with VPN routers. To sum up all of the advantages that ExpressVPN offers specifically for VPN routers, here’s everything that you need to know:
All-in-one Protection – Rather than grabbing every piece of tech that you have in your work space and home and installing the VPN service app on it, a wireless router with the ability to set up the ExpressVPN service on it directly, helps you streamline the process and save you the trouble of doing the installation process on a bunch of separate devices.
Tightened Security – There’s no point in bolstering the online security on the office computers, if you’re going to end up with employees using their mobile devices to connect to the internet in an unsecured way. An ExpressVPN-powered router makes sure that every bit of data that goes in and out is protected by the highest standards of internet security protocols that ExpressVPN has to offer.
Simplified Interface – While most VPN services do offer a well-designed app for users to download, set up, and start using, ExpressVPN makes it even simpler. Apart from a clean user interface that easily allows you to activate the VPN service and choose your preferred server locations, a feature called “Split Tunneling” allows you to add and remove devices that are included under the protection of ExpressVPN.
What’s the Best VPN Router? – Buying Guide
The dire need of control over the internet freedom and to secure the network connection for businesses and enterprises, VPN routers have become commonly available. We’ve sorted through the sea of options that are available in the market today and shortlisted the best ones, based on the area of service they are required for.
Best VPN Router for Home – Linksys WRT AC3200
The WRT series of wireless routers from Linksys have been a household name in the market for decades now, and the latest Linksys WRT AC3200 retains all of the qualities that users like about the brand. The open-source software design of this home router comes with the ability to flash the DD-WRT firmware for VPN compatibility. Packed with features such as Tri-Stream 160 technology along with ample of connectivity through 4x Gigabit ports, there’s plenty of firepower tucked away in the modest casing of the Linksys WRT AC3200.
Specs:
- 11ac: 3x 867 Mbps
- 11n: 600 Mbps
- 4x Gigabit Ethernet
- 1x USB 3.0
- 1 x ESATA/USB 2.0
- 8GHz dual core CPU
Best VPN Router for Office – Cisco Systems Gigabit Dual WAN VPN Router
This router from Cisco Systems cuts out the fancy additions and adding some core features that corporate offices and enterprises need to fulfil their connectivity requirements. The Dual Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports that have been added to the wireless router by more than a dozen, allow you to hook up multiple devices and smoothly manage the network traffic. VPN capabilities have been advertised fairly on the Cisco Systems Gigabit Dual WAN VPN Router, with a simplified user interface, backed by SSL and IP security right out of the box.
Specs:
- Dual-Band 802.11a/b/g/n
- 14x Ethernet
- 1 x ESATA/USB 2.0
- Integrated VPN support
Get the Cisco Systems Gigabit Dual WAN VPN Router
Best VPN Router for Gaming – NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S AC2600
For those who don’t want to settle for anything less than the best for their gaming experience, while ensuring complete anonymity online, the NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S AC2600 is the beast to choose. Offering rapid-fire wireless speeds, support for Multi-User MIMO, and Dynamic QoS that prioritizes bandwidth for latency-sensitive services such as video streaming and gaming, you even get the smart integration of Amazon Alexa to control your home network using voice commands.
Specs:
- AC2600 Wi-Fi – 800+1733 Mbps speeds
- 2x USB 3.0 and eSATA
- 4x High-gain external antennas
- MU-MIMO and Quad Stream technology
Get the NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S AC2600
Best VPN Router for Portability – GL.iNet GL-AR750 Travel AC Router
Allowing you to set up your very own VPN service with the pre-installed WRT/LEDE firmware, GL.iNet GL-AR750 adds an element of portability to high-speed secure internet usage. Powered up by a simple USB connection right from your computer, this travel router comes with plenty of connectivity options not just through the Ethernet ports, but by the support of MicroSD card slot as well. Offering dual-bandwidth support, paired with a high-range antenna allows you to have a full-fledged internet experience no matter where you are.
Specs:
- Dual-band 300MB/s(2.4 GHz)+433MB/s(5 GHz)
- Qualcomm QCA9531 SoC,650MHz CPU
- 10/100 Ethernet port x 3
- Supports MicroSD storage up to 128GB
- 80 – 100 meters Wi-Fi Range
Get the GL.iNet GL-AR750 Travel AC Router
Final Words
There is no denying the fact that the internet needs policing, especially due to the growing rate of cybercrime and other malicious online activities. But it doesn’t seem fair that the end-user pays for the sins of a few and being stripped of their internet freedom. The very reason behind the boost in the popularity of VPN services is to help unsuspecting users stay guarded against online threats, while enjoying anonymous access into the World Wide Web.
Integrating the VPN service right into the source of the internet makes your browsing experience more secure, while saving you the trouble of manually enabling and disabling the service each and every time. We’ve chosen to stick with ExpressVPN, since it offers a ability to set up a VPN router not just manually, but directly through the ExpressVPN app as well. Our collection of the best VPN router offerings out there has been curated to help you make the selection easily.
Are you also going to join ExpressVPN and pair it with a VPN-compatible router on the crusade for online freedom? If you do need any assistance in choosing a VPN router, or want to know more about it, just ask for help in the comments section and we’ll surely get back to you.