Do I Really Need a VPN at Home

Each guide offers several configuration files to download with different settings to offer different levels of security and speed. You’re also given a choice between several DNS options during the setup, which includes the option for PIA’s unique MACE DNS.

The Best VPN for Routers in 2023: Protect the Whole House

Most people want to set up a VPN once and forget about it, and you can easily achieve this by installing a good VPN on your router. Read on to discover the best VPN for routers.

VPN services are changing the way people use the internet by providing users with a more secure experience, access to blocked content and much more. If you want to protect all of your devices with a VPN — or just connect more devices than your VPN provider allows — then what you’re looking for is the best VPN for routers.

By setting up a VPN on your router, you can send a VPN connection to all of the devices connected in your house without having to install an app or set up the VPN manually on each device. Even guests’ devices and your smart TV can have a protected connection with a VPN-enabled router.

So, if protecting all of your devices at once through your WiFi while having to set it up only a single time sounds appealing to you, then read on to see our top five picks for best VPN for routers and which one might be best for you.

• What Is the Best Router for a VPN?

A router’s hardware can have a significant impact on VPN performance, mainly due to the processing requirement of encrypting the data. A router that is too weak will noticeably slow your connection down, so it’s best to have a stronger router or, even better, one that is made for VPNs.

While many routers are compatible with VPNs — and even more can be upgraded with aftermarket firmware such as Tomato or DD-WRT — special routers are available and do have some advantages. Mainly, dedicated VPN routers will have more processing power to handle stronger encryption while also offering better speeds.

Many routers are compatible with VPNs and many more that aren’t can be flashed with aftermarket firmware like Tomato or DD-WRT to make them compatible with VPNs. You can check with the VPN provider or with the list of Tomato and DD-WRT compatible routers to see if your model can use a VPN.

• : PayPal, Credit card, Bitcoin, PaymentWall
• : 5
• :
• :
• :
• :

Average speed
Download Speed 91 Mbps
Upload Speed 9 Mbps
Latency 5 ms
$6.66 / month (save 48%) (All Plans)
ExpressVPN

• : PayPal, Credit card, Google Pay, AmazonPay, ACH Transfer, Cash
• : 6
• :
• :
• :
• :

Average speed
Download Speed 94 Mbps
Upload Speed 9 Mbps
Latency 4 ms
$3.59 / month (save 72%) (All Plans)

• : PayPal, Credit card, bitcoin, Amazon Pay
• : 7
• :
• :
• :
• :

Average speed
Download Speed 73 Mbps
Upload Speed 9 Mbps
Latency 45 ms
$2.37 / month (save 81%) (All Plans)
Cyberghost

• : PayPal, Credit card
• : Unlimited
• :
• :
• :
• :

Average speed
Download Speed 93 Mbps
Upload Speed 9 Mbps
Latency 10 ms
$2.19 / month (save 81%) (All Plans)
Private Internet Access

• : PayPal, Credit card
• : Unlimited
• :
• :
• :
• :

Average speed
Download Speed 94 Mbps
Upload Speed 9 Mbps
Latency 3 ms
$5.75 / month (save 36%) (All Plans)
Windscribe

What Makes the Best VPN for Routers?

When it comes to which VPN is the best for routers, many of the same factors come into consideration as with our normal reviews and comparisons. Not only does a VPN provider need to offer broad compatibility with many types of routers and firmware, but we also expect the VPN to be quick, secure, offer additional features and have a trustworthy privacy policy.

1. ExpressVPN — Fast VPN with tons of options
2. NordVPN — Easy-to-use VPN compatible with most routers
3. CyberGhost — Wide variety of protocols
4. Private Internet Access — Highly affordable VPN for routers
5. Windscribe — Easy setup but limited compatibility and options

All five of these services not only fit the bill of being a good VPN with solid security and performance, but also offer good router compatibility and options.

The 5 Best VPNs for Routers

With all that in mind, let’s dive into our top five picks for the best VPNs for routers that offer speed and security for all your devices.

1. ExpressVPN

More details about ExpressVPN:

• Very fast
• Wide router compatibility
• Offers many protocols
• 30-day money-back return

• Comparatively expensive

Not only does ExpressVPN cover all the bases of a top-tier VPN provider, but it also has some of the best router compatibility of any VPN. On its website, ExpressVPN offers some easy-to-install custom firmware for several common models of Asus, Linksys and Netgear routers. It’s our best VPN for Asus routers, Best VPN for Linksys routers, the best VPN for DD-WRT routers and best VPN for Netgear routers.

It also has a large number of manual setup guides. The manual setup guides cover an even wider variety of routers than the custom VPN apps and include both Tomato and DD-WRT routers as well as Xiaomi, D-Link and many more.

On top of the wide variety of compatible routers, ExpressVPN also boasts a variety of configuration options. This includes protocols such as OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP and its unique DNS option called MediaStreamer, which can access geoblocked streaming services without a VPN.

Aside from working on so many devices and providing ample protocol options, ExpressVPN is also among the fastest VPNs on the market, making it a great VPN for gaming, torrenting or streaming. The only real drawback that ExpressVPN carries is its high price tag, which you can read more about in our ExpressVPN review.

ExpressVPN Plans
1-month plan
6-months plan
$59.94 billed every 6 month
15-months plan
$99.95 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter

2. NordVPN

More details about NordVPN:

• Fast connections
• Easy to set up on routers

• Not as many protocols
• Few setup options

NordVPN — the best cheap VPN — offers a contrast to ExpressVPN in the way it handles its support for routers. As of late 2018, NordVPN stopped offering support for L2TP and PPTP connections through routers. This means that users are, for the most part, going to have to stick to OpenVPN.

If you read our VPN protocol breakdown, you’ll see that OpenVPN is an excellent protocol. So having to use this isn’t really a problem, but it would be nice to have more options.

While it doesn’t offer as many protocol options, NordVPN does offer guides for a good variety of routers including Asus, Sabai, Tomato, DD-WRT, pfSense and more. NordVPN also offers its own recommendations for which routers are generally the easiest to install a VPN on and work the best, with most of the top choices coming from Asus.

While it isn’t always quite as fast as ExpressVPN, NordVPN still manages to consistently rank among the fastest VPNs we’ve tested, and it’s cheaper, too. NordVPN is also reliably private and secure with recent improvements being made to its network, as you can read in our full NordVPN review.

Standard
1-month plan
1-year plan
$59.88 billed every year
2-year plan
$86.13 billed every 2 years
Plus
1-month plan
1-year plan
$69.48 billed every year
2-year plan
$107.73 billed every 2 years
Complete
1-month plan
1-year plan
$83.88 billed every year
2-year plan
$140.13 billed every 2 years

3. CyberGhost

More details about CyberGhost:

• More protocol options
• Affordable long-term plans

• Incompatible with most default routers
• Not as fast

If you look at our CyberGhost review, you’ll see that we found it to be a top-notch VPN with tons of very useful features. While it isn’t as fast in our testing as some of the other VPNs on this list, it’s still quick enough to be usable for streaming and even torrenting.

As an additional note, many routers are weak in processing power. In many cases, your router can be the bottleneck — not the VPN itself — as it struggles to encrypt and move the data quickly (as long as you purchase a decent VPN, that is.)

CyberGhost offers more control over protocol than NordVPN does, as it supports OpenVPN, IPSec, L2TP and PPTP, giving users plenty of options. However, CyberGhost is not nearly as broadly compatible, with the guides on its website only covering DD-WRT and Tomato routers.

CyberGhost’s biggest draw for many will be its excellent pricing, especially with its longer-term plans and free trial. While the monthly signup option isn’t a great deal, the annual plan cuts this down considerably. Plus, the three-year option comes out to less than three dollars a month.

CyberGhost Plans
1-month plan
6-months plan
$41.94 billed every 6 month
2-year plan
$56.94 billed every 2 years

4. Private Internet Access

More details about Private Internet Access:

• Pricing: $2.19 per month (three-year plan)
• Website:www.privateinternetaccess.com

• MACE ad-blocker DNS
• Many different setup options

• Setup guides lack clarity

When it comes to setting up a VPN on your home router, Private Internet Access does not make itself the easiest option. The setup guides are long and intricate, but for good reason. Private Internet Access seems to have opted for longer, more complex setup processes in exchange for giving the end user more control over how the VPN runs on their router.

Each guide offers several configuration files to download with different settings to offer different levels of security and speed. You’re also given a choice between several DNS options during the setup, which includes the option for PIA’s unique MACE DNS.

We look at this in more detail in our Private Internet Access review, but in short, it acts similarly to an ad-blocker. Running MACE on your router will block ads on all of your devices at once and help reduce how easy it is for others to track your activity online.

There are a few drawbacks with PIA, aside from being a bit more difficult to set up and use than other top VPNs. It doesn’t cover nearly as many models and firmware options as ExpressVPN and NordVPN. Plus, many of the configuration files are set up for AES-128 rather than 256-bit encryption.

This is probably done to improve speed and performance, since many routers are lacking in the processing power department. Heavy encryption will further slow down the connection. We’d like to see the guides make it clear exactly what each configuration profile offers without having to comb through it ourselves. However, PIA redeems itself with a low price tag and many features.

Standard Plans
1-month plan
3-year plan
$79 billed every 3 years
1-year plan
$39.95 billed every year

5. Windscribe

More details about Windscribe:

• Limited router options
• OpenVPN only

Windscribe shifts things back toward the idea of user-friendliness and away from the highly configurable world that PIA was in. Windscribe only offers a single protocol, OpenVPN, and it only has setup guides for Tomato, DD-WRT and Asus routers.

Depending on who you are, this could be seen as a good thing or a bad thing. This choice greatly streamlines the installation process and makes the guides much shorter and easier to follow. If this ease of use is something you’re willing to trade for less control over the configuration, then Windscribe could be a great choice.

If you check out our Windscribe review, you’ll see that it works well with all the streaming services we throw at it. It also offers a free plan as a great way for potential VPN users to try before they buy.

Free

• Up to 15 GB free with email confirmation and Tweet
• 15GB
• Unlimited

FREE
Pro Plan

• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited
• Yes

1-month plan
1-year plan
$69 billed every year

Honorable Mentions: Best VPN for Routers

Five isn’t a whole lot of options when there are so many VPN providers competing on the market, so we wanted to include just a couple of honorable mentions to give you even more options to mull over.

First, we’d like to point to Mullvad. While many of our top five options have excellent multi-year pricing, such as NordVPN and CyberGhost, most of them are pretty expensive for those interested in signing up monthly. Mullvad is a great option for those looking for a VPN with a cheap monthly option.

If you head to our Mullvad review, you’ll see that it actually only offers a monthly option, and it’s one of the best deals available for a short-term signup. While it doesn’t offer as many configuration options as many of our top five, it is compatible with many routers including Tomato, DD-WRT, pfSense, Asus Merlin and more.

The other VPN worth mentioning is VyprVPN. VyprVPN is a highly secure and private VPN that offers an easy setup app on Tomato routers and manual setup guides for many more, including DD-WRT and Asus.

Read our VyprVPN review for a deeper look at its unique privacy features, such as its proprietary chameleon protocol that makes it a great VPN for getting around censorship or firewalls, like those found in China.

How Do I Choose a VPN for My Router?

When choosing a router VPN, the key factors are the same as when you’re shopping for any other VPN. For some, things like speed will make a huge difference when sharing large files or streaming. If your use case for a VPN requires speed, then ExpressVPN is a great option.

For others, security is the top concern. While VPN security is complex, it’s important to look at the protocols available and the encryption in use as well as the company’s own privacy policy.

All of the VPNs that made it on this list are secure, private and offer good protocol and encryption options. Each one offers a no-logs policy and will not be collecting your IP address or any other questionable information during use.

Another thing to consider is ease of use. As we mentioned, Private Internet Access might not be a great option for someone who wants something that is more “fire and forget” or something that can simply be set up at a moment’s notice and then left alone.

If setting up a VPN on your router sounds intimidating, it might also be a good idea to choose a VPN that’s known to have good customer support. Many of the VPNs we looked at even have live chat, which can be a lifesaver in a tight spot if you get stuck during setup.

Compatible With DD-WRT & Tomato Firmware

Naturally, one of the most important things in choosing a VPN for your router is to make sure you have a compatible router. The supported router models change by VPN, but the most common ones you’ll see are Tomato and DD-WRT.

These are not actually “models” of routers, but open-source firmware that you can install on most routers as an aftermarket alteration. Once loaded onto the router, the firmware allows for much greater functionality than the stock firmware offered by most router manufacturers. Firmware is how most people will set up a VPN router.

Both firmware options are pretty easy to install and cover a large list of routers, as you can see from either the Tomato router list or DD-WRT router list.

While some VPNs also offer manual setup guides or configuration files for other firmware, Tomato and DD-WRT will be by far the most common and widely compatible options. Using separate firmware will add an extra step to the setup, but it’s worth it in most cases for the functionality that it adds.

Final Thoughts

Setting up a VPN once and forgetting about it is the ideal scenario for most people. You can easily achieve this by setting up a good VPN, like ExpressVPN, on your router. Once it’s set up, you can just let it do its thing in the background and have peace of mind knowing that your data is safe and encrypted.

Alternatively, you could invest in a VPN router, such as the Vilfo VPN Router.

Does your router have Tomato or DD-WRT firmware? Did one of the options we looked at stand out to you or have you used one of them before? Do you think more routers should come with VPN compatibility out of the box? Let us know in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading.

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Do I Really Need a VPN at Home?

Even at home, a VPN can help improve your online privacy.

By Max Eddy
Lead Security Analyst
My Experience

Since my start in 2008, I’ve covered a wide variety of topics from space missions to fax service reviews. At PCMag, much of my work has been focused on security and privacy services, as well as a video game or two. I also write the occasional security columns, focused on making information security practical for normal people. I helped organize the Ziff Davis Creators Guild union and currently serve as its Unit Chair.

Updated June 8, 2023
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/do-i-need-a-vpn-at-home

(Credit: Shutterstock/DenPhotos)

A VPN adds a layer of privacy protection to your online activities by routing your traffic through an encrypted tunnel between you and anyone who tries to spy on you. Security-conscious readers probably already know that it makes sense to protect yourself when you’re out and about, using Wi-Fi networks about which you know nothing. Many may not realize that a VPN can also protect your privacy at home. To get the most from your VPN, you have to understand what it does and doesn’t do.

How to Protect Yourself at Home

There are a couple of reasons to use a VPN service at home, like keeping your ISP from spying on your activities and streaming video from other markets. But there are limitations.

Even with a VPN, advertisers and snoops may still be able to gather data about you using advanced techniques like browser fingerprinting. For more complete protection, we recommend also using a tracker blocker and enabling the built-in tracker blocking capabilities found in most browsers.

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It’s also important to know that much of your web browsing is already encrypted with HTTPS. This means that an observer could see what websites you visit (such as www.pcmag.com) but not which specific pages (www.pcmag.com/your-pal-max) or any information being sent back and forth. ISPs, however, have more insight into your online activities, as this report from the FTC revealed. Using a VPN covers the little that HTTPS can’t and protects against ISP nosiness effectively.

In addition to using a VPN, therefore, PCMag also strongly recommends using antivirus software on your devices, enabling multi-factor authentication wherever it’s available, and using a password manager. These tools all protect your devices and data from the most common threats.

What Is Two-Factor Authentication?

Why Do I Need a VPN?

Outside your home, it’s hard to tell which networks you encounter are safe. If you’re at a coffee shop, for example, how can you tell which Wi-Fi network is legitimate? Unless the SSID is posted somewhere, you’re just going to have to guess. That’s a problem because clever bad actors set up access points with familiar names hoping to trick people into connecting. Once victims are online, the bad guy executes an attacker-in-the-middle strike, potentially letting them monitor your web traffic and even intercept some of it.

The Best VPN Services for 2022

An attacker doesn’t even need to trick you; they just need to trick your phone or computer. Many devices are configured to reconnect to familiar networks by default. But if an attacker uses the same name of a popular Wi-Fi network—think Starbucks or Boingo Hotspot—your devices may automatically connect, even without your knowledge. It’s easier than you think to pull it off since many businesses have easily guessed Wi-Fi network names.

Both of those attacks require a lot of guesswork, but a good attacker won’t bother. Instead, they’ll configure their evil access point to switch SSIDs to match the ones devices are asking for. Granted, this is an exotic attack, but one that can be carried out successfully. At the Black Hat conference a few years ago, a security vendor detected an evil access point that had changed its SSID 1,047 times, tricking 35,000 devices into connecting.

These are all situations in which you definitely need a VPN. The encrypted tunnel it creates blocks anyone on the same network as you—even the person managing the network—from seeing what you’re up to.

How Safe Is Your Home Network?

For the most part, you can be assured your home networks are safe. It’s highly unlikely a bad guy broke in, replaced your router, and then waited for the good stuff to roll in. For one thing, that’s just too much work. For another, attackers need more than one successful hit to make an attack worthwhile. They want to rack up as much information from as many victims as possible. Unless you live above an airport, it’s unlikely there’s enough foot traffic in your home to justify an attack.

That said, there are threats to consider when at home. The biggest one is from the company that provides you access to the internet. The US Congress has allowed ISPs to sell data about users and their online activities to anyone interested. ISPs say this information will be anonymized, but the idea is still unnerving.

ISPs aren’t the only ones interested in what you’re doing online. A VPN service makes it much harder for an outside observer, such as an advertiser, to correlate your online traffic to you. Keep in mind, however, that there are numerous other ways to be tracked online, and a VPN won’t protect against all of them. A determined and well funded attacker will likely achieve their goal, given enough time.

Top Tips for Staying Productive When You Work From Home

Use a VPN to Unlock Streaming Content

I have to assume that most people aren’t interested in the privacy benefits of a VPN, and are more interested in streaming online video. That might seem odd, considering the negative effect that VPNs have on your upload and download speeds, but it makes sense.

Not all streaming video content is available everywhere. Each streaming service has a contract to carry shows and music that are sometimes limited to specific areas. Each streaming service has a contract to carry shows and music that are sometimes limited to specific areas. For example, the shows and movies available to US-based subscribers may be different than the ones for UK subscribers.

That’s where VPNs come in. You can use your VPN to tunnel to a distant server and access content restricted in your home country. This trick is also useful for sports fans seeking matches or commentary unavailable at home. Sometimes the best games aren’t available for US audiences, or the US coverage is so annoying that die-hard fans would rather see how the BBC or CBC handles the games. Note however that many companies, and especially Netflix, are adept at detecting and blocking VPN use.

How Do I Choose a VPN?

VPNs are all about securing your traffic from prying eyes, and that’s sometimes a problem when you want your traffic to be seen. If yours is an especially smart home, you’re more likely to encounter some problems when using a VPN.

One solution is to look for a VPN that offers split tunneling. Split tunneling lets you designate which apps, and sometimes URLs, must use the VPN connection, or which should not use the VPN connection. Some VPNs make it even easier by allowing local area network (LAN) traffic, meaning the machine using the VPN can still talk to the devices on your network.

Recommended by Our Editors

Alternatively, you can install the VPN on your router. That way, all the data from your local network to the internet is funneled through the VPN, giving you all the protection without causing any of the fuss on the local level. Setting up your router to use a VPN can sound daunting, but some VPN companies will sell you a preconfigured router if you want to give it a try. Still, this solution is not for everyone. It’s perhaps best left to people with a determined DIY sensibility.

Services like Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast also aren’t likely to work if you are using a VPN. You’ll likely have to switch your VPN off to use them.

While many people are using VPNs to stream online content, many (if not most) streaming services are very good at blocking VPN usage. One possible solution is purchasing a static IP address from your VPN service. These “clean” addresses aren’t associated with VPNs, giving you a better chance of slipping past attempts to block your access. Keep in mind that there’s no guarantee these IP addresses will be a free pass for streaming.

Speed will always be an issue with VPNs. When a VPN connection is active, your web traffic is going through more machines and more fiber. The result is increased latency and slower transfer speeds. Not all VPNs are the same in how much they affect your connection, but you will see some impact.

Home VPNs Can Protect Your Privacy

In truth, the answer to the question of whether you “need” a VPN in your home comes down to your preferences. There are lots of good reasons a home VPN might be a valuable addition to your security and privacy arsenal, but what’s most important is whether you use it. If you find yourself too frustrated with reduced internet speeds, or juggling streaming devices, don’t use a VPN at home. An unused tool isn’t useful to anyone.

Congress allowing internet service providers to sell anonymized data about their customers is a huge motivator for VPN use. It’s why we recommend keeping your VPN app switched on as often as possible, even at home. Note, though, that we also recommend switching it off when you need to, for example, cast content to your TV.

If a VPN for your home seems excessive, or something you’re not likely to use, consider getting a free VPN. That way, it’s there when you need it and costs you nothing in the meantime. Our favorite VPN with a free version is Proton VPN, although the friendly (but limited) TunnelBear VPN is worth considering as well.

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