Should I Use a VPN on My Router? The Ultimate VPN Privacy and Security Guide

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Smart gadgets usually lack robust security measures. They’re amazingly dumb when it comes to protecting your privacy because they leak your intimate secrets to snoopers and eavesdroppers. Fortunately, you can configure your router to run a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to block the blabbering effectively.

A VPN will prevent people from seeing what you get up to with your gadgets on the internet. But there is another compelling reason why everyone should use a VPN on their router. An advanced VPN with extended threat protection capabilities will also protect you from malware and hackers.

An important provision is not to use just any old VPN. Free VPNs cannot do the same job as those offering advanced threat detection capabilities. For example, if you connect gadgets that lack built-in security to the internet via a bad VPN, you’re only moving the danger from one internet access point to another.

In the past, it was not that easy to install a VPN on a router. Most people only installed a VPN on their laptops or smartphones. However, it might be worth using a free VPN trial to see what has changed. VPN providers have made it much easier for non-tech users to get the same protection as tech geeks.

What’s In This Article

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an online privacy tool that encrypts your data and conceals your IP address. It protects your privacy and adds an extra layer of security.

These two short sentences summarize what a VPN does but do not explain the buzz about why it’s so important.

This article will first clarify the two main threats to internet users. Understanding the difference between internet privacy and internet security will make it easier to choose where and how to add a VPN to your network.

We’ll cover the reasons why it is essential to add a VPN to your network. Next, we’ll explain the different ways of connecting your gadgets via VPN. Lastly, we’ll explain the benefits and potential downsides of the different ways of using a VPN.

Are IoT Devices Safe?

Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets make our lives easier, but we forget that each one is actually an IP endpoint acting as a mini-radio. They’re always broadcasting in the background, sending and receiving data via the internet.

IoT devices are the easiest way for hackers to spy on you and access your home network. They can steal sensitive data, record video or voice clips. Your drinks fridge could be living a double life as a slave device in a botnet used to take down industrial grids or vast sections of the internet. In 2021, hackers accessed a security company’s surveillance cameras and live-streamed video feeds from schools, police stations, hospitals, jails, and even gyms.

Unprotected smart devices are so dangerous that the US Department of Homeland Security has described IoT security as a matter of homeland security. The US, UK, and Ukraine are just a few countries that have recently experienced cyberattack campaigns—and your IoT gadgets may get dragged into it.

How Can a VPN Protect You Against Cyber Threats?

IoT devices handle sensitive information that may be highly personal, downright intimate, or could be life-threatening. Unfortunately, IoT devices often don’t have good built-in security. For example, criminals can interfere with medical equipment like IoT pacemakers. A hacker can steal your logins and take control of your other devices, phones, and computers.

It’s a frightening prospect, so the cybersecurity and VPN industries must compensate for IoT security failings. They also protect more complex devices like smartphones, laptops, TVs, and gaming consoles.

A VPN creates an encrypted, private tunnel between your device and the internet. It turns the data between your devices and the internet into garbled nonsense to prevent attackers from stealing login credentials or reading your private messages.

A VPN with threat protection can also scan links for malicious intent and scan downloads for malware to stop infections before they happen. That’s the solution to prevent an attacker from stealing your identity and bank details from a coffee machine.

Is Online Privacy a Thing of the Past?

Big Tech is stalking you. Search engines, social media platforms, and software companies log your web searches and then use the information to put ads on your screen every time you go online. They also collaborate with other vast networks of data brokers and advertising networks—and all of them are trying to sell you stuff. Targeted ads that follow you around on the web can be helpful while you’re shopping, but they also collect other data about your personal life.

You can block or reject cookies while you browse to protect yourself against the worst of the tracking. As you may have heard, companies like Google have finally agreed to limit their use of cookies. Sadly, it’s only because they’ve already rolled out other, even more invasive ways of tracking you.

Websites and apps can get information from sensors on your device (e.g., local temperatures) or location-based services like deliveries or search for goods and services “near me.” Browser extensions, e.g., shopping voucher services, can record your spending and credit card information.

Some websites can do audio fingerprinting via your device. Many sites also do canvas fingerprinting (browser fingerprinting). They record information about your operating system, internet protocol (IP) address, time zone, hardware, software, browser, and other device-related data. Incognito mode is futile—you must use specialized privacy tools against this onslaught.

So, what’s the problem with tracking, and how can a VPN protect you against tracking?

The Problem With Tracking and “Anonymized” Data

Internet service providers are allowed to sell your internet activity to advertisers. However, they are supposed to anonymize the data before selling it. Software companies like Apple and Microsoft and search engines like Google share such de-anonymized info with advertisers. However, investigators have repeatedly proved that it is easy to de-anonymize the information by matching your location to your search data. After re-identification, advertising companies use it for hyper-targeted online ads.

The scary thing about all this data that’s floating about is that anyone can buy it. Even cybercriminals and hostile countries can get it. Some use it to craft personalized phishing messages that will infect people’s computers with ransomware.

Your best defense is a VPN that hides your actual IP address. It changes your IP location to mislead the companies that sell your location data.

Just be sure not to use one of the so-called “free” VPNs. They don’t charge a subscription fee because they profit from selling your data directly to advertisers. Also, if a VPN provider does not unequivocally state that they keep no logs, you should consider it spyware.

How Can a VPN Protect You Against Tracking?

A VPN hides your location. It can also automatically block cookies and prevent other advanced trackers from identifying your device. Every little bit helps to improve anonymous web surfing.

A VPN uses encryption to keep the contents of your email messages, calls, and chats locked away. It also prevents hackers from intercepting your logins and sensitive information. People use VPNs to protect both their private lives and their business secrets. A VPN with extended threat protection goes much further than protecting your location.

What Are the VPN Connection Options?

If you want to use a VPN on your smart devices, including a router, follow these tips:

Installing VPN on a Device:

This is how most people first encounter VPNs—they sign up with a VPN provider and then download and install the VPN app on their device, e.g., a smartphone. However, only that specific device can use the VPN service. If you have several devices, you’ll need to install the VPN app on each device.

VPN providers specify the number of active connections or devices in their contracts. It’s a way to control the connection quality for all their users. If your VPN agreement allows five devices, you won’t be able to cover all your IoT devices.

A device-based VPN is a must-have if you use your laptop or smartphone outside your home, for example, to connect to public WiFi or free WiFi or if you want to unblock streaming sites. However, that will leave your IoT gadgets without protection.

We suggest you apply the “Golden Fix”: install a VPN on your router to protect everything, then add the app to the devices you carry outside your home. That’s also the best way for people with loads of gadgets since all the gadgets connect directly to the router and count as only one connection.

Installing VPN on a Router:

When you install a VPN directly on the router (or buy a pre-configured VPN-protected VPN router from your VPN provider), you can direct every internet-capable device in your household to connect via the VPN router’s connection. It saves time because you don’t need to install an app on every WiFi-enabled gadget in your home or office. Besides, this type of setup is the only way to secure IoT gadgets since they usually automatically seek out and connect to any available network without regard for network security.

The “Golden Fix”—Installing VPN on Your Router

We call this the “Golden Fix” because it’s the most secure and most private setup. When you install a VPN on your router, you do not need to worry about the security of any device, including your smartphone, while you are within range of your router.

However, most of us also use our laptops and phones on the go. So, simply install the accompanying VPN app on each portable device. You can connect to your secured router when in range or via a different VPN server without compromising your security. Another benefit is that you can configure different devices to connect to different VPN servers.

The Benefits of VPN on a Router

Setting up your router to run a VPN is slightly more complex than installing an app on a laptop. Still, it means you extend VPN protection to all devices on your network. Use a VPN trial to see if your prospective VPN provider offers clear instructions and support to make setting up a VPN on your router easier.

And, even better, some VPN companies sell robust pre-configured routers. Pre-configured VPN routers are becoming the next must-have devices because most IoT manufacturers are still remarkably lax about privacy and security.

  • The primary advantage is that your VPN protects all Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Many popular smart devices can’t run software independently or can’t be configured to use a VPN. Some don’t even have screens! That means that someone can intercept their data and use it against you. Hackers can’t identify hackable devices if you channel all these devices through the VPN-secured router.
  • A VPN prevents ISPs from monitoring what you do on the internet. Your ISP will only see encrypted data packets. They can’t determine whether you’re gaming online, torrenting on your laptop, or watching Netflix on your phone.
  • There’s no need to count devices or the number of users. The average number of internet-capable cameras, appliances, and devices in homes is increasing. What if your VPN subscription doesn’t cover all your devices, such as a smart TV? If you route all your devices via a VPN-secured router, it counts as one connection.
  • Your VPN router will protect your phone and laptop while you connect from home, but you’ll also need protection whenever you leave home. Apply our “Golden Fix”: install the VPN app on your router and all the devices you use outside your secured network.

Reasons for Not Putting Everything Behind a VPN Router

If your main reason for using a VPN is to make it appear like you’re located in a different country, perhaps to gain access to streaming services abroad, here’s a heads-up. You may encounter obstacles if you route your entire household’s internet connections via a server in a foreign country. Consider these factors:

  • Re-routing all traffic via a different country: If you configure your router to connect to a server in a foreign country to get access to more streaming content on your laptop, you’ll be force-routing all the traffic of all of your WiFi-enabled gadgets via the server in that other country. It might make your internet slow.
  • Suspicious service providers: Companies with global customers must adhere to different privacy regulations and safety standards in other parts of the world. As a result, they may distribute different software versions in different countries. Keeping your smart fridge’s software updated or your automated sprinkler system coordinated to a different time zone can be challenging. The service provider’s server may be suspicious of your foreign IP address and refuse your appliance’s connection.
  • Troubleshooting network connection issues: Disconnecting from your VPN could help you identify what’s wrong with your internet access. Hence, you need to be able to disconnect and test each device individually.
  • Suspicious logins: Some shopping or banking sites may flag logins from other countries as unusual. For example, let’s say you use your home network (configured to connect via France, so you get all the good stuff on your streaming platform) to log into your bank account early in the morning. After you get to work, you log in via your employer’s secured network in New York to check on transactions. Well, banks use automated systems to flag such discrepancies! They may bury you under additional Captchas and security questions or even block you outright. Some shopping sites don’t work correctly for connections from countries outside their everyday operations.
  • VPN policies: Some sites have a policy forbidding the use of VPNs (e.g., schools). Follow their rules so you don’t get into trouble.

You can overcome most of these issues by applying the Golden Fix: Put all your devices behind the VPN-protected router and add the accompanying VPN app to your laptop or smartphone to manage the exceptions.

Keep It Simple

We highly recommend getting the extra security of a VPN on your router. However, that will work best if you don’t get exotic with your router’s server. Suppose you’re using a server in the same country or city where you live. In that case, most of the reasons for not putting everything behind a VPN mentioned in the previous section may never arise.

Stick to a server location in your home country or city. It will appear less suspicious to IoT update services. If you need your laptop to look like it’s connecting from a different part of the world, you can easily set it up separately.

Other VPN Options and Safety Tips

Once you’ve set up your router with a VPN connection, it will always automatically connect to your chosen VPN server. Any traffic will be automatically encrypted. Almost all modern routers can work directly via VPN, even if you have to do a manual setup on some older routers. It’s better to consider replacing older routers. It might be better to upgrade to a router with pre-installed VPN software.

  • Don’t connect IoT devices directly to the internet. They often lack cybersecurity features. Edit the automatic options to route your device via your VPN-secured WiFi router.
  • If you want a specific device to connect directly to the internet, isolate it. Cut it off from the rest of your network. If hackers get into one of your devices, they won’t be able to move from one device to the next and take over the whole network.
  • Use your VPN’s split tunneling function. You can connect your smartphone to a server in one country, your laptop to a different country, and the rest of the equipment to a local server.
  • Turn off the VPN on a case-by-case basis. For example, you can exclude specific devices or applications (like your browser) from working via the VPN.
  • Some VPNs allow you to pause the VPN connection rather than switching it on and off. This advanced option lessens the risk of forgetting to secure the connection after troubleshooting or changing your network setup.
  • You can use two separate routers for different devices if you own multiple routers. Keep one router configured for the vulnerable devices you want to keep behind a VPN. Keep the other router a standard, unprotected router. That way, you can switch on the VPN on individual laptops or phones as needed. It’s a good option for visitors who use your WiFi connection but have their own VPN provider and insist on using a specific server.
  • Change the default credentials when you remove the router from the box. Give it a strong password. Check if the device uses separate local and remote passwords, and change both.
  • Turn off non-critical microphones or cameras. If you can’t turn it off, find a way to obscure the camera view or muffle the microphone.
  • Stop using their product if a vendor is lax about rolling out software and security updates.
  • Don’t buy vulnerable devices that have not been engineered with cybersecurity threats in mind. Even one vulnerability can compromise your entire network.
  • Use 2FA or MFA on your router and on your devices to provide additional layers of security.

Stay Secure No Matter How You Use Your VPN

Regardless of your option, using the corresponding VPN app on all WiFi-capable devices is crucial. Manufacturers are improving the built-in security features of their IoT devices. However, it only takes one tiny vulnerability to compromise entire networks. Avoid using the internet over an unsecured connection at all costs. Prioritize your protection when accessing social media, confidential documents, or financial data.

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