How to Enable the VPN Feature on a Netgear Router Using a Smartphone

If you’re looking for a simple way to connect to the internet via a virtual private network (VPN) on the go, then you’ve probably considered using a mobile VPN. mobile VPNs are ideal for connecting to public hotspots like those found at coffee shops because they don’t require you to configure anything on your router. All you need is a strong connection, and you can get to work. This can be handy if you’re on the move and don’t want to break down trying to set up your computer at a hotspot. It can also be helpful if you’re on vacation and want to keep your personal details private or if you have financial information to protect (e.g., credit card numbers). In this article, we’re going to discuss the steps needed to connect to a VPN using a mobile device.

Install The App

First things first: you’re going to need to make sure you have the appropriate VPN app installed on your smartphone. The most popular and easy to use mobile VPN apps are:

• CyberGhost App – Free
• Pure VPN App – Free
• Nova VPN App – Free/Paid ($2.49/month)
• Simple VPN App – Free
• IPVanish App – Free
• VyprVPN App – Free ($2.49/month)
• ExpressVPN App – Free
• Levigo VPN App – Free

If you have a large data plan, you might also want to consider looking into investing in a paid VPN app. Most VPN apps come with a free version, but the paid ones offer greater flexibility and additional features.

Configure The Settings

Once you’ve installed the app, you’ll need to enter your username and password in the appropriate fields, as shown in the screenshot below. Some VPNs require you to create an account first, while others will ask you to input your email address to verify your identity. You’ll then need to click on the button next to ‘Connect’ to get connected.

This is the point at which you typically need to begin configuring the VPN on your router. The majority of the VPNs we’ve listed above are really simple to use and don’t require a lot of setup. However, some VPNs do require a little more work. Here’s a quick list of the things you need to consider configuring before you can use the VPN:

• Type of VPN connection – You’ll probably want to choose ‘PPTP’ from the list. This is the most common type of VPN connection, and it’s open source, so it’s widely used and easy to set up. You can also choose ‘L2TP/IPSec’ for added security.
• Remote Site – You’ll usually need to input the IP address of the remote (or destination) site. If you know the IP address of a website or service you want to visit when you’re connected to the VPN, then you can paste it in here. Otherwise, you can leave this field blank and the VPN will try to find a suitable site for you to connect to.
• User Name – This is the name you’ll use to login to the VPN when connecting to it. Make sure to choose a user name that’s easy to remember and doesn’t require special characters or spaces.
• Password – This is the password you’ll use to login to the VPN when connecting to it. Make sure to choose a password that’s difficult to guess and doesn’t contain any personal information. You can use a password manager to generate random passwords for you to use.
• Keep Alive – Checking this box will tell your router to send a small data packet every now and then to keep the connection alive. When you’re using a free or trial VPN, this can help avoid problems with connection drops.
• Use A SmartFilter – Many VPNs use ‘SmartFilters’ to prevent online theft. When you’re on a public Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop or another person’s home, this feature can help protect your personal information by stopping the connection if a bot (a computer program designed to automatically seek out and log in to websites) tries to connect.
• Use A VPN While On A Hotspot – Since most VPNs are designed to work with a wired connection (such as a dedicated Ethernet cable), you’ll need to consider whether or not you want to connect to the VPN while you’re on a wireless hotspot. Many people use VPNs on wireless hotspots because they don’t want their ISP (Internet Service Provider) to know they’re connected to a VPN. If you use a wireless hotspot at home, you can prevent others from connecting to your network by choosing a secured network in the hotspot settings. If you’re on the move and don’t want to break down at a coffee shop, then you can use a VPN app to encrypt all your Internet traffic and bypass any firewall restrictions. Keep in mind that if you do this on an open network, then anyone within range of the network may be able to see and intercept your communications. This could be a problem. In instances like these it’s advisable to use a VPN on a Wi-Fi network in a public area such as a coffee shop rather than at home. If you absolutely need to use a VPN on a wireless network at home, then make sure to use a strong password and don’t use the same one for multiple services.
• Logging – You can enable logging in the VPN to see exactly what activities take place while you’re connected to it. You’ll need to choose ‘Yes’ from the drop-down menu in order to enable logging. Once you’ve enabled logging, you can click on the ‘Logs’ button to see a list of the sites you’ve visited while connected to the VPN. You can also use the logging feature to see which apps are using the most data when you’re connected to fast and slow networks so you can prioritize your data usage.
• Kill Switch – This is similar to keep alives in that it keeps your Internet connection active even during times of network outages. However, a kill switch can also be used to remotely shut down your router if it gets infected with a virus or becomes disconnected from the internet for some reason. Make sure to enable this feature so you don’t have to worry about your network connection dropping when you’re on the move.
• PPTP Status Icon – Your VPN’s status icon will help indicate whether or not it is connected to the internet. The status icon for the free Torgu VPN app is shown in the image below. If you don’t see this icon, then it may mean you’re missing some of the pre-requisites mentioned above. Review the list of pre-requisites again and try connecting once you’ve met them all.

Use The App

Once you’ve successfully connected to the VPN, you can use its features to get online anonymously and securely. You can visit any websites you want, and your personal details will be kept private. If you’re trying to access a blocked site or resource, or you just want to change your location for browsing, then you can use the app’s ‘Change Location’ feature or the ‘Search’ function. If you click on the cog icon in the top right corner of the screen, you can choose your VPN’s country in order to browse the web from a different location.

VPNs work by changing your IP address, which is assigned by your ISP. Your ISP will see all of your activity on the Internet as coming from the VPN’s IP address, instead of your own. This way, your ISP will see all your activity as being part of one big virtual network, which makes it much harder for websites, businesses, or others to track or identify your activity. Since your own IP address is not replaced by the VPN’s IP address when you browse the web, it is possible for your ISP to see what sites you visit and monitor your activity. Your own ISP could then see all your connections as coming from a single IP address, resulting in a single line on their network logs identifying you as the source of that connection. This could make you a target for hackers and malware writers who might want to penetrate your network to access personal or financial information. As we mentioned above, many VPNs offer additional features to their paid users, so consider opting into a premium account if you’re planning to use the VPN often and want to take advantage of its features.