How to Setup Your Asus Router as a VPN Router
If you’re looking to keep your personal data private, unplug your router from the internet. Otherwise, you’ll just end up broadcasting the fact that you’re home and might be hacked. There’s no need to expose your personal data to others, especially if you’re not at home. While it’s a great idea to connect your laptop and other devices to the internet via a VPN while traveling, at least when returning home you can reestablish your private space on your network. Plus, many providers offer users the ability to connect to servers located in a different country. This way, you can protect your information from eavesdroppers, regardless of where you are. If you’re looking to setup an anonymous server to act as a VPN in your home, you can achieve this from within your router itself. This tutorial will show you exactly how to set this up and get started with a VPN solution that suits your needs and objectives. Before we get started, it’s important to note that while many people use their routers for basic networking purposes only, this particular model is quite the opposite. This device was specifically designed to support VPN functions, so make sure you’re aware of this before you begin setting up the server. Otherwise, you might end up with a completely useless device.
OpenVPN
One of the most popular VPN protocols, OpenVPN, is easy to set up and offers a wealth of features. It also comes with a built-in TCP/IP stack, which provides more security than other protocols. If you have a couple of minutes, you can get the absolute basics up and running on your device without any sort of hassle or complication. Just remember: OpenVPN is designed to be a point-and-click solution, so if you’re not comfortable using your computer, this might not be the best option for you. On the other hand, if you have a strong understanding of networking and are confident that you can configure a server securely, OpenVPN is undoubtedly one of the best choices. If you’re interested, you can get the OpenVPN setup guide from the following links:
- OpenVPN Setup Guide
- Accessing the Server
- Privacy and Security
- How to Connect to the Server
- How to Use OpenVPN
L2TP/IPsec
L2TP, which stands for Layer Two Tunneling Protocol, is another popular VPN protocol that is capable of encrypted connections. It was originally designed for mobile users behind corporate firewalls, but it can also be used for fixed networks. If your mobile device supports VPN connections and you’d like to utilize this capability, you can get the L2TP setup guidefrom the following links:
- ASUS RT-N18U V2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter
- ASUS RT-N16 Bluetooth 4.1 Modem
- Set Up an IPsec VPN on an ASUS RT-N16
- How to Set Up a L2TP/IPsec VPN on an ASUS RT-N56U
- How to Set Up a PPPT VPN on an ASU RT-N56U
- ASUS RT-N12
- Set Up a L2TP VPN on a Raspberry Pi 2
IPv6
Finally, we have IPv6, or Internet Protocol version 6. This is the next-generation internet protocol designed to replace IPv4. When it comes to setting up a VPN solution using IPv6, you will need an IPv6 capable router or a device running on the IANA-Allocation IPv6 addresses (2002:168:0:1:1:1:1:1:1). If you own one of these devices, you can get the step-by-step instructions from the following links:
Once you’ve set up your VPN server, you will want to use your chosen protocol and configure your clients to connect to it. Depending on your needs, you will choose a particular solution over another. For example, if you need a quick and easy to use solution for a limited number of devices (typically smartphones or tablets), you can get a cheap VPN service that supports OpenVPN. Otherwise, if you have a large number of devices that need to connect to the server (PCs, tablets, and smartphones), you might opt for L2TP/IPsec. There are also a number of dedicated VPN routers that can be used to access resources on the internet that are not part of your regular network.