Advice on VPN

[My_dogs_White]

I would appreciate general some advice on VPN. Right now I know very little about how they work (setting it up within the router) but that will change if I’m able to confirm I can use it for what I need. We use a Proxi Service to mask our DNS so we can access Hulu, HBO Now ect. I have the Asus RT-AC3100 and I’m wanting to know if I can mask my DNS using the VPN within the router. Do I need to sign up and pay for a VPN? I’ve seen that advertised online. Or would properly configuring the VPN within the router be all I need to do?

Thanks for any general advice. If I'm able to establish the VPN would serve our needs I will hit the search button and figure out how to set things up.

 

[RMerlin]

You need to subscribe to a remote VPN service. Your router then will act as a VPN client, connecting to the remote VPN server.

Be aware that some services such as Netflix will block IP ranges used by some VPN service providers, so they might not all work as well. I recommend looking for one that offers a trial, a refund, or that you can subscribe just for a single month to test first.

 

[My_dogs_White]

Thanks Merlin,

So... what service would SNB members recommend or use?

I'm in Canada and I think the most important thing for me is speed. I don't have fiber to my house yet so I'm maxed out on 25mbps copper high speed. We have multiple family members streaming hulu, Netflix or HBO at the same time. I do not want to sacrifice speed if that is possible.

And, is there anything else you would suggest I watch for or anything that would be a must have?

 

[RMerlin]

Personally I don't use any of these services, so I can't recommend any in particular. I use a free vpnbook account for testing purposes, that's about it.

 

[LouisvilleUK]

Good information and comparisons here...

https://thatoneprivacysite.net/

 

[My_dogs_White]

Thanks for the recommendation Adeline and the information LouisvilleUK. That link looks impressive, a great starting point.

 

[Xentrk]

I use TorGuard. The main reason is they are one of the few remaining VPN services that are able to get around the blocks placed on VPNs by streaming services. To get this to work, one has to pay a little extra for dedicated IP. For my needs, it is worth it. I have it set up on all my clients: iPad, Android Phone, Win 10 laptop. I have have it installed on ASUS RT-AC88U and a pfSense appliance 2.3.2. I have had it running on a D-Link 880L router with DD-WRT. Expect to take a performance hit. Distance from VPN server, encryption level and the CPU you have on your client or router all have an impact on download speeds. Google search "OpenVPN performance".

When I get some spare time, I want to try setting up my own VPN using Amazon AWS:

https://docs.openvpn.net/how-to-tut...s/amazon-ec2-appliance-ami-quick-start-guide/

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vp...-your-own-free-vpn-using-amazon-web-services/