Can a VPN from a desktop client hide activity from Trend Micro on ASUS routers

[BoBB]

Hey everyone. I was wondering if you had aiprotection enabled and you was on a Mac or PC with a VPN service like Nordvpn (Desktop Client) if the vpn hid all traffic from Trend Micro on Asus routers such as RT- AC68U. I would also like to know if you ran a VPN on the router itself if Trend Micro could monitor you also. I have read the forums and have nothing against Trend Micro. I have nothing against how they use url blacklist and all that stuff with aiprotection sending back to them. I use it myself. The only thing I want is if I want to be anonymous for a few minutes and do something sensitive I dont have to worry that they have a way to monitor me even with a vpn that is encrypted. Thanks

 

[L&LD]

A VPN connection to only one secure endpoint (yours) is not a way to hide anything from anyone.

If you want to be anonymous you'll have to find an offline method to do so.

 

[BoBB]

I understand anything such as a vpn can be compromised. But a vpn or tor is about as good as we can get to being truly Anonymous for a couple of minutes. It’s not perfect but for the Majority of people it is good enough. I’m not wearing a tinfoil hat and think that the nsa is after me. I would just like to know since trend micro has their aiprotection on the router if they can see everything I do if I have a vpn running on a pc. Would also like to know if they can see the same if the vpn is setup on the router.

 

[L&LD]

Two ways to raise suspicion. One, connect to a suspicious site. Two, connect to a VPN to connect to a suspicious site. Either way, you've raised suspicion of anyone interested.

If you're going to a suspicious site even for a second and even with a VPN, your activity will be flagged for someone.

If you want to be anonymous online, use someone else's computer and their ISP without them (or anyone else) knowing it.

 

[K-2SO]

I would just like to know since trend micro has their aiprotection on the router if they can see everything I do if I have a vpn running on a pc. Would also like to know if they can see the same if the vpn is setup on the router.

VPN client on the router - AiProtection is operational
VPN client on your PC - AiProtection can't examine the traffic

 

[BoBB]

I thought that might be how it would work but it makes sense K-2SO. So to stay as safe as someone can use the vpn client on the pc. Thank you very much.

 

[K-2SO]

So to stay as safe as someone can use the vpn client on the pc.

You hide from TrendMicro and expose to your VPN provider. They can see exactly what are you doing.

 

[JTnola]

This question is important for non-privacy reasons, (too): the ability of AiProtection to protect your network. If AiProtect can’t see traffic inside the user-based VPN, then likewise, it can’t protect that client.

Just to clarify—If VPN is at the router-level, AiProtect sees your traffic and affords you it’s protections? But if VPN is at the user-level, then it will not protect traffic within the VPN coming from those users?

thank you.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Just to clarify—If VPN is at the router-level, AiProtect sees your traffic and affords you it’s protections?

I do not believe that is the case. I think the statement to that effect in post #5 is wrong. But that is just my guess as AiProtection is a black box and none of us knows how it works.

You could test this for yourself. Turn off any VPN clients. Use AiProtection to block access to a certain site (e.g. porn) and verify that it's blocked. Then enable the VPN client and see if you can now reach it. - Let us know how you get on.