What are VPN Routers? How to Set Up VPN on a Router? | Fortinet (2024)

FAQs

What are VPN Routers? How to Set Up VPN on a Router? | Fortinet? ›

Not every router will run a VPN natively -- although many modern routers do have the capacity. Sign up for a VPN service. Unless your router comes with a built-in VPN, you will likely need a subscription. Access your VPN's firmware.

Not every router will run a VPN natively -- although many modern routers do have the capacity. Sign up for a VPN service. Unless your router comes with a built-in VPN, you will likely need a subscription. Access your VPN's firmware.

A VPN server router not only acts as a gateway to provide network sharing, but it can also allow you to freely access VPN services. By setting up a VPN server on your router, your connections to the router will become invisible to the internet, making each device anonymous.

Log into your router and check out the settings. Look for an OpenVPN, WireGuard®, or L2TP client. The most common way to do that is to find your router's IP address and enter it into the URL bar on your browser. If you don't know how to do that, check How to find your router's IP address guide.

So, if you have a VPN on your router, it will protect all the devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network — smartphones, laptops, TVs, smart fridges, you name it.

The encryption takes place before the data leaves your device, and only the VPN server has the decryption key. Neither your router, ISP, or employers will see what you're doing online.

Yes, free VPNs can significantly slow down your internet. They often have fewer servers, leading to overcrowding and slow speeds. They may also use encryption protocols that require more processing, and often prioritize speed for paid users.

Do You Need a VPN Passthrough? Almost all modern routers have a VPN passthrough baked in, so the short answer is no. Protocols such as PPTP are outdated and come with a range of security concerns. If remote access is your priority, an RDP or Remote Desktop Protocol should be considered.

Do I need to install a VPN on every device? ›

It depends on what you're using a VPN for.

However, if you're concerned about your online privacy, you'll want to install it on every device you connect to the internet. If you do want a VPN on every device, I recommend using one that offers a native router app, which protects all devices on your network.

A VPN replaces your actual IP address to make it look like you've connected to the internet from a different location: the physical location of the VPN server, rather than your real location.

Enable the VPN service

Next, look for and select the setting for VPN or VPN service, which is usually under advanced settings. For instance, the setting on my router is in the Advanced Setup section. Check the setting and then apply your changes. Enable the VPN service.

The basic process for using a VPN is to install a VPN app on your device, fire it up, log into your account and select a server. For the fastest speeds, you'll typically want to choose a server geographically nearby, but for accessing region-specific content, pick a VPN server in your desired country.

Even though it's a relatively longer process, it's still easy if you know all the right steps. For this reason, we've prepared detailed instructions showing how to set up a VPN connection on any device. You will find step-by-step guides for all popular operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

VPN pricing FAQs

A good VPN often costs around $5 to $10 per month. This pricing could vary depending on each VPN service provider, the types of features you want included, and the subscription plan you choose. Choosing an annual plan that you pay for upfront typically reduces the overall cost.

Free VPNs often limit speed, data usage, the number of servers and device connections and hardly unblock streaming sites. But that's not all—no VPN can operate without money, so they tend to make their money in other ways, which often turns out bad for users.