IN RECENT YEARS, virtual private networks (VPNs) have gone from technically advanced programs that only IT pros use to consumer-friendly tools that the mainstream masses are familiar with. Many people now use VPNs, or at least know about the security and privacy benefits that the best VPNs bring with them.
As a brief reminder, VPNs route your internet traffic through encrypted and secured servers on the web. Speeds might be slightly slower if you use a VPN, but it makes it much harder for anyone else to see what you're doing online, whether that be your internet provider, government agencies, or the person seated at the next table sharing the same coffee shop Wi-Fi.
Many users connect to their VPN by running an app on their phone or laptop. But what's less widely known is that you don't need to run an app on your device: You can install one on your router instead. It means every device in your home that connects to the router is going through the VPN when it accesses the web at large, so you don't need to worry about toggling options on or off, or setting up new devices from scratch.
This also means devices that don't necessarily support VPNs natively—such as your smart TV or your home security camera—can still get the benefits of VPN protection. Everything on your Wi-Fi network is covered.
Choosing a Router
This isn't something you can do on just any router. It has to be a model with support for VPN installations, and there are now quite a few of them on the market. A quick web search will lead you to several options, but if you already have a VPN provider you're committed to, be sure to check the router and the provider will work together. It may help narrow down your choice of hardware as well.
When you've got your list of routers that are going to work with your VPN of choice, all the usual considerations come into play: how much you've got to spend, what features you want, and how your existing setup is configured. If you think you might want to expand your network in the future, or you've got an existing mesh Wi-Fi network that you want to link up, make sure this is supported.
