Hi!
Anyone know how to setup a router to act as a VPN? I'm going abroad and would like to be able to access my Amazon streaming. Seems like it'd be easy enough to somehow tunnel through my router at home and use the internet that way.
Except I can't find any way to do it!
I have an Airport Extreme but would be happy to buy a different router to get this working instead of paying $10/mo for VPN access.
You've asked several different questions here, some of the answers are mutually exclusive!
The question also presumes a particular solution which is probably not optimal for most users. My answer provides some generic answers, some of which may suit your situation:
Solution: Home Router as
VPN Server
1. It is possible to setup some home routers to use as VPN Servers, however, inter-operation with other brands of router/client may mean that the connection is not reliable or possible.
Solution: Travel Router as
VPN Client
2. To access your home VPN server, a client is required, either software on your viewing device, or integrated into a (travel) router. Any router that supports DD-WRT or Tomato (open-source firmware) should be capable.
Since you plan to connect to a 3rd-party media provider, it would be better to connect to their site directly - any viewing experience would be compromised by routing through a home connection from an external location.
Solution: SSH Tunnel via Home Server
3. The solution you appear to be hinting at is more feasible (bur complicated), using a home server (rather than a router), which redirects traffic without the use of a VPN service.
Options:
There are many VPN services that claim to offer free termination - if cost is the issue, accept any limitations and stream directly overseas from the provider.
Witopia & StrongVPN are both paid providers that I would recommend, around $40-70 per year. StrongVPN supports installation on a router.
Since you are prepared to buy a new router, cost may not be the issue: I have successfully used Asus model routers (
previous generations tend to be better supported), with Tomato firmware (easier to use than DD-WRT).
You haven't said whether you will be static (deployed to one location) or on the move. The smaller travel routers don't all support VPN functions, but if you can manage to take a 'home' router for travel purposes, then you have more choice.
I mainly use an Asus WL-330gE (discontinued) with Tomato & VPN, but the new model is not compatible (due to the chipset) with the Tomato firmware (which adds OpenVPN capability).
I also have a Cradlepoint CBR400 (discontinued), which connects to private server via iPsec VPN - however a firmware update broke compatibility with my Linksys RV-series VPN router.
Consideration:
Some countries/locations or telecoms providers block certain VPN protocols. Using a commercial provider may give you different connection options (e.g. China). OpenVPN is generally considered the best option, PPTP the worst. [The same protocol needs to be used at both ends of the tunnel.]
Warning:
Depending on where/how you are connecting overseas, the streaming experience may not be that good, even with a direct connection to the server. Some hotels cannot support the bandwidth desired or fluctuate significantly. An intermediate hop via your home router would make this worse.
Recommendation:
For the average user (who's advanced enough to read & ask in a forum), the Asus RT-N16 ($80 on Amazon) is a useful household router that is reliably supported by many versions of Tomato.
Another $70 for Witopia (per year), and you can use two concurrent VPN connections to their servers, with unlimited change of access point.
Good luck!
that this is not in line with Amazon's policy.
