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There are many VPN applications available to install on your mobile or computer. They are both free and paid. But there is one more option: use our own VPN, configuring a router for it. This has its advantages and disadvantages, as you can imagine. It can be very useful, but you should also be aware of certain problems or limitations that you may have. In this article we are going to talk about it and we are going to tell you what happens if you use your router as vpn.
Note that not all routers are compatible with this feature, so you may have to use an additional one for it. That is an economic cost, unless you have an old one at home. This is another limitation that you must have, beyond the possible problems that you may have and that we are going to explain.
What happens if you use your router as a VPN
What does it mean to have a router as a VPN? It basically means that you will be able to connect through your own router, no matter where you are. You can use services like WireGuard, for example, to configure access to the device remotely. Even if you are in another country, thousands of kilometers away, you will be browsing with your home IP and you will even be able to enter the device’s configuration. It is, as you can see, different from using a regular VPN.
You need it to be always on
The first thing to keep in mind is that you need to have always on the router. As soon as the device turns off, you will stop browsing through the VPN. You will start to appear on the Internet with the real IP, without hiding it, as well as the location where you are physically.
This can cause problems in some cases. If the power goes out at your house, for example, you will not be able to continue using the VPN. You will lose the connection, you will not be able to access Netflix or the platform you are using at the moment and it requires you to use a VPN to change the location. It could even put you in danger if you’re connected via public Wi-Fi.
You connect to only one location
Another limitation is that you will only be able to connect to a specific location. That location will be the IP of your house, where you have the router. You will not be able to choose an IP from another country, so you will not be able to access many services that require a connection as if you were in a different country.
A VPN service, such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN, often has multiple servers available. That means that you will be able to choose which one to connect to at any time. You will be able to decide the one that best suits you in each case.
Speed may not be the best
You should also keep in mind that the speed the connection is sometimes not the best. This is especially the case when you use an older router that acts as a VPN. If the upload speed is limited to 100 Mbps, you will not be able to have more speed than that. Also, sometimes it is much lower.
If you use a VPN application from one of the many services out there, it does not mean that you will have a very good speed; but you could have more speed than when you connect to the router at home in certain cases.
Requires configuration
We must also mention the difficulty that this can entail. You need make a series of configurations for the VPN of your router to work correctly. This, for users who do not have adequate knowledge, can be a problem and they may need more time to get everything working.
On the other hand, a more common VPN, the one we install on the PC or mobile, is easier to use. We will not have to make many adjustments and we will quickly be able to connect to the network through this software.
