VPN-ready routers could also be a smartest method to hook up with Wi-Fi now. I put one to the check

Digital Non-public Networks (VPNs) are wonderful instruments for bettering on-line privateness and safety. Most individuals enroll with a VPN supplier after which set up their accompanying native purposes on their PCs, tablets, and smartphones. 

Nonetheless, there’s an alternative choice: putting in a VPN in your router. This methodology gives blanket protection for any gadget related to the router’s Wi-Fi, permitting you to bypass connection quantity restrictions and saving you the legwork of putting in a VPN app on each gadget you need to defend. 

Additionally: You want a router-based VPN in 2025. This is why and the right way to set one up

It is not at all times a fast process, although. Many routers in the marketplace help third-party VPNs, however chances are you’ll want affordable technical data and be keen to tamper with inner settings to make every little thing work. 

Alternatively, some VPN suppliers provide VPN-ready {hardware}; one such mannequin is the topic of this overview. The Privateness Hero 2, a $199 router accessible on FlashRouters, helps NordVPN and Surfshark (each owned by Nord Safety) alongside a variety of VPN protocols. It comes with one yr of entry to Privateness Hero Wireguard VPN and, with a present promotion, one yr of NordVPN.

Let’s dive into this VPN-ready router’s construct, set up, advantages, and drawbacks.

How’s the construct high quality?

When you unbox the Privateness Hero 2, you are met with a light-weight, compact router. It is lighter than most routers I’ve tried or reviewed (aside from journey routers) and has a plastic really feel. The construct high quality is suitable for a $199 router, though I felt I needed to deal with it rigorously. 

The Privateness Hero 2 comes with an A/C energy provide, Ethernet cable, and set up information. The scale of the 4 exterior antennae appeared odd, most likely as a result of they had been considerably cumbersome in comparison with the router’s tiny physique. General, the construct is cheap, and my solely actual grievance is the brief size of the Ethernet cable. 

Set up course of

I’ve examined quite a lot of Wi-Fi routers — conventional, mesh, and VPN-supporting — over time and located that set up complexity varies. The Privateness Hero 2 was very simple to arrange. The router comes with a booklet and on-line set up guides, together with a brief video that helps customers with the {hardware} facet of the set up. After I plugged the router in, it took about 10 minutes to replace.

As soon as the router is prepared, you need to join a free Privateness Hero account, which provides you net entry to the router’s dashboard. 

The following step is creating your Wi-Fi community. There are two choices:

1. You may set the community title to the identical title and password as your current community, so you will not must reconnect your gadgets individually to the brand new one. This selection requires you to show off your ISP’s router Wi-Fi sign. 
2. Alternatively, you’ll be able to create a brand new community title. As I intend to retire my ageing TP-Hyperlink mannequin that has served as an IoT gadget hub till now, this was the choice I selected — with the title Privateness Hero. 

You may discover the Privateness Hero dashboard now that you just’re arrange. I just like the format; it is clear, easy, and fuss-free. 

I will deal with the VPN tab, as these are the principle settings you’d most probably need to change. You will note varied choices: VPN, VPN Kill Change, Malware & Phishing, and Advert Blocking. 

Additionally: Quickest VPNs in 2025 examined by consultants

For those who click on the primary tab, you’ll be able to select between completely different VPN companies. On this overview, we’ll use NordVPN.  

This half was essentially the most awkward a part of the set up course of. The router comes with a free yr of NordVPN service, so you need to go to the account tab, discover your voucher, validate it on NordVPN, create your account, after which generate an entry token. 

After getting the entry token, you need to submit it within the Privateness Hero dashboard. As a consequence of timeout failures, my token was not accepted till after three makes an attempt. 

NordVPN then launched on the router with a UK server as default. If you wish to change your nation, click on on the connection and alter the server your self. Go to NordVPN’s OpenVPN configuration file listing and replica and paste the server title you need to connect with. 

Guarantee you could have additionally enabled the Kill Change, Malware & Phishing, and Advert Blocking choices. The kill change will defend your privateness in case your web connection abruptly drops by stopping the router from leveraging your commonplace, unencrypted ISP connection. The opposite settings will cut back your publicity to monitoring and cyber threats. 

Let’s begin streaming 

My favourite characteristic is beneath the Streaming tab. Dubbed “Relocation,” it allows you to choose the nation connection by way of which your VPN will try and route your visitors with out continually altering your setup. 

Additionally: NordVPN vs. Surfshark: Which VPN is best for you?

If a streaming service is offered in solely one nation — for instance, BBC iPlayer within the UK — it will not be proven, because the group will mechanically direct your visitors through a UK relocation connection. If, nonetheless, a service is offered in a number of international locations, you could have choices. Netflix, for instance, could be set to the UK, Canada, or the US. 

You’ll nonetheless want an energetic subscription; some streaming companies require a subscription out of your goal nation. 

Testing streaming companies

I spent over an hour testing varied connections and configuring the router to my liking. That is to not say it’s good to spend the identical period of time doing so, because the router is about as “out of the field” as attainable. 

NordVPN labored from the beginning, and I skilled no connection points with my Samsung smartphone, Samsung TV, or Apple MacBook Professional. Nonetheless, establishing streaming companies was tougher.

I spent a number of hours testing which geo-blocked streaming libraries I might entry by way of my new Wi-Fi connection. I examined the Privateness Hero 2 with Disney+, Netflix, and the anime streaming service Crunchyroll. 

Additionally: TunnelBear VPN overview: An inexpensive, easy-to-use VPN with a number of notable pitfalls

My first check was accessing my dwelling UK libraries, which I might do with out a downside. I then enabled Privateness Hero 2’s relocation characteristic for the aforementioned streaming platforms whereas retaining the preliminary connection on a UK server, the place I confronted a number of challenges. At first, I had no success — solely my UK library was accessible. I powered down the TV, Sky satellite tv for pc TV field, ISP-issued router, and Privateness Hero 2 and waited for every little thing to reboot. 

I then tried to entry US streaming service libraries on Disney+, Netflix, and Crunchyroll. Regardless of the relocation choices, this did not work instantly by way of the Samsung TV’s Tizen hub when the UK was set because the central server. Nonetheless, it labored for Netflix and Disney+ once I examined three US-based servers as an alternative with relocation enabled. 

Accessing these libraries by way of a third-party app, on this case, Sky, labored finest on my TV for Netflix and Disney+. Once I selected this route, it did not matter what nation my preliminary connection was set to. 

Additionally: The most effective dwell TV streaming companies of 2025: Knowledgeable examined

Once I examined Netflix and Disney+ on my laptop computer, I might entry US libraries with out points. (I obtained a login e mail from Netflix confirming that an account was getting used within the US; the relocation operate was working accurately.) Sadly, Crunchyroll didn’t work on my good TV, however I might entry its US library on my laptop computer. 

I additionally tried to entry Canadian libraries and had related ranges of success. Accessing completely different geo-blocked libraries for testing functions was extra profitable than I anticipated, though you could have to strive completely different configurations. 

Lastly, I carried out a velocity check whereas related to Privateness Hero 2 in comparison with my typical ISP router connection. I skilled a obtain velocity lack of round 16% and an add velocity lack of 6.6%. For a VPN, I am unable to complain.   

About these advertisements…

Whereas a VPN’s streaming capabilities are fairly in style, one other characteristic many VPN suppliers provide is advert blocking. 

Advert blocking could be as a lot of a cat-and-mouse recreation as streaming companies blocking VPN IP addresses. YouTube, for instance, has declared warfare on third-party advert blockers and is making an attempt to cease viewers from having the ability to bypass or skip advert breaks. 

I did not anticipate a lot, contemplating that more often than not, once I use a VPN and watch a YouTube video, there’s little or no distinction in what number of advertisements are displayed vs. once I use a regular Wi-Fi connection. Nonetheless, I used to be pleasantly stunned at my ultimate router and server setup outcomes. 

I examined my setup utilizing a cooking channel I am subscribed to; whereas I really like its content material, the frequency of economic interruptions makes it nearly unwatchable. 

Additionally: Is your dwell TV streaming service nonetheless price it? I reassessed the choices for us each

On a regular laptop computer connection, whereas related to the default UK VPN server, the primary advert on movies and a handful of advertisements had been displayed, however fewer than standard. I in contrast watching the identical YouTube video on my good TV with Privateness Hero 2, with the identical outcomes. I then determined to strive altering the router’s preliminary server to a rustic the place YouTube would not monetize advertisements. Lo and behold, the entire advert breaks throughout the video had been disabled.

I exploit an historical MacBook Air to look at YouTube or to take heed to audiobooks at night time, and there is nothing worse than an advert break startling you awake. To make sure this wasn’t a fluke, I modified this laptop computer’s Wi-Fi connection to Privateness Hero 2, and the outcome was the identical: no advertisements. 

There’s a caveat: Speeds had been impacted, so relying on what server you choose and the velocity of your preliminary broadband connection, you could be buying and selling buffering for an ad-free expertise. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Concerning the bodily design of the Privateness Hero 2, the corporate ought to enhance the construct high quality and be extra beneficiant with the Ethernet cable’s size. Nonetheless, set up is straightforward and user-friendly. This VPN router is one of the best I’ve tried up to now, and it will likely be a long-term fixture in my family. 

I’ve beforehand put in VPNs on third-party, supporting routers, however the Privateness Hero 2 is much simpler to arrange and requires little or no technical data. The dashboard is straightforward to navigate and retains technical jargon to a minimal.

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If you wish to change the preliminary server connection, you will have to work out the OpenVPN configuration file names. I wish to see NordVPN present a streamlined listing of servers that identifies which server belongs to which nation. A dropdown listing proper within the dashboard can be helpful.  

My favourite characteristic is the streaming location possibility. Whereas many streaming channels are presently restricted to the UK, US, and Canada (one thing I wish to see expanded the place attainable), toggling between them with out discovering servers your self is very handy. 

If you wish to check out the Privateness Hero 2, you should buy it from Flashrouters for $199. You may obtain a free one-year NordVPN subscription together with your buy.

Specs

• VPN protocols: Wireguard
• Wi-Fi commonplace: Wi-Fi 6 – Wi-fi AX
• Wi-fi velocity: 3000Mbps
• Wi-Fi bands: Twin Band
• Ethernet port: Sort 4 Gigabit
• Antenna sort: 4 Exterior
• Processor: MediaTek
• Processor velocity: 1.3GHz
• RAM: 512 MB / 128 MB
• Energy provide: 100-240V

Together with Wireguard, this router additionally helps NordLynx, which mixes Wireguard with NordVPN safety features.