You can increase your privacy and security by installing a VPN app on your smartphone, laptop, or tablet. However, if you want to protect the entirety of your network, including devices lacking VPN functionality, then you can install a VPN on your router, BUT unfortunately you cannot install a VPN service directly to your SuperHub.
Instead, you will need a third party router that has this functionality built in. Many WiFi routers offer this feature, and allows you to create an entirely separate network that exclusively accesses the VPN. I personally do this in my home setup so that I can play Stadia games and have my controllers connect to the VPN and access the service.
In this article, we’ll explain how to set up a VPN router at home and discuss its pros and cons, why you would want to do it, and what routers we recommend to get installed in conjunction with your Virgin Media Hub.
Table of Contents
- How Do I Set Up A VPN On Virgin Media Router?
- Is VPN possible with Virgin Router?
- OpenVPN Encryption (Best For Home Use)
- How to Use Your VPN Router
- Conclusion: You Need an Additional Router
How Do I Set Up A VPN On Virgin Media Router?
Unfortunately if you are running a SuperHub like the Hub 3 or Hub 4 then you will not be able to install access to a VPN directly. Instead, you will need to use a third party router such as the examples below in the Amazon Affiliate links that we recommend. (Using these links gives us a small commission at tno cost to you, so thanks in advance!)
Before getting started, ensure that you are running the latest version of the router firmware, and that you have already installed OpenVPN on your server. If you don’t know where to find your router’s firmware update, you can look for the settings screen on the device.
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Start by opening a web browser on the router. Enter the IP address of the server into the address bar. The default page will be the login screen for the router. If you’re having problems getting into the admin area, try resetting the device by pressing and holding the power button for five seconds.
On the main page, select Setup and then Factory Defaults. Now, follow the instructions on screen to download the new firmware to your computer.
After you’ve finished the installation, go back to the admin page, and then to the OpenVPN section. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the program. Make sure to select the default port number.
Now you can connect to your server. Type the address and port into your browser, and then click Connect.
Is VPN possible with Virgin Router?
To connect to a VPN server, a client should be capable of creating a PPTP VPN connection. A PPTP connection has two parts: a client and a server. A client is usually a computer running the Windows operating system. The client creates the connection to the VPN server. The server receives the connection and forwards it to the client or to another network.
If a VPN is used to secure an internal network, it is usually configured as a server. For example, if you want to connect your laptop and desktop computers to a network that is outside the office, it would be configured as a client. If you want to connect your laptop and desktops to a network at home or at the office, it would be configured as a server.
OpenVPN Encryption (Best For Home Use)
We are going to go over a few things to help you setup your VPN on your non-Virgin Media router. You will need an internet provider that supports OpenVPN. If you’re not familiar with VPN, we would suggest reading our article about choosing a Virgin Media router for VPNs.
It’s also important to know that in order to use the VPN service you will need a valid VPN account, and they will need to give you what is known as a service account. Once you have a service account from a VPN provider that supports OpenVPN you need to make sure you follow these steps or similar. Each router will be slightly different, so use this as a basic guide to give you a rough idea.
1. First, we need to make sure we have our internet provider set up properly. On Virgin’s website, click the Settings tab at the top and then look for VPN Connections.
2. Once you find VPN Connections, click the “Add” button.
3. Enter your username and password. If you are unsure what these are, you can ask your provider or they should be listed on your bill.
4. Set the Protocol to OpenVPN.
5. Finally, select your encryption type. For the purposes of this guide, we are going to choose AES 256.
6. After you have entered the details, click the Save button.
7. Lastly, click the Add button.
8. After you’ve clicked the Add button, click the Close button.
9. Once you close the dialog box, your internet connection should now be using OpenVPN to encrypt your internet traffic.
10. Now that you’ve configured the VPN, you need to log into the VPN client to begin connecting to the internet. You can either download a VPN client from your internet provider or you can do this through the settings on your router. If you do not know how to connect to your VPN, we suggest checking your internet provider’s website.
How to Use Your VPN Router
Many people use a seperate WiFi for their VPN connection as it means that you only need to change WiFi networks on your device like a smartphone or laptop when you want to use services that require that connection. The VPN stays connected and logged in even when you are not on that WiFi network.
You can use the VPN as you normally would. For example, you can connect to a VPN when you are at home and use the internet normally when you are at work.
If you do not want to use the VPN at home or work, you can disconnect it. This is a good option if you are using the VPN to protect your personal information or if you are using it to bypass your internet provider’s bandwidth limits.
It is important to remember that sometimes a VPN connection will not be as fast as your default broadband connection is. Therefore you should expect to see a drop in speed if you are connecting to a VPN server in another part of the world. The speeds that are acheivable are generally fast enough for Netflix and other streaming platforms though.
Conclusion: You Need an Additional Router
Unfortunately there is no way to make VPN services work on a standar Virgin Media router. However, you can use a VPN router to connect to a VPN. There are many different types of VPN routers available, but we recommend using a VPN router.
The best VPN routers are from the likes of the UK based VPN company, VPN Router. You can get a free VPN router from them. If you want to get a better deal, you can also get a better deal by purchasing a VPN router from them.
If you have any questions about VPNs or how to connect to a VPN, feel free to comment below.
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