Best 5 VPNs for ASUS Routers
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have come a long way in the past decade, with native apps built for a variety of operating systems, but there are still of limitations to account for. Using a VPN on your Asus router will ensure that all of your devices are kept secure and private.
Using a VPN on your Asus router will also enable you to use a VPN on devices that don't allow you to load a VPN app directly onto them, such as games consoles. In this guide, we list the best VPNs for Asus routers and show you how to set up a VPN on your router.
The best VPNs for ASUS routers
Check out our best five VPN recommendations for ASUS routers in the list below. If you need more information about any of the services in the list click through to the providers website or check out our detailed VPN reviews.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for ASUS routers. A premium service that's easy to set up on your router, server coverage in 94 countries, and sleek apps for just about every platform. ExpressVPN Demo ExpressVPN is a premium VPN service with excellent compatibility and support for ASUS routers, ExpressVPN was the winner of our Editor's Choice award for 2019. They provide a near-unbeatable level of security and boast average speeds of 82.77Mbps (according to our tests). ExpressVPN also has great content unblocking capabilities with servers in 94 countries at 160 locations, so you'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to streaming. As well as all this, ExpressVPN also offers 24/7 live chat support to help you should the need arise. Subscribers also benefit from great privacy features, including a connection kill switch, obfuscation (stealth), IPv6 and WebRTC leak protection. Their privacy policy is extremely secure, recording no usage logs and minimalistic (aggregated) connection logs that contain no personally-identifying information. Overall, this is a great, albeit pricey, VPN for your ASUS router. CyberGhost is the best user-friendly VPN for ASUS routers. It's ideal for beginners thanks to its clutter-free apps and superb customer support, and access to various streaming platforms. CyberGhost Demo CyberGhost is a fully-featured, easy-to-use VPN and winner of our Best Value VPN award in 2019. It offers great customer support, in-depth guides for configuring your router, and maintains good average speeds (63.92Mbps in our tests) with up to 7 simultaneous connections. With servers in 90 countries, users will find be able to unblock regional content on most streaming platforms (though it has a history of difficulty with BBC iPlayer). Perhaps one of the most innovative features of CyberGhost is "split tunnelling", allowing you to exclude some websites and apps from going through the VPN. This allows you to continue using wireless devices connected to your home network while keeping your online connections securely routed through the VPN. Being able to pick and choose what goes through the VPN also helps alleviate bandwidth constraints caused by routing everything at once. CyberGhost offers a no logs service; refusing to store connection logs, and only sending aggregate metadata (anonymously) to third-party services for trend analysis. One aspect for improvement is the lack of robust obfuscation (stealth) technology, which is needed to overcome the VPN blocks in mass-censorship countries such as China. All in all, CyberGhost is a good VPN that offers competitively low prices. Private Internet Access is the best secure VPN for ASUS routers. A secure, low-cost provider with a proven zero-logs policy and support for various routers and devices. PIA Demo PIA is a long-trusted service with strong OpenVPN encryption, Private Internet Access (PIA) offers a generous 10 simultaneous connections and supports a wide range of routers (including AsusWRT). With over 3200 secure bare metal servers in 49 countries, PIA automatically detects and connects to its fastest server. As well as excellent service, in-depth support and guides are at hand to help you install PIA onto your ASUS router. If you're looking for an extra layer of privacy, you can also configure a Shadowsocks proxy to redirect the VPN through another location. PIA's obfuscation and stealth capabilities are excellent for people in countries with mass censorship. Overall, PIA is a provider that continues to impress us and is constantly improving. If you're looking for a VPN that will protect your ASUS router more and more over time, then PIA is the choice for you. Surfshark is the best value VPN for ASUS routers. Offers users unlimited simultaneous connections and round-the-clock support, including ASUS configuration tutorials. Surfshark Demo Surfshark is another no-logs VPN. It is a relatively new service that has hit the ground running, winning our Best Newcomer award for 2019. Its greatest selling point is that it offers unlimited connections on a single subscription. This is great for people that want to protect any devices in their home, as well as outside of it. Alongside this, Surfshark offers a dedicated and detailed AsusWRT configuration tutorial with excellent 24/7 customer support to back it up through their live chat function. With more than 1700 servers in over 63 countries, this VPN has great content unblocking capabilities. Geo-spoofing is made much easier through their "Smart DNS service" which allows you to change the VPN location on devices that cannot run a VPN client (such as smart TVs and games consoles). You can also utilise split tunnelling through their "whitelist" feature to exempt selected websites and IPs from the VPN. Surfshark is a budget-friendly VPN service that we expect will only get better with time. VyprVPN is the best mid-range VPN for ASUS routers. A subscription won't cost the earth and is jam-packed with features, as well as detailed router setup guides. VYPR Demo VyprVPN isn't just confident in its privacy practices, it gets an independent third party to audit them. Its Chameleon stealth mode is ideal for bypassing restrictive networks and censorship, helping to keep the internet free and open. This high level of security also comes with a dedicated guide on configuring AsusWRT routers, and 24-hour support. With its focus on overcoming restrictive networks, it's no surprise that VyprVPN consistently unblocks regional content for streaming, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and iPlayer. Its no logs policy and average speeds of 60.32 Mbps (in our tests) make VyprVPN great for torrenting via P2P. Though it is limited to only 5 connections per subscription, VyprVPN is an excellent choice for your ASUS router. 1. ExpressVPN
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5. VyprVPN
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How to set up a VPN on my Asus router?
Fortunately, VPN services will usually have guides on how to configure a router with their service, and most of them will use OpenVPN protocol. We've put together a quick guide on how to configure a VPN on your ASUS router (running ASUSWRT firmware). Some details may differ depending on your router model and we recommend seeking a more specific guide for your make and model, but the overall process should be quite similar.
After you have decided on and subscribed to a VPN service, complete the following steps to configure your ASUS router with OpenVPN:
- Log in to your VPN provider's website and download the configuration files (pick the location that you want to appear in, but bear in mind it may affect your speeds if you pick a country that is far away). This will give you a username and password for the ASUS router control panel.
- In a new tab, access your router. This can be done by entering either 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 in the URL bar. You can usually find the password for your router dashboard on the back of the router itself.
- Sign in to the ASUS Router Control Panel and navigate through VPN > VPN Client > Add profile.
- Select your protocol (OpenVPN) and insert a profile description.
- Enter your username and password from step 1.
- Select Choose File and add the configuration file from step one.
- Select Upload and then OK when it has finished.
- Select Activate next to the profile to connect to this VPN location.
If you want to add multiple locations for your router, just repeat this process and then activate and deactivate as necessary.
Why do I need a VPN for my Asus router?
When you configure a VPN to your Asus router, it ensures that any device that connects to the internet through it is protected. This is a great way to get around device quantity limitations imposed by VPN providers – especially if you want to protect many devices for as cheaply as possible. With this in mind, it is important to remember that not all VPN services work with ASUS routers or Republic of Gamers (ROG) routers, so it is important that you find the right one for you.
Using a VPN also comes with some great benefits. Geo-spoofing with your VPN allows you to change the location of your IP address – circumventing censorship and unblocking content on websites and streaming services. Using a VPN also enables you to buy video games that aren't available in your country, and in some cases get them cheaper! Configuring a VPN to your router is a great way to open up smart TVs, consoles, PCs, and other internet-connected devices to a world of content, whilst still protecting your online privacy. If you want to learn more, check out our VPN for PC gaming article for some useful tips.
Can I get a free VPN for my router?
You can get free VPN services, but we do not recommend using them with a router. This is because they often have data and speed limitations that can slow down your internet speed and even stop you accessing it altogether. On top of this, even if you find one that is compatible, you will still be vulnerable to a host of other issues. Here are the 6 biggest problems with using a free VPN:
- Logs: Usage and connection logs are regularly used by free VPN services. These logs can easily be used to identify you.
- Leaks: Free VPN services are often subject leaks, be it IPv4, IPv6, WebRTC, or DNS, this information can expose you and your internet usage. Only use VPNs with leak protection and kill switches.
- Malware: Be it adware, spyware, or trojans, free VPN services have a shaky history when it comes to infecting users' devices.
- Personal data: Free VPN services will usually collect and sell your personal data on to third parties. These services are free, but at what cost?
- Becoming an exit node: Some free VPN services have been known to hijack user IPs and bandwidth to make exit nodes for other users (one particular example of this is the infamous Hola). This can result in users being incriminated for the illegal activities of others.
- Location: Depending on where the VPN is based, they may be subject to questionable digital privacy laws. Services based in Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes countries may be required to hand over any logs and data collected about you.
What you should be looking for in a VPN
Troubleshooting
Having trouble with your router's VPN? try these quick steps to solve any minor issues:
- Restart your router (have you tried turning it off and on again?)
- Update or redownload your VPN/VPN app
- Try another VPN server
- Check for issues with your VPN account
If problems persist, it is best to contact either your VPN service provider or ASUS Online Service Desk. Alternatively, Flashrouters offer outstanding support and expertise.
Top Tip
If configuring a VPN to your Router sounds like an impossible task, remember that you can always order pre-configured routers from Flashrouters. Though they come at a higher price than buying the router alone, their app is remarkably simple to use and removes a great deal of hassle.