In today’s digitally connected world, we rely heavily on the internet for various activities such as online banking, shopping, social media, and more. However, with the vast amount of data we share online, our privacy and security have become major concerns. This is where routers come in handy. Routers provide a way to connect to the internet and manage the traffic that flows through it. However, there are two types of routers: normal routers and VPN routers. In this article, we will discuss the difference between the two.
Normal Router
A normal router is a device that connects your home network to the internet. It acts as a gateway between your devices and the internet, allowing you to connect multiple devices to the same network. Normal routers typically have a built-in firewall and offer basic security features such as WPA2 encryption to protect your network from unauthorized access. They also allow you to set up port forwarding and manage Quality of Service (QoS) settings to prioritize traffic on your network.
VPN Router
A VPN router, on the other hand, is a router that has been specifically designed to work with a VPN service. It has all the features of a normal router, but with added VPN capabilities. A VPN router allows you to connect to a VPN server directly from your router, which means that all the devices on your network will be protected by the VPN. This is particularly useful if you want to protect your entire network, including IoT devices that don’t support VPNs.
One of the key differences between a normal router and a VPN router is the way they handle the traffic. With a normal router, all the traffic flows through the router and out to the internet without any encryption or security. With a VPN router, on the other hand, all the traffic flows through the VPN server before it reaches the internet, which means that it is encrypted and protected from prying eyes.
Another difference between a normal router and a VPN router is the setup process. While setting up a normal router is relatively simple, setting up a VPN router can be a bit more complicated. You need to have a VPN subscription and configure the router with the correct VPN settings. However, once set up, a VPN router is much easier to use than a normal router with a separate VPN client on each device.
Benefits of Using a VPN Router
Using a VPN router has several benefits over using a normal router with a separate VPN client on each device. Firstly, it provides an added layer of security to your entire network, protecting all your devices from prying eyes. This is particularly important if you use public Wi-Fi networks or live in a country with strict internet censorship laws.
Secondly, a VPN router can help you bypass geolocation restrictions and access geo-restricted content. For example, if you live in a country where Netflix is not available, you can connect to a VPN server in another country and access Netflix as if you were in that country.
Thirdly, a VPN router can improve your internet speed and performance by prioritizing traffic on your network. This is particularly useful if you have a lot of devices connected to your network and are experiencing slow speeds.
In summary, a VPN router is a router that has been specifically designed to work with a VPN service. It provides an added layer of security to your entire network, bypasses geolocation restrictions, and can improve your internet speed and performance. While setting up a VPN router can be more complicated than setting up a normal router, it is much easier to use once set up. If you value your online privacy and security, a VPN router is worth considering.
