How to Develop a Dedicated VPN Router

One of the best privacy and anonymity measures that you can implement is a VPN. However, virtual private networks are not as dependable as one would imagine. This is so because not all VPN service providers allow multiple connection for all your devices.

Such devices may include your media player, smart TV set and game console. The most profound solution to the above mentioned problem is setting up a dedicated VPN router. A dedicated VPN router automatically routs all the devices connected to it through the VPN.

Table of Content

The Connection Plan
What you need to configure a DD-WRT VPN Client
Before you get started
Physical configuration of the VPN router
Installing DD-WRT for VPN
Setup: Router as VPN Client
Setting up the dedicated VPN on the router
Getting the networks to communicate
Forwarding the VPN router
Forwarding the primary router

The Connection Plan

The most outstanding plan that you can engage should include at least two routers, such as a secondary router and a primary router. Usually, most people have in place a secondary router in their homes. Then again, you will be better off if you connect a second router to the existing one. The additional router’s main purpose will be to provide VPN services.

You can refer to the router that you did set up initially as the primary router. This enhanced setup will ensure that all your devices are connected through a VPN. You can conveniently connect device between the primary router and dedicated router as needed. You can simply achieve this by connecting them to different Wi-Fi networks.

What You Need To Configure DD-WRT VPN Client

For this plan to work, you will need:

A second broadband router (with an Ethernet WAN port)
A special firmware (DD-WRT) to be installed in order to set up the router as a VPN client

Before You Get Started

Take note of your primary router’s LAN IP, which is simply the one you use to access the router admin console on your browser. Depending on the model of your router, the IP can fall under any of the following variations: 192.168.x.x / 10.1.x.x
You should know the model of the router you wish to set up as the VPN router; you can achieve this by searching the router’s model in the router database. Then double click on the router model to access its page
At the designated router page you will come across a link that will redirect you to the router’s DD-WRT Wiki page. When you follow the link, you will be redirected to an instruction page that will guide you on how to set up the router.
The Wiki page will also provide you with a link to an acclaimed DD-WRT build. You will most definitely have to download this file, because you will need it for flashing the router.

Physical Configuration of VPN router

Get hold of the Ethernet cable and then connect the internet (WAN) port on the VPN router to whichever LAN port on your primary router.
Then using an Ethernet cable, connect your PC to a LAN port on your VPN router to start the flashing process.

Installing DD-WRT for VPN

Do a 30/30/30 hard reset on the router.
Log into the router admin page and access the firmware upgrade section.
In the firmware upgrade, use the file option to select the bin file that you downloaded previously and click start.
Once the firmware has been updated, go ahead and do another hard reset.

Set Up: If your router is successfully flashed, go ahead and open your browser. In the browser, insert into the address bar the default IP of DD-WRT which is 192.168.1.1. The default username and password are root and admin consecutively. Once you have done this, the DD-WRT interface will appear.

Setup: Wireless – To set up wireless simply click on the wireless tab. Then set up the wireless access point by using its own inimitable SSIDs. This wireless set up allows you to conveniently switch between the primary router and the dedicated VPN router by simply changing Wi-Fi networks.

Setup: Router as VPN Client:

Plug your VPN router into a port on your primary router.
Set the WAN connection (DHCP) is the default connection) type on the Basic Setup Page.
You can also opt to switch to static IP address.
Always take note of the WAN IP of our VPN router regardless of whether you go DHCP or Static.
To ensure that everything is working, you should try to connect to the internet while connected to the VPN router.

Setting up The Dedicated VPN on Router

Access the homepage of your VPN provider, which will provide you with details and guides that you require to configure the VPN on the router.
You can set up the VPN by using OpenVPN or PPTP. Of the two, OpenVPN is difficult to configure, but more secured.
To configure PPTP, you will need a server address from the VPN provider; in addition to a VPN username and password.
Enable the PPTP client in DD-WRT under Services->VPN; then insert into the box the details provided to you by the VPN provider.
For OpenVPN, you will have access the provider’s support page and search for the DD-WRT/OpenVPN setup guide and follow it to the very end.

Getting the Networks to Communicate

To ensure that you will not encounter any problems, you should try to connect to devices that are linked to the other router. This requires you to carry out upstream connections. You should ensure that you connect devices from VPN router to primary router in order to avoid problems.

Forwarding the VPN Router

The most recommended solution as far as set up is concerned is to set up forwarding on both primary as well as VPN routers. This will ensure that data transfer between the routers progresses smoothly.

You need to connect to the VPN router, then again enter the admin interface.
You should enter iptables -I FORWARD -s 192.168.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT in the command shell box and click save. (assuming your primary router has the following IP: 192.168.1.x)
Enable the radio button for Web GUI Management in the Management section under Administration.

Forwarding the Primary Router

Connect to the primary router and then log onto the admin interface and access the Static Routes section under Advanced Routing.
Create a newfangled rule and give it a name.
Configure the destination IP as 192.168.2.0 (assuming that your VPN router IP is 192.168.2.x)
Configure the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0
Set up the gateway IP to the WAN IP of the VPN router.
And then save the route.

Please see the step by step guide on how to configure VPN router here.