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InvertedGoldfish

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Original poster
Jun 28, 2023
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Hey all,

So I’m in a odd spot, I have a netgear R7450 running DDWRT, it’s running as a client on openVPN (encrypted 256), it connects to the internet and everything connects through it

My internet speed through the router SUCKS and I have tried a few different servers and setting, currently using the fastest server and connecting via UDP, my phone on the VPN on the same cell network my modem uses is 6x the speed.

I’m thinking it just doesn’t have the CPU to run the VPN

I see some of the high power routers, they seem very expensive and slow compared to what I could whip together PC wise in a small form factor case, maybe run DDWRT or try PFsense?
(https://www.pfsense.org/download/)

Small form factor PC with some Wi-Fi on it to completely replace my router?


Thoughts?

Thanks
 

dimme

macrumors 68040
Feb 14, 2007
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SF, CA
Not quite what you were looking for but may I suggest a TP link ER605 to use as your VPN and then just use you nether as an access point. This set up works great for my needs.
 

InvertedGoldfish

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Original poster
Jun 28, 2023
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TP link ER605

So this will take my traffic and encrypt for my VPN service?

It doesn’t seem to have much of a processor and I thought the reason my internet was slow was my DDWRT router didn’t have the horse power to run openVPN well enough that my download and upload speeds didn’t suffer
 

dimme

macrumors 68040
Feb 14, 2007
3,036
27,811
SF, CA
Another alternative is to run the VPN on a raspberry PI and let you router just route. We have a nether router at our small business and I was disappointed with the VPN stock software, so I setup a raspberry PI for VPN access and have no issues. Yes you are right the more you ask these little router boxed to do the slower they become.
 
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InvertedGoldfish

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Original poster
Jun 28, 2023
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Another alternative is to run the VPN on a raspberry PI and let you router just route. We have a nether router at our small business and I was disappointed with the VPN stock software, so I setup a raspberry PI for VPN access and have no issues. Yes you are right the more you ask these little router boxed to do the slower they become.

Any reason not to just build a router to do it all? Less boxes?
 

dimme

macrumors 68040
Feb 14, 2007
3,036
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SF, CA
Any reason not to just build a router to do it all? Less boxes?
No not at all, but if your Netgear works but is only lacking VPN a stand alone VPN server could allow you to use your current equipment. If you want to build an all in one box check out some YouTube videos on pfsence.
 

InvertedGoldfish

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Jun 28, 2023
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No not at all, but if your Netgear works but is only lacking VPN a stand alone VPN server could allow you to use your current equipment. If you want to build an all in one box check out some YouTube videos on pfsence.

Netgrear works great for all in one with DDWRT installed, problem is my VPN speed is really slow going through the router
 

dimme

macrumors 68040
Feb 14, 2007
3,036
27,811
SF, CA
IMHO all routers are weak in the VPN department, that's why I use a raspberry PI
 

mcnallym

macrumors 65816
Oct 28, 2008
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911
Would suggest look at servethehome channel on youtube as regularly review boxes that likely be suitable, but are also fanless.

Main problem with trying to build an All In One from PC parts is that quite often the Wireless NIC cannot act as an AP, or if they do don't compare performance wise with router/ap

So get a decent router/vpn box and then get a separate AP.
 
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