What router to buy for VPN?

VPN
1

Hi, I have just moved, and left my old Linksys WRT3200 routers in the old building as my friends are still living there.

So I’m going to need a new router and access point. I am English but living in Romania, so I have been running the Openwrt software on the Linksys with a Surfshark wire guard vpn connection running. My internet speed is 1GB.

I’m trying to workout what router/access point to purchase for this purpose? The openwrt website has a long list of supported devices but not sure which might be better suited for this…

Thanks!

2

Flint 2 from GL.INET. Supports Openwrt natively with wifi 6 and supports 2.5gb so you have some head room if you wanna grow

3

Do take a look at Mini PCs. There are models with 5+ 2.5GbE ports and the ability to install a wifi card.

Powerful X86 hardware lets you run OpenWRT or OPNsense either bare-metal or on proxmox, giving you the ability to host more stuff on the same machine. Examples would be Home Assistant or Nextcloud.
I can recommend Intel N100-based machines from CWWK.

Of course, this solution is way more expensive than a simple router. This is really only worth it if you are looking for a home server that doubles as router.

4

To maintain a Gigabit Wireguard connection, you need a processor with total bandwidth (clock speed times the number of cores or threads, whichever is relevant) of about 8 GHz. This firmly puts you in the x64 territory or possibly into the higher end of the ARM range.

Flint 2 mentioned by another poster fits the bill on paper (quad-core, 2 GHz), but falls short in practice (most likely due to insufficient cooling).

Since you mentioned you are in Romania, I am hesitating to make specific suggestions, as I have no idea what the prices and availabilities are there.

In North America, where I am, you can find an inexpensive secondhand Sophos 135w fairly easily; those have quad-core processors running at slightly above 2 GHz with active cooling. But that’s in North America. In Europe, these units are considerably more expensive, and I have no clue what they might be going for specifically in Romania.

You can definitely look into one of those N100 mini-PCs from AliExpress though… But again, I have no idea whether those are in your price range…

5

FritzBox or Gl.iNet :wink:

6

The Netgear R7000-AC1900 is pretty solid. Very cheap on the used market and works great with openwrt and ddwrt with VPN.

The TP-Link Archer C7 v5 also works. There are many versions, so it gets annoying sometimes checking compatibility.

I always keep both around.

Good luck!

7

A rpi4, 1gb is a killer openwrt router plus can handle WireGuard gigabit just fine

Go here: https://www.reddit.com/r/openwrt/comments/l1m801/rpi4_openwrt_tips/

8

Here are some routers that work with OpenWrt and have a 1GB internet connection and VPN:

  1. The Netgear Nighthawk R7800 has great speed and works with VPNs.
  2. The Linksys WRT3200ACM is great for OpenWrt and VPN.
  3. TP-Link Archer A7: It’s affordable and can do a lot.
  4. The Asus RT-AC86U works really well with OpenWrt.
  5. The Ubiquiti EdgeRouter 4 is strong if you keep the router and access point separate.

For access points, consider:

  1. Ubiquiti UniFi AC Lite
  2. TP-Link EAP245

OpenWrt’s website lists the devices it works with and has reviews from other users.

9

thank you all for your help and advice! in the end I went for the Flint 2…ordered 2 as they were on sale, even if it might be a bit overkill for the AP. Excited to get them setup and working! I will report back with a followup once I have them setup and test them out for a bit

10

Hey! It sounds like you’re in the market for a solid router setup. Since you’re looking to run a VPN, you want to ensure that the router you choose can handle that without compromising your internet speed. The OpenWrt project indeed has a wide range of supported devices, and choosing one that offers good performance along with stability is key.

I recommend considering routers that are highly rated for VPN usage, such as those from ASUS or Netgear. These brands typically offer models that are compatible with OpenWrt and have strong processing capabilities to handle encryption without slowing down your connection.

Additionally, while you’re exploring your options, have you checked out ZongaSurf? It’s currently one of the best VPNs on the market, starting at just $2 a month with a free trial. ZongaSurf is known for its fast speeds and reliability, which could make it a great fit for your needs. Since you’re in Romania and might have specific browsing needs or privacy concerns, ZongaSurf also has a good range of servers globally which is a plus.

You could run ZongaSurf on your new router easily if you choose one that’s compatible with OpenWrt, allowing you to secure your internet connection while enjoying high-speed access. Just make sure to check their documentation for any tips on integration. Good luck with your search! If you need more recommendations or have questions, feel free to ask!

11

I second this. GL.iNet makes great stuff. It can be a little pricey, but that’s well worth the no-headaches experience with OpenWrt.

12

Won’t do 1gbit over Wireguard though.

Even worse if OP is using OpenVPN.

13

Yea been running the GL-MT6000 for 7 months as my main router it’s great. Gl-inet’s sysupgrade compatibility with OpenWrt is fantastic. First thing I did was blow their fork off and put official OpenWrt snapshot on. WireGuard VPN performance is around 800 Mbps from my tests. The MT Filogic 830 CPU with 1GB RAM it’s is a little beast.

Similar performance is of course the Bpi-r3.

14

thanks so much, I just ordered 2 x Flint 2’s, they really do seem to do everything I need and haven’t seen many bad thoughts/reviews on them elsewhere

15

OP wants VPN with 1Gbps speed, none of your suggestions can get half of it

16

RPi4 can’t do 1Gbps Wireguard, but about 800Mbps.

17

That specific one is currently on sale too

18

Correct but Goodluck finding an off the shelf router that supports openwrt and can do more than 1 gig over vpn

19

That’s a good link. Nice comparison.

The RPI5 looks to be doing well, but one would probably need a 2.5Gbe USB3 adapter.

**I wonder if there’s a better test than just an iperf3 wrapper. maybe file transfers and concurrent connections? eh it’s good for a basic test.

20

Just dump the factory software for stock openwrt or there’s some community builds out there. I’ve wanted to try but my gf gets mad when things don’t just work lol. We’re moving in a couple weeks so I’ll switch then