Does the Orbi RBR20 support router-to-router VPN?

Question

I own a pair of Orbi RBR20 routers which I have installed in two separate physical locations. I bought them thinking that they would support a router-to-router VPN tunnel between the two locations. But, now that I come to setting up that tunnel, it appears that the routers do not support such a tunnel. When I go through the router administration interface to set up a VPN, it instructs me to download and install OpenVPN on my device -- i.e., my computer, ipad, or phone, not the router. This is not at all what I had in mind. What I want is for the routers themselves to establish a tunnel between the two LANs, such that any device that connects to my local LAN automatically connects to the remote LAN via VPN without any need to install any additional VPN software on that device.

Does anyone know whether the RBR20 can be used to set up a VPN tunnel between my two LANs? And, if so, how do I get started on the setup, because it's not obvious from the administrator interface.

CrimpOn · Answer

Orbi includes a version of OpenVPN, which allows devices external to the Orbi encrypted access into the Orbi, with the option to "turn around" and access the general internet through a regular, unencrypted link. There are other products which feature the ability to create a VPN tunnel for everything behind the router to one of the internet VPN services, such as NordVPN, but not the Orbi.

Sorry. If this is a "deal breaker", you may need to look elsewhere.

pcrowley203 · Answer

Do there exist devices that "feature the ability to create a VPN tunnel for everything behind the router to" my remote Orbi, rather than to a commercial VPN service?&nbsp; If so, can you name any?

CrimpOn · Answer

pcrowley203&nbsp;wrote:Do there exist devices that "feature the ability to create a VPN tunnel for everything behind the router to" my remote Orbi, rather than to a commercial VPN service?&nbsp; If so, can you name any?Got me there.&nbsp; One example of commercial VPN that works on specific routers is NORD-VPN.They publish a list of routers that support their product (and a list that do NOT) at https://support.nordvpn.com/Connectivity/Router/&nbsp;&nbsp;This is a pretty esoteric situation, and might be "even more complicated".&nbsp; For example, do users on one (or both) system need to have access to the general internet as well as encrypted access to the other Orbi LAN?&nbsp;I confess to having little experience with VPN.&nbsp; It seems to me that there are a couple of general categories of need:I do not want anyone to know who I am or where I am connecting from.&nbsp; The VPN "service" strips out identifying information, such as my public IP address, and forwards it to the ultimate destination(s).&nbsp; Neither they, nor anyone in between know who or where I am.I am in a public place where I do not trust the WiFi provider and want my connection to my Orbi to be encrypted.Your situation sounds (to me) more like a corporate environment where two locations need a secure path between them in addition to their general networking needs.&nbsp; I think this calls for a sophisticated router in front of the Orbi.&nbsp; i.e. Router handles network and Orbi handles only WiFi.&nbsp;Sorry I'm not able to help.

pcrowley203 · Answer

Actually, you have been helpful.&nbsp; Let me add a bit more detail, in case anyone else can contribute.&nbsp;I am a US citizen living in Costa Rica.&nbsp; I have very good internet connectivity, but many destinations recognize my IP address as being in Costa Rica, and that can cause problems.&nbsp;A relative has allowed me to place an Orbi RBR20 in her residence in the US.&nbsp; It is connected to the internet, and I have remote management access to it.&nbsp; I want to route my traffic via router-to-router VPN through that remote router so my traffic will look as though it emanates from the US.&nbsp; Encryption is not required, but I'm guessing is probably part of most if not all VPN solutions, and that's not a problem.&nbsp; I don't want to have to install and maintain VPN software on each of the devices connected to my LAN here in Costa Rica, as that would be a significant hassle.&nbsp; I'd prefer not to rely on a commercial VPN service as, in my (admittedly limited) experience, major web players quickly wise up to them and block their traffic.&nbsp;Currently, my relative uses the Orbi for her own internet traffic but, if that were to prove problematic, I could get her a separate router for her traffic.

CrimpOn · Answer

Well, the two obvious solutions are the ones you have ruled out: (a) VPN software on specific devices, and (b) a commercial VPN provider.My guess is that a generic router that can be flashed with DD-WRT might be compatible with the OpenVPN software built into Orbi.&nbsp; The Orbi could be plugged into that router as an Access Point and the router would take care of bundling everything together into an OpenVPN connection to the US Orbi.&nbsp;What I am every less confident of is whether the Orbi implementation of OpenVPN can handle more than one device coming in over the same VPN connection.&nbsp; I notice that when I connect to my Orbi VPN, I get an IP address of 192.168.2.x (rather than 1.x) and the Orbi Attached Devices says "VPN".&nbsp; Have never tried connecting two devices over VPN at the same time, and have no capability of bundling multiple devices into one VPN connection.&nbsp;Wow.&nbsp; What a humbling discussion.&nbsp; At every step, I know less and less.

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Does the Orbi RBR20 support router-to-router VPN?

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