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Forum Discussion
NORD VPN - is there a reasonable priced router that works with it and Orbi?
Hi
i have a very small consultancy in the U.K. and Italy and swop between locations - I chose Nord VPN as I am not tecky and the reviews were good, similarly I chose the Orbi RBR50 and mesh extenders - a real surprise to find they are incompatible. To get round this does anyone know of a reasonable priced router that I could install NordVPN on that the RBR50 would also link to?
thanks
Clive
20 Replies
You might review this setup:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/VPN-Router-behind-Orbi/m-p/1793164#M69289
Hi - many thanks
Just to check - you are recommending a Netgear R7000 router for me to connect the Orbi RBR50 to. I had contacted Netgear and they had told me none of their routers were compatible with Nord VPN, though another community posting had talked about flashing the router with third party firmware - which I was hoping to avoid. So, with the setting changes in the reply, no flashing needed and it all works? Sorry, for the idiot questions, I just want to ensure I don't buy something else that doesn't work together!
mamy thanks again
Clive
I would make contact with the users in that forum thread to see what was all done and if all is still working. The R7000 was what they used. There are newer model routers that may support VPN, though not sure if NORD will work specifically. There is R7800 and R8000 series routers as well which I would check into. I would also contact NordVPN and ask them what specifically works for there product.
CWR wrote:does anyone know of a reasonable priced router that I could install NordVPN on that the RBR50 would also link to?
thanks
NordVPN has a web page that specifies routers that are compatible and easy to set up: https://support.nordvpn.com/Connectivity/Router/1087269942/Which-router-should-I-use-with-NordVPN.htm There are tons of less costly solutions (including Netgear routers), but most them involve using 3rd party firmware on the router. Nerds like us LOVE doing this. (My hunch is that you would not.)
Hi
yes - you are right! I seek the simple life where software and hardware connect with the minimum of effort and you only have to replace things when they wear out rather than no longer able to connect.... (crazy eh). Yup, I did check that out - and yes that is where I saw Nord also saying the Netgear Orbi was not compatible and people talking about scary stuff over flashing 3rd party software onto routers.... I was hoping someone had identified a different brand of router that would talk to the Orbi router so the Orbi became an access point(?) and would allow me to install Nord...
Thanks
Clive
Fair question - I am an old(ish) manager of infrastructure projects who now part-time helps companies with project controls, strategy and enterprise risk advice. Some of the companies I support are very concerned about data security due to patents and licence information and recommend the use of a VPN and also have a list of approved VPN providers. As I split my time between UK and Italy - out of the list I chose Nord - I liked Nord becaue it regularly comes out well in the reviews and because friends recommended it.
Thanks
Clive
Clive,
This does not answer the question I'm afraid.
With these VPN providers you build a VPN tunnel to the provider ... and from there the connections go out to the wild Internet. 99% of this is for hide-my-ass or to have an IP somewhere in another country to access location limited services, like national TV services.A VPN (in business terms) is used to connect two or multiple sites, or to connect in a secure way to the corporate network, building a secure extension to your computer (or site).
Regards,-Kurt
CWR wrote:
Does anyone know of a reasonable priced router that I could install NordVPN on that the RBR50 would also link to?Define "reasonably priced". The least expensive Asus routers recommended by NordVPN seem to be no longer available. Those that are available are priced from $93 to $133 on Amazon (US). The frustrating part is that modern routers all include WiFi features which cost money, but would need to be turned off to keep using the Orbi system effectively. NordVPN recommends Asus routers because they come with OpenVPN Client as part of the software.
Since WiFi capabilities can be ignored, there are lots of inexpensive routers which can be loaded with 2rd party firmware to support OpenVPN Client. That saves money but involves technical effort.
I, also, wonder about the need for VPN. If the point is to protect sensitive information, then using SSL web sites and data transfers is appropriate. Using VPN to obscure location seems pointless.
Many thanks for the reply. My part time work just expects me to jump on and off the VPN while working, but I find that a pain due to the impact on Sonos and Google Home - so an Asus router (anything around 100GBP is fine) with the Orbi as an access point (if I have that right), seems a sensible way to go.
many thanks
Clive
I can't help but think that I am "missing" something in this problem.
- There are two locations: UK and Italy. As a consultant, you (a) travel to both locations and from there need to access a resource that is somewhere else?, or (b) are in a third location and need to alternately access networks in UK and Italy and both of those networks require that you VPN into them?
- I struggle to see how Sonos or Google Home would be affected by a computer doing a VPN to UK and/or Italy.
Sorry to be so dense
CWR wrote:Does anyone know of a reasonable priced router that I could install NordVPN on that the RBR50 would also link to?
How about "free"? A developer called Voxel has been releasing firmware for a number of WiFi routers, including the Orbi RBR50.
The latest version came out today, and includes OpenVPN Client, which is what you are looking for.
Basically, one downloads the firmware files for Orbi router and satellite, saves a copy of the configuration file, then manually install the firmware on (first) the satellite(s) and then the router. Reboot, load the configuration file, and you are back in business.
Several people who post on the forum have done this, including me. I have copies of the official Netgear firmware 2.5.1.8 and the config file, so if I want to I can change back. (Actually, I am too timid. I bought a used RBR50 on eBay and put the firmware on that. I keep the original (stock) Orbi for testing.)
This is, of course, exactly like buying a $100 router and flashing open source firmware on it, except it doesn't cost anything but the time which would be spent in either case.
Here's a link to Voxel's forum, which has links to every version he has released:
At the bottom is a link to the firmware download page.
Impressive - but I am too checken to do that - maybe if I had a used RBR50 off ebay I would :) ! There are free VPNs, a brother in law who lives in Sweden uses a free one to access German TV (he used to live there, and thinks it better than Swedish TV). I will try the cheap Asus router - route, making sure the model has Open VPN software as recommended.
Many thanks for all the suggestions
Clive
Clive,
Still unclear and confusing what for you think you have to use that NordVPN for - this does not give you much (or any) more security - and have the requirement of a (sorry: dumb) router having an OpenVPN client implementation. CrimpOn put up some pointers before ...
In a time where Internet connections reach 1 Gigabit/s or 10 Gigabit/s it's impossible to have the same bandwidth routed through (any) VPN service - and why all devices on the LAN should communicate through a VPN. Even if you pay an extraordinary high price for the VPN service, most of these consumer routers can never deal with the encryption power required for the bandwidth.
If you work remotely on behalf of your customers on their network, you would establish a VPN direct to their network VPN infrastructure. But you don't want all you local devices and traffic (Google Home, Sonos, ...) run over your customers network (and Internet connection).
In case you are say a PEP (politically exposed person) you might want to have all your communication VPNed to a trusted country for free speech reasons - what can be difficult.
I would understand that you might have some services hosted at one site, e.g. a NAS with your business data, and want to access this primary site in a secured path so set-up a VPN between your two locations. But for this there is no need for any VPN service provider.
Best example is your brother in law - he want to access Internet TV abroad (to overcome location restrictions), but has no need to have all the other traffic routed to Germany through a VPN. Other family members want to see Swedish TV, or other location limited services. E-banking can be restricted again, or cloud security might send you warnings that you have used your account from a county you have never visited, ... Doing so would require a smart router with policy routing, where you can route only some services, a specific computer on the LAN to use the VPN service. Nothing a consumer router with a simple OpenVPN client can do.
This is about everything. For surfing the Internet, work on your customers Web or cloud services, you don't need Nord VPN an the likes. Many of these service provider are massively overmarketing the needs for such a service.
Enough said for now.
Regards,-Kurt
