I have a RT-AX86U that has an option to allow for WAN connections to the GUI, but says a more preferable option would be to use a VPN. Now, I kinda halfway understand VPNs for watching netflix in another country but I don’t get how that would work if I just wanted to log in from work to open a port or something…can anyone talk me through this?
Now, I kinda halfway understand VPNs for watching netflix in another country
And this is the problem with how they are marketed.
A VPN is for privately, and securely, connecting multiple networks together. It’s not “for watching content in another country”
Those damn services are nothing but PROXIES that utilize VPN technology to connect your device/network to their proxy.
The original intent of a VPN was for connecting sites together securely, and is still used in this fashion all over the world with businesses and remote workforce.
What you are looking for is hosting your own VPN server on your network/router.
OpenVPN, PPTP/LTSP, Wireguard, etc. are all protocols you can use for remote connectivity back to your network. You can host them for free at your house.
You can use Netmaker for this.
A VPN is like a tunnel, that much is true. For those services, one end is in your country and the other end is on a server in another country. What you want is one end on your device and the other end in your home. Then when you want to access your router, you can do it through the tunnel.
Look into PiVPN. Will allow your phone, tablet, laptop, etc to remotely connect to your home network. I set up Wiregurd vpn service on mine and it’s worked really well. It can run on just about any Linux OS, not just a Pi.
If you just want to connect to a single PC back home, look into teamviewer or AnyDesk, etc for remote software.
There are more details to each item below, but in summary, this is how it works:
- Install & configure a VPN server at home
- Install VPN clients on your devices, configure them to use the VPN server at home
- When you’re away from home, connect your device to the VPN server at home
Your device will appear like it’s coming from your home network, even though you’re not home. Thus if you’re in Mexico, when you VPN home (in the US), you can watch US Netflix.
There are some details you need to take care of when installing a VPN server at home. FYI: The Complete Guide to Setting up a WireGuard® VPN Server at Home with pcWRT – pcWRT
Ok, but is that going to route ALL the traffic through the VPN? I just want to be able to connect to the router GUI remotely (and I guess securely).
Ok. So let’s say I have the vpn server running on my router. What process do you use to connect to it? It’s there a program?
All what traffic?
If you create a VPN server at home, you connect remotely to it. It doesn’t tunnel your internal traffic OUT.
Depending on how you setup the server it also won’t force all your remote device traffic through it.
You would connect to the VPN, do what you needed in the GUI and then disconnect. But yes, while you are connected all traffic would be pushed through the VPN. There are hybrid setups that are more complicated but permit local network access too.
What process do you use to connect to it? It’s there a program?
A VPN CLIENT
But yes, while you are connected all traffic would be pushed through the VPN.
Not necessarily. Split tunnel is the default configuration in most VPN setups.