VPN on basic Plusnet router?

[#1]

Hi all,

Just wondering if the basic Plusnet router has the capability for VPN? If not how can I go about getting a VPN set up with my PC?

Regards,

Gerald

[#2]

You could get a router that does support VPNs and put it in your Plusnet router's DMZ.  It works with Draytek Vigor 2830s, which you can get from eBay for under £20.  If you bought a new Vigor 2860 you'd be able to use it instead of your Plusnet router (2860 has a VDSL modem, 2830 doesn't - but you can connect the Plusnet router to its WAN2 port instead).

[#3]

Dan is correct, I've used both Draytek's he mentioned, both work.  The awful Technicolor thing they supply is not capable of VPN connections.

[#4]

Other options such as OpenVPN / StrongSwan on a Raspberry Pi are also possible depending on your technical expertise.

[#5]

Thanks for the replies,

I've ordered the Draytek Vigor 2830 (can't afford the 2860) :-). do I connect the Vigor before or after The plusnet router? Are there any simple set up instructions available for a 71 year oldwhose brain cells are slowing down?

Thanks,

Gerald

[#6]

Before you do anything you plug the Draytek router into the mains, and turn it on.  After it has booted up, press and hold the Reset button (with a SIM card ejector, tip of a pencil, unfolded paperclip etc) for 10 seconds, let go, and wait for the router to wipe and restart itself.  Then go to the Draytek website and download the latest firmware update and install that.

You keep the Plusnet router connected.  Unplug all your devices from it, and connect them to the Draytek. Have one network cable leaving the Plusnet router and connect it to the WAN2 port on the Draytek router.  In the Plusnet router's admin pages you can give the Draytek router a fixed internal IP and put that in the DMZ.

On the Draytek router you enable WAN2 and tell it to get its IP address via DHCP. Then you're online via the Draytek router.  With the Plusnet router at 192.168.1.254 I'd set the Draytek to work in the range 10.xx.xx.xx so you can tell instantly that your devices are connected properly by seeing that they have 10.xx.xx.xx IP addresses and now 192.168.1.xx addresses.

Then you can set VPNs, using the Draytek router, either Draytek to Draytek or a user login.

[#7]

@warmbells

Before I bought my 2860 I had a 2820 working with an Openreach modem.

That worked well and allows incoming VPN connections (which may or may not be what you are looking to do).

Compared with an ISP router, the 28XX series is quite complicated to set up but the Draytek support is good (register on their website).