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New router for OpenVPN access to home network

higgles
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎06-02-2014

New router for OpenVPN access to home network

Hi,

I'm currently using an ASUS RT-N66U router with Merlin firmware.  I'm looking to set up a VPN into my home network but I've run into a speed issue.  I've set up OpenVPN on the router and can connect OK.  However, when I try to transfer any files over the VPN, the speed drops to an unusable level and the routers CPU load shoots up to 100%.  My gut feeling is that the router is not powerful enough to be able to encode the VPN packets, hence the low speed. 

With all of this in mind, I'm on the lookout for a new router.  Does anyone have any recommendations?  (I'm on an ECI cab and I'm currently using the BTOR ECI modem).

Thanks

4 REPLIES 4
SafetyOn
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎20-02-2018

Re: New router for OpenVPN access to home network

After a similar hunt for a router man enough to run an OpenVPN client at full rate, I eventually settled on a Netgear Nighthawk R7000 with TomatoUSB firmware. The hardware's easily up to the job (I rarely exceed 15-20% CPU load with both OpenVPN client and server simultaneously running flat out), and the TomatoUSB firmware is as fully-featured as you could want. It's not cheap, and size/looks might not appeal to everyone, but it does the business.

engeeaitch
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎20-02-2018

Re: New router for OpenVPN access to home network

Hi @SafetyOn - could you help with a couple more questions please - did you run your Netgear as your main router, or did you run it behind the Plusnet One Hub?  and if you used it as your main router, did it run at the same speed (I've currently got close to 80 Mbps, but I've read that with some of the other firmware drivers you get a slower speed).

Thanks.

SafetyOn
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎20-02-2018

Re: New router for OpenVPN access to home network

I still have the old Openreach modem, so the R7000 is my main router. I get a consistent 70Mbps with the TomatoUSB  firmware, but since that's still more than the Openreach predicted maximum for my line I'm pretty sure that it's limited by the modem/ line quality, not the router.

SafetyOn
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎20-02-2018

Re: New router for OpenVPN access to home network

One thing I should add is that if you're looking to run applications like OpenVPN on the router you need to make sure that it has enough NVRAM, as that's where encryption keys need to be stored so that they'll survive a router reboot. The R7000 has 64kB of NVRAM, which is enough for the router webserver interface and OpenVPN server and client. I tried several other cheaper router types that were powerful enough for my needs, but lacked the necessary NVRAM capacity.