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VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)

SCGH
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Registered: ‎06-03-2017

VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)

Hi.

 

We need help to select a new router  

 

The background:

We have Fibre Extra and get download speeds of around 65 Mbps.  For several years we have encountered problems with the Hub One dropping out over wifi. The wired connection  is stable, but the wifi works well for a limited period, and then suffers continuous drop outs. Wifi Analyser has been run many times, channels have been tweaked, 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz have been split out and recently 5ghz has been disabled altogether, yet the wifi drop outs persist. Router reboots temporarily resolve the issue, but are a hassle, and frequent reboots cause secondary issues with the line. The best fix is a new router.  We are currently on our 3rd Hub One, and each time a new hub has arrived, it has only lasted 6-9 months or so until the problems return.

 

We currently have a number of wifi devices - phones, computers, tablets, echo dots, doorbell, TVs, Sky Q boxes, and gaming machines (not all online at the same time obviously).  At least one device always seems to have dropped out, and when one reconnects, another one drops. Only a router reboot enables all devices to connect successfully. The unreliably is a huge problem for us. Plusnet support staff have told us our only real option is to get a better, third party router. 

Our Requirements:

We need a powerful dual band router than can send a signal around our house and up to our loft (on good days, the Hub one used to be able to do this).  We want to run a VPN on the router as we have CCTV with a NVR.  We need to connect a number of devices  We need good wifi stability for connecting the PS4 and Nintendo.  Mesh isn’t something we need now due to the cost, but it would be good if the router was compatible for the future. Our budget is up to £150. 

Which router would you recommend?  And which modem if the recommended one is not a router and modem in one?

 

7 REPLIES 7
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)

Have you thought of running ethernet cabling to (for example) the attic or at least a distant point and connecting it to a wireless access point?

This will reduce the wifi load on your Hub One and increase wifi performance on your more distant devices.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

SCGH
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Registered: ‎06-03-2017

Re: VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)

I had considered this, but I still need a router with a VPN to increase security due to opening ports for CCTV. Also the Hub One has proven itself to be unreliable.
Mack
Grafter
Posts: 29
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎08-01-2020

Re: VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)

@SCGH Are you live recording the footage to a server some place else or is the storage device locally within your house?

I am just trying to understand the need for a VPN for the VPN Smiley

SCGH
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Registered: ‎06-03-2017

Re: VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)

The continuous footage is being stored locally in my house on an NVR and small clips triggered by events are sent to a cloud server.  

 

I have been told in the past that by opening ports to enable live CCTV footage to be viewed when away from the home, I am putting myself in a vunerable postion.  So I think running a VPN on the router reduces this risk.

Mack
Grafter
Posts: 29
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎08-01-2020

Re: VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)

@SCGH 

I too run CCTV here at home. It is not NVR, rather more the traditional CCTV with DVR, but still I have a port open for the software to connect.

What I have done is made it an uncommon port externally that then forwards to the native port on my DVR. I have set an extremely long and ambigous password for the admin account, and set up an extra user account for me while im out that only has access to what I need.

Additionally as well as this I have my box setup to ban ip's that fail login 5 times for a set period of time.

This then helps prevent brute force, the http forward is disabled as I only use an app and for me its been working fine.

I am assuming your also behind a dynamic external IP ?

MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,575
Thanks: 5,411
Fixes: 385
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)

@SCGH  @Mack s suggestions will mitigate the security risks of external access to your DVR.

If you still feel you require vpn access then you're probably going to have to look at something that runs dd-wrt, as that provides support for openvpn. Problem is that that dd-wrt tends to be supported on router only hardware and so you're going to need a separate modem.

Either way, you're either going to need  DDNS support or a static ip

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Mack
Grafter
Posts: 29
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎08-01-2020

Re: VPN Router recommendation??? (Hub One no longer works for us)


@MisterW wrote:

Either way, you're either going to need  DDNS support or a static ip


Thank you @MisterW  Smiley

 

I personally would opt for DDNS and Dynamic IP unless there is a really good reason you need static, like back ages ago when I was running a Webserver, mail server, DNS and storage server (as well as local AD).