this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
8 points (100.0% liked)

Cybersecurity

5618 readers
169 users here now

c/cybersecurity is a community centered on the cybersecurity and information security profession. You can come here to discuss news, post something interesting, or just chat with others.

THE RULES

Instance Rules

Community Rules

If you ask someone to hack your "friends" socials you're just going to get banned so don't do that.

Learn about hacking

Hack the Box

Try Hack Me

Pico Capture the flag

Other security-related communities [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Notable mention to [email protected]

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Hi all,

I want to setup a router in my network that would cover my whole household under VPN. I bought a DSL-AC88U but I think it might be too outdated for this purpose (I've seen a lot of posts online with people having trouble setting it up after 2021) so I think I will be returning it.

I manged to get it for $70 on an auction, and that's a rough ballpark of my budget on it atm. Maybe stretching it to $100 (I don't mind buying used).

Is there a router you could recommend? Thanks

top 8 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Anything that runs OpenWRT should do. Including possibly your AC88U. At least the non modem version is officially supported https://openwrt.org/toh/asus/rt-ac88u

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Problem is, the router mention there is the RT not DSL - one that one ordered

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Yup, you'll have to more digging for the DSL part. But it doesn't change my original answer: anything that runs OpenWRT.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's outside your budget, but you should look at Firewalla. I think their least expensive model is the Blue Plus, but it provides security capabilities like firewall and VPN as well as routing and DHCP. The Gold even supports Docker containers - I'm running PiHole in a Docker on my Gold. I'm not using VPN client capabilities, but I know they're there.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm asking as I'm in the process of degooglifying myself (including a Synology NAS drive) and I want to restrict access to my data from 3rd parties.

I have a plethora of devices in my household, some of them don't support any sort of VPN Client apps (like video game consoles) so I thought it would be a good idea to have a VPN on the router level so I don't have to install a client on every possible device.

Is expensive router an only way of doing this or achieving this level of anonimity on a network level?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

ZDNet has an article recommending 5 VPN routers from $79 to $250. I am not familiar with all of them, but it should get you started. I like the Firewalla product because of the other security features it provides, like blocking incoming traffic flows or device-specific service rules, and PiHole is amazing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I would honestly recommend buying an old laptop with a broken screen (or an old netbook or something, make sure it has an Ethernet port), a decent DSL modem, a USB network adapter, and a switch if you need it. Now you've got everything you need to make a super capable router. Install a very basic Linux distribution and get NAT setup (it's like 4 or 5 commands), configure the firewall, and your VPN software of choice. I've run a setup like this for years and it's great, because any time a component is "out-of-date" you just update that component. For example, you need AX WiFi instead of AC, just upgrade the WiFi adapter).

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

@quizno50 @CoachDom
Sometimes you get cheap leasing returns as well. Those mini workstations where you just need to buy a hard disk and get a well equipped computer.

It looks better than a Laptop and can be extended more easily (less soldered parts).