If you find yourself in need of some online privacy or security, or if you need your staffers at work to access sites that are blocked in your area, you may need to think outside the box to find solutions. You should consider the acquisition and setup of a Cisco Linksys N300 flash router to power all your devices with a VPN, thus having access to all the benefits that the technology can offer. In this article, we will show you how to install your device and open up your world to endless possibilities.
The Cisco Linksys N300 flash router
FlashRouters will offer its customers better firmware plus basic network and VPN service configuration assistance. The Cisco Linksys N300 DD-WRT FlashRouter comes with four Ethernet ports, wireless-N 300 Mbps, OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP ready for use, and DD-WRT Firmware installed. It is compatible worldwide and works with all ISPs.
We need to point out that this router is somewhat underpowered, although it fulfills expectations for its primary routing job. And since it has been flashed with DD-WRT, you can install VPN to encrypt the communications you share through all the devices connected to it.
Setting up a Cisco Linksys DD-WRT router is a very straightforward process. You need to turn off your modem/router, plug in your brand-new N300, and attach it to your modem via an Ethernet cable. Turn them both on, and that’s all!
After you connect, you should check out the router setup section, which has text-only instructions. There, you can change the network name and configure a strong password to secure your device.
When it comes to speeds and performance, the Cisco Linksys N300 Flash Router isn’t very potent. Working with a 20 Mbps broadband connection, it took quite some time to download a 100 MB file. Keep in mind that the N300 device allows three simultaneous connections, a rule that it comfortably fulfills.
VPN with a Cisco N300 router
If you are going to set up a Cisco Linksys N300 flash router, the chances are that you are doing it because you need all the devices in your network to be protected against the many threats associated with the use of the Internet, or you need to unblock international content that has fallen under geo-blocking regulations.
But what exactly is VPN technology? The three-letter word stands for Virtual Private Networks, which are apps that offer encryption services that provide the user with the opportunity to browse the web anonymously since they can hide its online identity, location, and browsing information.
VPNs are handy tools to gain protection against hackers, malware developers, crypto miners, cybercriminals, and other dangerous agents, as well as dodging censorship measures, surveillance, and unwanted advertising.
However, the most appealing trait of VPN technology is the fact that it allows users to change their location virtually. Pages and networks online recognize their visitors’ area through their IP address, but VPN apps can help the customer hide their real one and obtain a temporary one. The user will pick its preferred area from a list of servers that the VPN company manages. That is why people can, for example, unblock Netflix American region from Switzerland, Brazil, Thailand, or any country in the world.
Now, using a VPN slightly slows down the user’s Internet connection, and if you set up the Cisco Linksys N300 flash router, you will note that it doesn’t quite have enough processing power to be considered one of the speediest alternatives in the market. That is why, if you are going to use a VPN – and recent hacking attacks, malware infection, and unauthorized crypto mining cases suggest you should – you need to pick a brand with high seeds and secure encryption.
TorGuard fits that description. It is one of the most widely acclaimed VPN brands because it protects your content like there’s no tomorrow while maintaining more than satisfactory speeds across the board for basic and advanced tasks, such as browsing, gaming, streaming, and even torrenting.
The company implements the military-grade 256-bit encryption and has multiple protocols, including OpenVPN, available. It is highly compatible, as it can be installed on most devices, operating systems, and even in routers.
TorGuard offers users the chance to connect up to five devices at the same time, it has a kill switch, it protects customers against DNS leaks, it has a strict no logging policy, and it has the best customer service staff in the industry, with a complete package that includes access to guides, video tutorials, manuals, an FAQ section, and a highly responsive live chat feature, all for $10 per month.
How to set up a VPN on a Cisco Linksys N300 flash router
- Get a Cisco Linksys N300 FlashRouter
- Connect it to your existing router with an Ethernet cable
- Turn it on
- If your FlashRouter isn’t preconfigured with a particular VPN brand, or if you want to configure your FlashRouter with another VPN server, follow these instructions:
- Sign in to your VPN account
- Click on Set Up on More Devices
- Select the Manual Config
- Choose the OpenVPN tab
- Your username and password will appear, as will a list of OpenVPN configuration files
- Download and save the .ovpn file(s) or locations you want to establish a connection to
- Access your router’s control panel in your web browser. You need to type your Router IP Address in the address bar. The default address is 192.168.11.1
- Then, go to the Services tab
- Click on the VPN tab
- Activate the Start OpenVPN Client option to reveal the OpenVPN configuration panel where you will write your preferred settings and configurations
- After you write your settings, click Save, then Apply Settings
- To find your Server IP/Name and Port, look in the .ovpn config file you downloaded
- Open the .ovpn config file and copy any of the “remote” server cluster names listed in the config file, pasting it in the Server Address/Port field of the OpenVPN basic control panel
In conclusion, while the Cisco Linksys N300 flash router is a little on the “underpowered” side, it is very affordable and, best of all, setting it up would mean a perfect household or office network solution to install a VPN and have all devices enjoy the encryption. If you keep your expectations in check when it comes to speeds, you will be satisfied.
