What is the best affordable and wifi 6 router to have entire network connected to VPN

[Plui]

Hi,

 

I just received my AX3000 (Archer ax55) from TP-LINK and VPN speeds are just awful (see results below).

Bought on Amazon.ca for 129$ CAD

 

TP-LINK support basicaly told me to fuck off

So now I will refund that shit unless someone knows what is the cause or knows a fix.

 

If the router itself is the problem, what would you recommend in the 100-200$ CAD price range that supports:

   - WIFI 6

   - VPN to remote server with OpenVPN

   - Ability to select which devices are connected to the VPN

 

Network configuration at the moment is at the moment:

Modem Router on bridge mode connected to TP-LINK Router

 

I don't want to add pfsense device

 

 

MBPS Speed compared by methods (same server, same location)

 

Surshark using OpenVPN UDP on router (TP-LINK calls it Vpn Client)

 

 

Surfshark using OpenVPN UDP

 

 

Surfshark Windows App

 

No VPN

[Falcon1986]

1 hour ago, Plui said:

and VPN speeds are just awful

To maintain a VPN connection, the router's CPU has to be powerful enough to do so. Most consumer routers don't have powerful-enough CPUs, but standalone PCs running the client (like you've observed) don't have such an issue.

 

And while you might not want to hear it, that's why pfSense appliances tend to perform better at these tasks. But in general, the greater amount of bandwidth you want to maintain over a VPN connection, the more you're going to have to invest in the hardware.

 

1 hour ago, Plui said:

Ability to select which devices are connected to the VPN

I don't think that is going to happen with consumer-grade routers at that price. What you're asking for sounds like selective VPN routing. This should be possible in pfSense.

 

How much of your bandwidth do you want to preserve over VPN?

[Alex Atkin UK]

Indeed, my pfSense box over OpenVPN:

 

Wireguard:

 

Also bear in mind over OpenVPN it comes very close to maxing the CPU core, so the more uploading you are doing its likely going to slow the download speed.

 

Those were done on two different clients using policy routing, so also meets your "select which devices are connected to the VPN".

[Plui]

Looks like the a pfsense device is the way then!

 

Didn't want to have to buy router and pfsense but its fine.

 

I think you are right, there is most likely nothing in that price range.

Thank you to both of you for your detailed responses

[Alex Atkin UK]

Just bear in mind if you're using OpenVPN then the CPUs single-threaded performance is key to faster speeds.

 

I tend to use CPU Benchmark as a rough estimate when choosing hardware.  Although you also have to be aware of the CPUs TDP for the hardware you are buying.  My unit is this one with the lowest RAM and SSD option.