VPN streaming

[JimW]

Thanks @DrNoob ,

I forgot to mention that...

Yes, I too have the WireGuad app installed on my Windows laptop and my Android phone. With this, you do not need the travel router (as each device then has its own VPN software).

The main reasons I take the travel router:

1. Ease with my family. With the travel router, my whole family can just connect to it like any Wifi access point. There's nothing on their part they need to do. They connect with their laptop or phone to the WiFi the travel router broadcasts and they're protected and routed back to the US. Using the software below , each person needs it installed ib each of ther devices and then they need to remember to activate it when going online.​

​

2. Supposedly faster connection. The two travel routers establish the VPN and do all the encryption/decryption in the hardware of the devices. Using the software, your PC/Windows is doing the work alongside whatever else is being processed at the time. Because the WireGuard protocol itself is more efficient and faster though, I'm not sure if this would lead to any noticeable issue when steaming movies. (especially on a phone where the resolution of the screen reduces the need for large bandwidth streaming)​

Regardless of which option is at the client end (software installed on each individual device or one hardware travel router shared amongst all devices), the benefits to me of this setup, especially receiving SMS/MFA/Banking/Credit Card or similar authorizations without triggering fraud prevention and/or other verification steps, are a huge benefit when traveling from the US to the DR.

 

[JimW]

One last thing I wanted to add above but the 5 min. editing timer ran out...​

​

3. Remote working/company laptop. Some companies lock-down their laptops where you cannot install software on them. In such cases, installing the software VPN on them can't be done and the travel router is the only way to go for those cases.​

 

[DrNoob]

The wireguard processing is not that cpu-intensive (the GL.iNet routers are like dual-core 1-1.2 GHZ with 512MB RAM IIRC) but for family-use, the travel router makes perfect sense. If it is pre-configured on their phones/devices, you wont have to play IT support on the vacation.

 

[gregvolt]

@DrNood. You do the connection thru your Phone? (no carrying a router)

if your router supports open vpn, you can just save the open vpn key that the router generated to your phone, then get the openvpn client for your phone from the app store and load the key into ti.. bam, your phone vpn's to your home wherever you are, even if youre actually on cellular service and not on wifi

 

[gregvolt]

one other thing about vpn to your home network, if you have shared folders or a network drive in your home, you can move files to it as though you are at home on your home network.. phone getting filled up with photos and videos while youre away? move them to your shared folder on your pc at home.

 

[DrNoob]

one other thing about vpn to your home network, if you have shared folders or a network drive in your home, you can move files to it as though you are at home on your home network.. phone getting filled up with photos and videos while youre away? move them to your shared folder on your pc at home.

Yup, works great for smaller files and if you have Plex/Jellyfin you can stream your media library over the VPN.

 

[gregvolt]

Yup, works great for smaller files and if you have Plex/Jellyfin you can stream your media library over the VPN.

i use solid explorer file browser that lets me connect to the network shares then when i click a media file in a regular folder, i can play it with any media player on the phone as though the file is on the phone itself.