FAQ’s For Your Own VPN Setup

Using a commercial VPN (virtual private network) such as NordVPN or ExpressVPN is an option; but a self-hosted VPN at home is recommended, as sophisticated IT systems can detect commercial VPNs by referencing databases of known IP addresses from these providers. Moreover, tunnelling your traffic adds an extra layer of protection against potential snooping in general. For increased reliability, consider setting up a backup VPN server (which will be a Home Router) at yours or a family member’s home, focusing on locations with the fastest internet connections.

The Silver option will:

• Give you your own ISP (Internet Service Provider) Router ↔️ Home Router ↔️ Travel Router ↔️ Your devices setup (this flow is your VPN).
• Be complete in up to 2 working days after a short router configuration form is completed (this form will be sent to you after purchase).
• Support for up to 7 days after the setup is complete.

The Gold option will:

• Provide you with everything in the Silver option
• Optional configuration for up to 4 travel or home routers at once.
• Be complete in up to 1 working day after a short router configuration form is completed (this form will be sent to you after purchase).
• Support for up to 14 days after the setup is complete.

What these options do not give you:

• A home router (you will need to buy one of the supported home routers first).
• A travel router (you will need to buy one of the supported travel routers first).
• Any accessories for connecting to your travel router (e.g. ethernet cables/adapters)
• Ongoing support after the first 7 (Silver)/14 (Gold) days.

Here is a list of the routers that I’ll be supporting at the moment (click to view):

Tip:

• If you need to connect to your Home Router using Wifi while at home and want better speeds while away, go for the Flint 2 (home router) / Slate AX (travel router) combination.
• If you don’t need Wifi for your home server/router and want decent speeds and a cheaper option, go for the Blume 2 (home router) / Slate AX (travel router) combination.

A travel router creates a secure VPN tunnel between your home network and your travel router. The home router connects to the internet via your existing ISP, while the travel router links to the home router using VPN encryption, ensuring privacy and consistent access to your home IP address.

The connection uses modern VPN encryption protocols like providing high-grade security against unauthorised access.

If the VPN connection drops, your internet traffic may route through the default unprotected connection. Luckily, I’ll set up your network with a kill switch that will be always on to block internet traffic until the VPN reconnects.

You can check this in your Tailscale account on the ‘Machines’ tab (it will be the default page when you log in):

Here’s is an example of an offline travel router:

In order for the VPN to work, your home router must be always on and connected to an internet source (e.g. your Internet Service Provider’s router).

With this configuration, the system prioritizes the Ethernet connection by default and seamlessly falls back to Wi-Fi if the Ethernet connection is interrupted. An added advantage of this setup is that both Ethernet and Wi-Fi can operate simultaneously, providing enhanced connectivity options.

• Use a higher-speed internet source at your home location.
• Minimise the number of devices connected where necessary.
• If you’re connected to your travel router using Wifi, use the 5 GHz connection.

The outcome will vary based on several factors, but here’s a usual scenario: connecting to the travel router via Wi-Fi while staying in a hotel.

To calculate the maximum speeds for this setup, let’s evaluate how each step affects the process. The maximum download speed for the travel router is limited by the lower of two factors: the ISP’s upload speed and the local network’s bottlenecks.

1. ISP to Flint Router

• Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) provides 1 Gbps download and 300 Mbps upload.
• The home router supports up to 900 Mbps download, but its performance is limited by the ISP’s 300 Mbps upload. (The connection from the ISP router to the home router will be through Ethernet)

Result: The home router can send a maximum of 300 Mbps to connected devices.

2. Home Router (acts as a server) to Travel Router

• The home router (e.g. Flint 2) forwards a maximum of 300 Mbps due to the ISP’s upload limit.
• The travel router (e.g. Slate AX) supports up to 550 Mbps, but it is limited by the Flint 2 router’s output of 300 Mbps.

Result: The travel router can receive a maximum of 300 Mbps from the home router.

3. Travel Router to Laptop via Wi-Fi

• The travel router has Wi-Fi with a maximum of 550 Mbps download speed, but real-world Wi-Fi speeds are typically lower due to signal degradation, device limitations, and interference.
• The travel router is fed by 300 Mbps from the home router, which becomes the effective maximum that the laptop can receive.

Result: The laptop connected to the travel router via Wi-Fi will receive a maximum of 300 Mbps, assuming ideal conditions.

4. Hotel Wi-Fi Connection

The hotel Wi-Fi provides a maximum of 80 Mbps.

If the Slate AX is connected to the hotel Wi-Fi, the bottleneck is the hotel’s 80 Mbps limit, overriding the ISP connection.

Result: If the travel router is on hotel Wi-Fi, the maximum download speed for the laptop is 80 Mbps.

Final Speed Summary Example

At home using the ISP connection: Download speed to laptop: 1 Gbps. Upload speed to laptop: 300 Mbps.

At the hotel using hotel Wi-Fi: Download speed to laptop: 80 Mbps. Upload speed to laptop (variable, but it will be usually less than the download speed).

Tip: Always use Ethernet where you can to improve speeds.

Yes, the GL.iNet routers support corporate VPNs through Wifi or Ethernet as your data is routed through your home router before the corporate VPN connection is made.

Yep! Similarly to using it with corporate VPNs the GL.iNet routers support commercial VPNs through Wifi or Ethernet as your data is routed through your home router before the commercial VPN connection is made.

No, settings are saved, so the router will reconnect automatically to the VPN when powered back on.

Yes, some GL.iNet models have multiple Ethernet ports (like the Beryl AX & Slate AX travel routers).

As long as the travel router can connect to a Wi-Fi or Ethernet network, it can function anywhere with internet access.

Yes, the setup is compatible with most ISPs. Ensure your home internet has sufficient upload bandwidth for a smooth connection.

No, as Tailscale offers free and paid plans. Basic functionality such as monitoring your devices on your VPN network may suffice for most users, so you will not need to pay for any plan. A Tailscale account will be needed before the VPN setup.

The VPN routes your internet traffic through your home network, preserving your home IP address as seen by external entities.

No, you should never configure the router, debug it, or connect to the Admin Panel using your work laptop. Your work laptop should only be used to connect to the internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. All configuration tasks should be performed using a different device to ensure security and compliance with company policies.