The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Gone are the days when what you did on the internet was no one’s concern. Today, even with a whole internet suite, your web activity isn’t guaranteed to be secure. Snoopers, ISPs, and governments have become increasingly active in monitoring our online activities.
That being the case, prioritizing our online privacy is now a matter of utmost importance, and the best and easiest way to do this is by using a VPN.
What is a VPN?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a tool that encrypts your internet traffic and hides your online identity by assigning your device an IP address different from your real IP address. You can think of it as a secure tunnel that transfers data between your devices and the sites and pages you visit. When you use Surfshark VPN, no third-party, not even your ISP, can see the data that is being sent to and from your device.
Although some providers can’t be trusted on their VPN services offer incredibly reliable services. To ensure you get the right product, here’s a comprehensive overview of the best VPN providers.
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- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
Why do you need a VPN?
To Secure Public Wi-Fi
If you often use public Wi-Fi say at the airport, hotel, or coffee shop, a VPN is super important. This is because public hotspots are usually unsecured, something that makes it easier for hackers to access your information when you connect to the network.
To prevent this, you can employ a VPN to encrypt your data. With encryption, nobody will be able to access your device or steal your data and/ or personal information.
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- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
You can bypass a restrictive network with a VPN
If you reside in a ‘high-risk’ country, the services and sites you can access on the internet are limited. ISPs and governments can impose restrictions on different sites to cater to their interest.
A VPN is particularly helpful in sidestepping these restrictions. It will allow you to connect to a server outside your country, making it appear as if you are accessing the internet from a different location and consequently circumventing any. This also applies to corporate and school networks.
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- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
It gives you access to blocked content
Streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime geo-restrict the content they offer. For instance, the content available to a Netflix subscriber in the UK is different from that available to a subscriber in the US. If you are in Australia and need to access US Netflix to follow up on the latest episodes of your favorite show, a VPN is all you need.
Just remember to choose a VPN capable of unlocking the media service you are subscribed to. Once you set up the VPN, connect to a US server and you’ll get access to US-only Netflix shows.
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- 【DUAL BAND WIFI 7 TRAVEL ROUTER】Products with US, UK, EU, AU Plug; Dual band network with wireless speed 688Mbps (2.4G)+2882Mbps (5G); Dual 2.5G Ethernet Ports (1x WAN and 1x LAN Port); USB 3.0 port.
- 【NETWORK CONTROL WITH TOUCHSCREEN SIMPLICITY】Slate 7’s touchscreen interface lets you scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi, monitor speed in real time, toggle VPN on/off, and switch providers directly on the display. Color-coded indicators provide instant network status updates for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience.
- 【OpenWrt 23.05 FIRMWARE】The Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is a high-performance Wi-Fi 7 travel router, built with OpenWrt 23.05 (Kernel 5.4.213) for maximum customization and advanced networking capabilities. With 512MB storage, total customization with open-source freedom and flexible installation of OpenWrt plugins.
- 【VPN CLIENT & SERVER】OpenVPN and WireGuard are pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers (active subscription required). Simply log in to your existing VPN account with our portable wifi device, and Slate 7 automatically encrypts all network traffic within the connected network. Max. VPN speed of 100 Mbps (OpenVPN); 540 Mbps (WireGuard). *Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【PERFECT PORTABLE WIFI ROUTER FOR TRAVEL】The Slate 7 is an ideal portable internet device perfect for international travel. With its mini size and travel-friendly features, the pocket Wi-Fi router is the perfect companion for travelers in need of a secure internet connectivity on the go in which includes hotels or cruise ships.
Download & share files privately
Over the past few years, we have witnessed crackdowns in file downloading and sharing. And although we do not in any way support torrenting or sharing of copyrighted data, it’s never easy differentiating between free and pirated content.
For that reason, it’s highly advisable that you use a VPN whenever you want to stream using free apps such as Kodi or you want to download/ stream torrent files. The VPN will let you do so privately, securely, and anonymously.
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- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
You can avoid throttling using a VPN
Internet service providers are known to throttle your speeds intentionally, especially when you are making heavy downloads. Others do so when they notice you are using a lot of bandwidth through torrents.
A VPN can easily help you get past this. It will encrypt your web traffic, and your ISP wouldn’t know what you are accessing. All they’ll know is that you are connected to a VPN.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Wrap up
There are several other reasons to use a VPN, such as making purchases from locations where products are on discount, but the above are reasons enough to get a VPN. You can start enjoying your right to privacy by subscribing to one of the top VPNs.
Quick Recap
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