Sunday, April 30, 2017

VPN on the router with Tomato, DD-WRT, OpenWRT & Co.

Users who want to travel anonymously on the Internet are going online via a VPN connection. The disadvantage of this method is that it is device-based. If a user has installed the software of the VPN provider on his desktop PC, it does not work when he is online with his tablet. Here is an app. However, if a VPN provider does not provide apps for Android and / or iOS, the user can manually configure the VPN connection. However, this is not an option for smart TVs, video game consoles, Blu-ray players, and other network-enabled devices, as there is no way to set up a VPN connection.


Preparatory work


This is where Tomato, DD-WRT and OpenWRT come into play. Simply put, this is router firmware that has been modified by resourceful developers and extended by additional features. One of the most important hacks is the possibility to set up the VPN connection directly in the router so that all devices connected to the router are on the Internet through a VPN server.


VPN firmware to flashen the router


The only problem: Only selected router models can be operated with such a firmware. You can find out which devices are supported in detail on the homepages of the respective developers.


Basic setup of the router


In this article, we are exploring the Tomato firmware for an Asus RT-N66U version B.1.


Configure VPN connection


Important: The flashing of a device with a modified firmware is a risky subject, which in an extreme case can cause the router to be booted. Users who do not want to take the risk can buy a router at Flashrouters.com, which is already configured for use with a freely selectable VPN provider. Supported are Hide My Ass, CyberGhost, and VyprVPN.


Before you get to work, you first have to download and unpack all necessary files. On the one hand, this is the recovery tool, with which you can upload the modified Tomato firmware to your Asus router. On the other hand, this is the firmware itself.


You can download the recovery tool from the support section of the Asus homepage. Make sure you load the version for Windows 7 and play the same.


The modified firmware can be found on the developer's page. Click Download, select Tomato Firmwares, and choose the appropriate kernel. If you are not quite sure which one is suitable for your router, check the supported devices via Help and Router List. In the Version column, you will find the information you are looking for. In this example, we use the all-in-one version of the K26RT-N kernel: tomato- K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-132-AIO.zip.


If you already have experience with the rooting of Android devices, the basic approach may seem familiar. To install a firmware that is not signed by the manufacturer, you must first set the router to the restoration mode.


If not, disconnect the power supply from the unit. On the back of the Asus router, there is a push button between the two USB ports and the WAN port that is connected to the DSL port or modem - the reset switch. Press this switch with a pointed object downwards, plug the power cable back on and hold the reset switch until the power LED flashes.


On the computer that is connected to the router by LAN cable, click Start / All Programs / ASUS Utility / RT-N66U Wireless Router and Firmware Restoration to start the tool of the same name. Click Browse, browse to the directory where the unzipped firmware file is stored, and then select the TRX file. Click Upload and confirm the warning, which indicates that the firmware is not intended for the router, with Yes. Now the modified firmware is transferred to the device, which can take several minutes.


Do not switch off the router during flashing! When the process is completed, the router will restart automatically. The Firmware Restoration tool issues an error message stating that contact with the wireless device failed. Ignore this message. You can check it all easily by checking the wireless networks with a WLAN-enabled device: If the WLANs Tomato24 and Tomato50 were switched on, the flashing was successful.


Now the basic configuration of the router is on the program. Call up the IP address 192.168.1.1 in the browser, and log on with the root account and admin password to open the Tomato configuration interface. Before you go to the basic configuration, it is advisable to delete all old settings.


Lesetipp


In the left column, select Administration and click Configuration. Under Restore Default Configuration, select Erase all data in NVRAM memory (thorough) and confirm with OK twice to start the process. Then set up the router as usual. Of course, the Internet connection you can access via Basic / Network / WAN / Internet, as well as WLAN security: Basic / Network / Wireless


A number of (paying) anonymization services can be used for integration into the router, such as Hide my Ass, Perfect Privacy or Goldenfrog.


Lesetipp: VPN Provider Comparison: Hide my Ass, Cyberghost & Co. in the test


On Goldenfrog, go to the Goldenfrog.com/DE/vyprvpn/vpn-apps page, select the Router menu, click Step-by-Step VPN Router setup instructions, and copy the code that appears in step 4. Make sure you select the code that matches the CPU of your router!


Go to the router configuration screen, click Tools and System Commands, add the just copied command, and then execute it with Execute. If everything worked out, the message installation successful can be seen.


Press the F5 key to refresh the web page, which now appears in a new design. In the left column, select VYPRVPN, click Connection, type your credentials, and then click LOG IN. Then select the desired VPN site and the encryption method, and then click CONNECT


Very interesting is the function Per Device VPN, since you can specify here which devices can only go online if a VPN connection exists. To do this, click Connected Devices next to the desired device and select VPN Required

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