Best VPNs for Netgear Routers in 2021

ExpressVPN is an easy first pick to pair with Netgear, largely due to the superior security features it offers along with the provider’s huge server network. ExpressVPN has more than 3,000 servers worldwide, which means you can access everything from US Netflix to BBC iPlayer from practically anywhere in the world. This large collection of servers is one of the many reasons ExpressVPN can reliably produce excellent connection speeds. 

Another impressive string to ExpressVPN’s bow is its long list of security features. As well as providing users with AES-256 bit encryption, a kill-switch, and DNS leak protection, ExpressVPN can guarantee that no logs of your activity are kept by running all its servers on RAM. This means all the data held (the minimal needed to just run the servers) is lost forever when each server is powered down – something that happens regularly. ExpressVPN also offers obfuscation technology so your traffic appears as if it isn’t coming from a VPN. 

This provider lets you use the same account on 5 devices, but if you’re installing it on your Netgear router, it’ll only count as one – so you can share the account with friends and family. Although well worth the money, ExpressVPN is one of the pricier providers out there. However, you can try it out for an entire month and the provider will give you your money back if you aren’t happy. 

NordVPN is based in Panama, a country with notoriously stringent privacy laws and a government that has no interest in obtaining VPN provider data. Even if they did, NordVPN’s strict no-logs policy would mean there’d be nothing to hand over. NordVPN has a number of other security and privacy features that go beyond the industry-standard kill-switches and IP address masking. NordVPN has recently rolled out NordLynx, built around the cutting-edge WireGuard encryption protocol to improve your speeds without compromising your security. Double VPN, on the other hand, is not offered by many providers and gives you an additional layer of privacy by sending your traffic through two private servers instead of one. 

NordVPN has an excellent customer support line, which may come in handy when going through a process like flashing your router. This commitment to the user experience is perhaps best illustrated by the super-clear instructions on how to flash your router with Tomato and DD-WRT firmware available on their website, which makes it simple for even a PC novice. Other ways they make life better for their customers include maintaining lightning quick connection speeds – which is ideal for watching content from around the world without worrying about latency issues. Nord is actually the speediest provider on this list – if you’re sceptical, just pay for 30 days and get your money back if you finish the month unhappy!

CyberGhost, based in Romania, has some of the best security features around. The provider is one of the few VPNs to offer extended bandwidth in some locations, such as its NoSpy servers in Romania which are maintained by a team of security experts, meaning your logs of user activity are ever kept. Like NordVPN, CyberGhost has made adjustments to further secure WireGuard and let its users reap the benefits of quicker connection times at no cost to their security. CyberGhost offers all the security protocols you could ask for from a provider, and its customer support means installing a VPN on your Netgear router is stress-free. 

CyberGhost has a huge network of over 6,000 servers in 88 countries, which means not only will your speeds be solid, but you’ll be able to bypass numerous geo-restrictions – something this provider has a proven track record at excelling at. CyberGhost, as mentioned previously, is a great VPN for beginners thanks to its slick app interfaces and ease of use – this is no different when it comes to installing it on your router. It also may be the VPN for the indecisive punters – you have 45 days (rather than the leading standard of 30) to make up your mind, or CyberGhost will give you your money back.

Private Internet Access is one of the few VPNs that have been subpoenaed by the US government as part of a criminal investigation – which means it was required by the government to hand over their logs. Fortunately, PIA had no logs to hand over – proving its privacy promise to all watching. This makes it a great VPN for those who are worried about their privacy, and if you were to instal PIA on your Netgear router, your entire home network would be protected. The provider uses its own DNS server to prevent leaks and has recently rolled out its Next Generation Network on servers in the US, UK Hong Kong and the Netherlands, providing enhanced security and faster speeds. 

Private Internet Access has over 15,000 servers worldwide, which makes for speedy connections and an internet browsing experience without irritating geo-restrictions on the things you want to watch. Although Private Internet Access doesn’t provide instructions on how to flash your router, it does offer guidance on how to set up a VPN on the firmware options available for Netgear routers. So why not try it out on yours? If you change your mind within 30 days, you can just ask for your money back. 

Surfshark is a fantastic VPN if you’re looking for a cheap option for your Netgear router that won’t let you down. Its customer support is great, and they have set up instructions on its website for the different firmware types you’ll be choosing between. Surfshark is a speedy operator, second only rapidity to NordVPN out of the providers we have reviewed in this article, and this means it can handle multiple devices connecting to the same VPN via a router. Surfshark also, quite impressively, offers all its features on all its servers (camouflage mode, extension support etc.) – a claim many other providers can’t match. 

Surfshark has a CleanWeb tool that will automatically block malware and viruses from establishing a connection with users’ devices, sending commands and collecting data. Camouflage Mode, on the other hand, disguises your traffic so even your internet service provider doesn’t know you’re using a VPN. The multi-hop function, on the other hand, gives you an extra level of security by rerouting your data through two VPN servers before spitting it out the other side. Although Surfshark has a money-back grace period of 30 days after you instal it, the fact it does so much for such a small cost means that customers rarely take advantage of it!