In today’s digital age, small businesses are increasingly relying on the internet for their daily operations, making it critical to ensure the security and privacy of their online activities.
This is where VPN (Virtual Private Network) routers come into play, providing a secure and encrypted connection to the internet for all devices on a network.
However, with so many options available in the market, choosing the best VPN router for your small business can be a daunting task.
In this article, we’ll explore the top VPN routers for small businesses that offer excellent security, speed, and ease of use.
Here are a summary of the top picks:
TP-Link AC1750 Smart WiFi Router (Archer A7)- Most Popular
ASUS RT-AC87U AC2400 Router- Best Budget
Linksys WRT3200ACM Router- Best Value
Best VPN Routers for Small Businesses Overviews: Top Picks
1. Linksys WRT3200ACM Router
The Linksys WRT3200ACM embodies an impressive design that covers a powerful and versatile performance. It contains excellent features like a dual-core 1.8GHz CPU, Tri-stream 160, MU-MIMO, four Gigabit Ethernet ports, and 2.0 and 3.0 USB ports. However, the most impressive aspect of this 801.11ac router is its compatibility with third-party firmware.
It supports the OpenVPN server that comes standard or can be added later on based on the firmware. While the OpenVPN feature permits adding as many as 25 profiles to a network, only five users can connect to the router at a time in order to connect to the router. Once that is done, the client can download the settings in the form of an OVPN file and setup.
The router produces excellent results on the 5GHz with up to 2.6Gbps theoretical throughput. However, the 2.4GHz leaves plenty to be desired even at a close distance. Due to this, the router’s performance will be limited when you are far away. It makes an excellent router for small businesses and homes. Downloading an invoice template online free is a great way to save time and ensure accuracy in your invoicing.
The Linksys WRT3200ACM is easy to set up because of its efficient web interface that allows seamless configuration and setup.
Pros
- Excellent feature set.
- It supports open-source firmware.
- It is more suitable for a small office than a home.
Cons
- The coverage can be spotty sometimes.
Related: Netgear AC1750 vs Linksys AC1750
2. TP-Link AC1750 Smart WiFi Router (Archer A7)
Archer A7 uses several speed-boosting techniques, such as IPTV streaming and beamforming, to provide a good, reliable network for small businesses. It may be an older router, but it remains a solid option that is ideal for you, especially if you are on a budget.
This router delivers fast internet speeds nearby, but its performance slows down on extremely busy networks and longer distances. The 2.0 USB also makes file transfer a bit slower compared to a router that uses 3.0 USBs. Archer A7 is a dual-processor that uses 802.11ac technology, a 750MHz processor, and has Quality of Service (QoS).
The 5 GHz band delivers a maximum of 1300Mbps, while the 2.4 GHz produces 450Mbps. However, it lacks some essential features like the customization options offered by other routers, including impressive range, and MU-MIMO.
We liked that it is discreet and small thus, it can be hidden anywhere; placed on a bookshelf or table, or mounted on a wall. It is also fast to set up, offering two options. Installation can be done using TP-Link’s Tether application which can be run through Android and iOS apps.
Pros
- It’s a bargain router.
- Two-year warranty.
- Great close-range performance.
- It gets valuable firmware updates.
Cons
- Limited range.
- It lacks extensive customizability options.
Related: Netgear Nighthawk S8000 Switch Overview
3. D-Link VPN Router (DSR-250)
It is an eight-port Gigabit router that is part of the DSR line. It supports 6 VPN types and up to 25 simultaneous client-to-client or site-to-site IPSec connections.
The DSR-250 has earned a steady and strong reputation as a high-performing and secure networking solution for medium and small businesses, ensuring that it caters to your company’s constantly growing and changing needs.
It has dynamic filtering capabilities for web content that lets the administrator block or allow some devices to access websites. Additionally, it is equipped with standard but functional components like a 2.0 USB port for printer or file sharing and internet failover.
With a complete management solution, this router incorporates other advanced features to offer users secure, reliable, and flexible network management. These capabilities include load balancing, an integrated firewall, and a WAN Failover.
The Captive Portal allows guest clients and employees to access customized landing pages to get authenticated and authorized easily. It facilitates simultaneous access to remote employees through 15, 10, or 5 GRE Tunnels and 10, 5, or 1 SSL VPN Tunnels. This allows workers to access a Central Corporate Repository remotely.
Pros
- It has many premium features.
- Robust construction.
- Several VPN options.
- It can support numerous users simultaneously.
- Printer and file-sharing capabilities.
Cons
- GUI requires improvement.
- Advanced installation needs technical knowledge.
4. TP-Link AC4000 Tri-Band WiFi Router (Archer A20)
Archer A20 is a well-built router that combines solid parental controls with a robust throughput performance and Trend Micro-powered network security at no charge for three years. These and other valuable capabilities like impeccable file transfer performance make it a reliable choice for small businesses.
It runs using 512MB RAM and a Broadcom 1.8GHz quad-core processor. The two 5GHz bands produce a maximum of 1625Mbps each, while the 2.4GHz gives 750Mbps, creating a tri-band broadcast. The Wave 2 802.11ac used by Archer A20 supports MU-MIMO concurrent data streaming, SmartConnect, and signal beamforming directly to the client.
Besides facilitating a seamless setup, the Tether app and web interface can also be used to switch on and modify various features, such as Quality of Service (QoS), built-in antivirus, and robust parental controls.
The QoS settings grant network preference to custom presets, surfing, standards, gaming, chatting, and streaming. Archer A20 has basic and advanced settings, with the basic tabs containing various choices like Guest Network, security, Operation mode, and NAT forwarding.
What we did not like about this router is that it gets bulky when the six antennas are extended.
Pros
- Tri-band.
- Included antivirus
- Consistent speeds.
- Easy setup.
- Excellent handling of traffic.
Cons
- It is bulky when the antennas are extended.
- It has a distracting design.
5. ASUS RT-AC87U AC2400 Router
Asus RT-AC87U is a good router for long-range and superfast WiFi speeds. Its ability to do real-time internet traffic monitoring, malware, and virus prevention capabilities make the ASUS RT-AC87U AC2400 ideal for small businesses.
We liked that this router is simple and fun to use, yet it offers an impressive performance.
It is a 4 x 4 802.11ac router that can produce 1733Mbps on the 5GHz band using the 500MHz Quantenna dual-core QT3840BC chip. The speed is achievable using an 802.11ac client, like a PC.
The 2.4GHz band has 1GHz Broadcom dual-core BCM4709 chips, delivering up to 600Mbps. The chip also performs other functions like system operation, NAT, and USB. The router parks a combined 2333Mbps WiFi bandwidth.
The 4 x 4 antenna design (4 receivers, 4 transit) improves the signal stability and WiFi range drastically, ensuring the signal reaches all the corners of your office. The AiRadar beamforming focuses the WiFi signals further, making them clearer, stronger, and faster.
It comes with an adaptive QoS that helps get rid of poor-quality video and gaming streaming and bottlenecks when the network is congested.
One downside is that the ASUS RT-AC87U AC2400 is a bit bulky.
Pros
- It offers great coverage.
- Excellent software.
- It is fast.
Cons
- It is not the fastest when it is not paired with a bridge.
Related: Best Routers for NordVPN
FAQs On Best VPN Routers For Small Businesses
How Do VPN Routers Work?
VPN routers protect all connected devices simultaneously and provide the convenience of encrypting your devices on a single connection and from one source. Using a VPN router in your small business ensures you achieve complete security and privacy with ease.
With standard routers, you must install VPN software on all the devices before connecting them to your VPN network. However, VPN routers have VPNs installed directly, so you do not need to install VPN software on each device. All connected devices can get continuous access to the network concurrently.
What Is a VPN Protocol?
It refers to a set of transmission protocols and encryption standards used by VPN providers to give their clients stable and secure VPN server-VPN client communication. The market offers a wide array of VPN protocols, so besides picking a VPN router that will suit the needs of your small business, you must also select a suitable VPN protocol.
How Do I Pick the Best VPN Router?
Before you even begin looking at the various available VPN routers, you must find out why you need one. Businesses can benefit from VPN routers because they facilitate secure inbound connections for offsite employees, secure communication, and protect all devices.
Examine the qualities of different VPN routers and compatibility with various platforms like Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, and Linux. Ensure the VPN router you pick has reliable customer service and a user-friendly interface.
Conclusion
A VPN router can be an excellent investment for small businesses that care about their security and safety when using the internet. You require a VPN router that will deliver exceptional service without depleting your company resources. Any of the above options can fit your small business needs.