A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more. But what if you want to block VPN traffic on your router?
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Introduction
Blocking a VPN on your router can be difficult, because there are a lot of different ways to set up a VPN and many different types of routers. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to block VPNs on your router.
If you’re using a router that doesn’t support blocking VPNs, you can try using a firewall to block the VPN traffic. However, this will only work if the VPN traffic is going through the router. If the VPN traffic is going around the router, then you’ll need to use a different method to block the VPN traffic.
One way to block VPNs on your router is to disable the protocols that they use. You can do this by going into your router’s settings and disabling the following protocols:
-IPsec
-L2TP
-OpenVPN
-PPTP
What is a VPN?
A VPN is a private network that encrypts and routes your internet traffic through a server in another location. A VPN allows you to change your IP address and browse the internet anonymously.
VPNs are often used by Journalists, businesspeople, and others who need to protect their privacy online. But they can also be used for illegal activities like downloading copyrighted material, accessing blocked websites, or committing cybercrimes.
That’s why some countries block VPNs, and why your ISP may choose to throttle your connection if it detects you’re using one.
How do VPNs work?
Virtual private networks (VPNs) are blazingly fast these days, and with good reason. They can make it appear as if you’re in another country, which opens up all kinds of content that might otherwise be blocked. That’s handy when you’re trying to watch shows that aren’t available in your country or download files securely. But there are also times when you might not want people to know you’re using a VPN — perhaps when you’re trying to access blocked websites at school or work.
In those cases, you’ll need to block VPN traffic on your router. The process for doing this usually isn’t too difficult, but it will vary depending on your router’s model and manufacturer. We’ll walk you through the process for two popular routers below.
Blocking VPN traffic on a TP-Link router
If you own a TP-Link router, the process for blocking VPN traffic is relatively simple. Just follow these steps:
1. Enter your router’s web interface by typing its IP address into your browser’s address bar.
2. Log in with your username and password (these are usually both admin).
3. Click on the “Firewall” tab and then select “URL/Domain Filter.”
4. Select “Enable URL/Domain Filter.”
5. Type the URL or domain of the VPN service into the “Blocked Domain” field and then click “Save.”
6. Your VPN should now be blocked!
Why do people use VPNs?
There are a number of reasons why people might want to use a VPN. Some people use them to access geo-restricted content, such as TV shows and movies that are only available in certain countries. Others use them to keep their online activity private from their ISP or government. And still others use them for work, so they can connect to their company’s network from home or when they’re traveling.
Whatever the reason, if you want to block VPN traffic on your router, there are a few different ways you can go about it.
How to block VPNs on your router
If you want to block VPNs on your router, there are a few things you can do. You can either block all VPN traffic, or you can selective block only certain VPNs. You can also block all outgoing VPN traffic, or only incoming VPN traffic. We’ll show you how to do all of these things.
Option 1: Use a VPN-specific router
One way to block VPN traffic is to use a VPN-specific router. A VPN-specific router is a router that has been specifically configured to block VPN traffic.
There are a few different ways to configure a VPN-specific router, but the most common way is to use a custom firmware. Custom firmware is a type of firmware that has been specifically designed to add extra features or functionality to a router.
One of the most popular custom firmwares for blocking VPN traffic is DD-WRT. DD-WRT is a Linux-based custom firmware that can be installed on many different types of routers. DD-WRT has a feature called “VPN passthrough” which allows traffic from specific VPN protocols (PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN) to pass through the router.
Option 2: Use an IP blocker
Another way to block VPN traffic is to use an IP blocker. An IP blocker is a type of software that blocks traffic from specific IP addresses or ranges of IP addresses.
There are many different IP blockers available, but one of the most popular is called PeerBlock. PeerBlock is a free and open source IP blocker that can be used on Windows and macOS. PeerBlock comes with a list of known “bad” IP addresses, but you can also add your own addresses and ranges to the list.
Option 3: Use a firewall
yet another way to block VPN traffic is to use a firewall. A firewall is a type of security software that blocks incoming or outgoing traffic based on predetermined rules.
Most routers come with some form of firewall built in, but you can also use standalone firewall software such as Windows Firewall or iPFW (on macOS). To block VPN traffic with a firewall, you will need to create rules that block traffic from specific IP addresses or ranges of IP addresses.
Option 2: Use a VPN-specific firmware
This method is for more advanced users who are comfortable flashing their router with new firmware. If you’re not familiar with this process, we recommend you use one of the other methods in this guide.
That being said, if you want to take this route, there are a few different firmwares you can use that will allow you to block VPNs on your router. The most popular ones are DD-WRT and Tomato.
Both of these firmwares allow you to blacklist IP addresses, which means you can prevent specific devices from connecting to your VPN. You can also use them to set up firewall rules that will block all traffic from VPNs that aren’t on your whitelist.
If you want to learn more about how to use DD-WRT or Tomato to block VPNs on your router, we recommend checking out the documentation for each firmware.DD-WRT: https://www.dd-wrt.com/support/
Tomato: https://www.policyrouting.org/projects/tomato/
Option 3: Use a VPN-specific service
A VPN-specific service provides another way to block unwanted users from accessing your network. This type of service keeps a database of IP addresses that are known to belong to VPNs. When someone tries to connect to your network from one of these IP addresses, the service will block the connection.
Some popular VPN-specific services are Witopia and UltraVPN. To use one of these services, you’ll need to sign up for an account and then configure your router to use the service. This can usually be done through the router’s web interface.
Once you’ve configured the VPN-specific service, it will start blocking any connections from known VPN IP addresses.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to block VPN traffic, you can keep your network safe from unwanted users. If you’re not sure which method is right for you, try out a few and see which one works best for your needs.