Anonymous browsing from your home network using ExpressVPN

Introduction

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are affordable, easy to use, and a vital component in your PC and smartphone set up. Along with a firewall and antivirus/anti-malware solution, you should have a VPN installed to keep every moment you spend online completely private. ExpressVPN is a virtual private network service offered by company Express VPN International Ltd. The software is marketed as a privacy and security tool that encrypts users’ web traffic and masks their IP addresses. It is supported on various different Teltonika Networks devices. This article contains step-by-step instructions on how to set up ExpressVPN VPN connection using Teltonika routers.

Prerequisites

You will need:

• One Teltonika router
• An end device to configure the router (PC, Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone)
• ExpressVPN account and subscription

Choosing and downloading server files

In order to set up your router to connect to ExpressVPN server you will need to download OVPN configuration files. Those can be found at ExpressVPN website manual configuration section. It is necessary to choose a server that can provide the best possible performance, it is highly suggested to use servers which are closest to your location, also it is recommended to test few different servers by checking internet speed at websites such as www.speedtest.net.

Home network configuration (Teltonika router)

Access routers WebUI and go to Services > VPN > OpenVPN. There create a new configuration by writing New configuration name, selecting role Client and pressing Add button. It should appear after a few seconds. Then press Edit.

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Now apply the following configuration: Enable instance. Enable OpenVPN config from file feature. Upload OpenVPN configuration file (the one you downloaded from ExpressVPN website manual configuration section). Allow Upload OpenVPN authentication files. Set Authentication to Password. Write ExpressVPN account User name (write the username which is generated in ExpressVPN website manual configuration section). Write ExpressVPN account Password (write the password which is generated in ExpressVPN website manual configuration section). Press Save & Apply.

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You will be forwarded back to OpenVPN configuration window. There you will find connection status indicator. If you applied the configuration correctly it should indicate as connected. (It might not connect instantly so please wait for a moment).

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In order to increase your anonymity you will need to set your router to use custom DNS servers (in this example we used Google DNS servers). In order to do that go to Network > WAN, there click Edit on a WAN source you are using (in this example we used mobile WAN source).

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Now to set DNS servers follow the steps below: Go to Advanced settings. Disable DNS servers advertised by peer. Add first DNS server: 8.8.8.8. Add second DNS server: 8.8.4.4. Press Save & Apply.

Results

If configured correctly all of your internet traffic now should go through VPN server. One of the easiest ways to check whether everything is working correctly is to check whether your public IP address has changed. You can do so by simply visiting a website such as www.whatismyipaddress.com and comparing your IP address before and after you connect to server also there you can find information about IP location, so when you connect to server it should change to a different address/country.

External links

ExpressVPN homepage