How to tunnel all your internet traffic at home through a VPN connection

If you are reading this, you probably found your way through google here. The past years I ahve been looking for an easy way to tunnel all the internet traffic from my home device through a VPN connection to protect my privacy.

First of all, who is my provider? I am very happy with my VPN provider privateinternetaccess.com (PIA), it is very similar to those many others like:

• StrongVPN
• Hidemyass (HMA) 
• PureVPN
• ipVanish
• VPN4all

What are my "devices"? Apart from the regular desktop PCs, Laptops, Ultrabooks, etc there are smartphones (Android/Apple) but also gaming consoles (Xbox360, PS3) and mediaplayers like appleTV.

So what's the big deal than with VPN? Most VPN providers offer a special software to gain access to the VPN server. The software is often based on openVPN and is easy to install and use. After installing just enter username and password and you can surf anonymously (more or less). But here the problem starts.

1) The software is usually only availible for Windows, maybe Mac and Linux. Sometimes for iOS and Android as well. This actually covers most OS and you should be happy. Should. If there wasn't problem #2.

2) All providers only allow a limited amount of simultaneous connections to the VPN server with your username and password. Most providers allow one connection, others up to five (that's why PIA is great). So you may install the VPN software on many devices but are limited to just one to five connections. If this is not a restriction for you, well... 

3) The biggest problem is, that some devices aren't just capable of connecting to the VPn server as there is no software for them to do so. Take the Xbox360 for example. There is no way you can setup a VPN connection. Or appleTV. Or your favorite internetradio device. Or an older smartphone. Maybe your settop box. Whatever.

But why would you want those devices to use the VPN connection anyway? For me, as I live in Germany, I want to enjoy US-youtube or Netflix on my TV. I want to be able to access the Swiss XBox Live marketplace and use BBCs iPlayer on my Settop Box. All those services are restricted to special countries only and require you to have an IP address from UK Swiss or US. With a VPN-connection this is very easy, but there is no way you can set up one on your TV Xbox etc.

So ... To sum up the problems:

1. Usually only one VPN connection is allowed per account.
2. Some of the devices aren't capable of using VPN because it was never intended.

Solution for #1 would be buying more than one account (which doubles or triples the costs) or get a provider which offers more than one connection a time. But this gets expensive. And wouldn't solve problem #2.

To solve problem #2, just let's take a look at those "dumb" devices which can't handle a VPN on there own. Well, they CAN handle internet connection via wired LAN cable / with wifi to your homerouter. But wait ....

So what's your homerouter doing? Sitting there and serving internet to all your devices. It shares the internet connection to your house and all it devices. Usually it's connected to your cable modem/ DSL Modem / fiber modem whatever. Sometimes the modem is a part of the router. 

So what is the router makes the connection to the VPN server? It would just be one device connected to the server (problem #1 solved) and it shares the internet to all other devices, even the "dumb" ones (prob #2 solved). The great thing about this is, you don't even need to change ANY settings on all your devices if you want to use VPN. There is just one device you make the changes to: the router. And then every connected device is VPN connected through the router.

Great idea! Is it possible to set it up like this? Short answer, yes. How? Next post.