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5G modem/router with VPN support?

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Arctic Bramble

New Around Here
Good morning,

I came across this forum when searching for advice on a new modem/router for our vacation house. I have spent the past couple of days reading through old discussions and already got some good insights, but I still couldn't find the exact same question or a good solution to my "problem".

Our house is located in a semi-rural area in Northern Scandinavia, and most network providers only offer 5G plans in the region today (instead of wired DSL connections). Our internet connection in the house has always been reliable and the 5G coverage in the area should be good as well; but our current modem only supports 3G/4G and is definitely nearing the end of its life in all possible ways. Most importantly, I use the internet connection to work remotely; and otherwise, our normal usage includes browsing, banking, streaming (Netflix/Spotify/HBO/local TV from abroad/etc) and similar, but no gaming or other activities that require excessive speeds. Our house is relatively large, but most of the time, the internet use is limited to my office and the rooms nearby - so it's no big deal, at this point, if we don't get good coverage on all floors and in every corner of the house (we can always extend later, if needed). Most of the time, there would be no more than two or three users online at the same time. I have no wired devices that need to be connected to the modem/router directly, nor do I need to be able to take the internet connection with me when I travel.

I am looking for a 5G modem/router - with a sim-card slot - that I could turn into a VPN router and use with my VPN provider (currently ExpressVPN), instead of having to use the app on each device separately. The problem I have run into is the limited number of 4G (let alone 5G) modems/routers on the market that support OpenVPN or similar. Express VPN provides a list of routers that work with their service, but they couldn't really help with 4G/5G options, either. To limit my options even more, for business compliance reasons, it should preferably be a product by a non-Chinese manufacturer.

I wanted to ask you, wiser people, if you have any good advice or recommendations here? Does a 5G modem/router with good VPN support even exist? Or would I be better off buying a "regular" router and connecting the SIM-card with a USB modem / dongle? I am really quite clueless here...

I would be grateful for any thoughts or recommendations.
 
personally I moved from "OEM routers" and start to use miniPC with OPNsense but for AP Wi-Fii or for friends I advice not to go pricy solution but look at Cudy solutions.

5G not sure if you truly need - to be honest 95% internet users would be Ok with 100Mbit and especially LTE shall be enough.

This one I set in one location https://www.cudy.com/productinfo/1247700.html but sry did not used VPN for it.
 
only offer 5G plans
You can also see glinet devices.
use the app on each device separately
Why do you need ExpressVPN on every device?
 
I second the PC approach and either do USB modem to the PC or get a card to mount it inside. Need wifi then get an AP to attach to it. Otherwise you can get a box from the provider instead usually with the subscription and hook up a router behind it.

You can get a cheap 5G modem on AliExpress for under $100 and a USB sled for $25.
 
Thank you all for your good advice.

One of the main reasons for hoping to install VPN on the router was to also cover our smart TVs (LG and/or Samsung), neither of which unfortunately allows installation directly. I would need a router that can run "independently", as some things (heating, security system, etc) are controlled through a wifi connection when we are away - this is why a USB modem connected to a laptop alone isn't an option.

I agree that we probably won't need the speeds of the 5G network; and assuming that the 4G network will still be available for years to come, a reliable 4G modem should be perfectly fine. I have run into the same issue here, though, with very limited options with a sim-card slot + VPN support.

I know I can purchase a "regular" 4G wifi router from the internet provider (just an updated version of what I have today), so it may indeed turn out to be the best option, after all - we'll just have to stream any foreign TV on a laptop instead.

Wishing everyone a good weekend! :)
 

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