TP-Link TL-R600VPN? Other VPN router suggestions?

[Tuthmose]

Greetings all,

New guy here, in search of some feedback/recommendations for a Gigabit VPN router for my home network. Price and on-paper capabilities have kind of drawn me to TP-Link’s new TL-R600VPN offering, but I have so far been totally unable to find any reviews or feedback on it or any of their other similar-class offerings. Does anybody have any input or feedback on this router, or TP-Link VPN routers in general? If I should consider something else instead, what would that be? Cisco? ZyXel?

I’d like to consider myself competent – I build my own machines, and I laid the CAT6 throughout the house for the current network and got it up and running on the basic Comcast Business Gateway, but I’m new advanced networking – I’ve never set up a VPN or anything more complex than a basic home network. So, please help set me straight here, but be gentle . . .

The network it will be install on will be a home/home office setup with between 7 – 10 machines, all served by a roll-your-own WHS2011 server. The network will be multiple use, serving simple home use, streaming video to multiple TV sets, and work needs for both myself (history teacher) and my wife (museum curator) involving large image editing, website work, and offsite access via the VPN I wish to set up. It needs to be Gigabit capable for both WAN and LAN, and I’d like at least 4 LAN ports. Right now the incoming service is is 12Mbps, but I plan on paying for an increase to 15 or 20. Capability to work with all the common VPN protocols is desirable – I don’t know enough yet to know which I need, and it would suck to end up needing, say, L2TP and then finding my router couldn’t do that. Please correct me though, if I’m wrong about this. Oh, and under $300 would be cool too, to pass the wife-approval-process

Thank you in advance for the help – it is appreciated!

-Tuthmose

 

[thiggins]

TP-Link is not known as a VPN router provider. Look at Cisco RV0X series, ZyXEL or even Draytek.

Don't limit your search to built-in Gigabit ports. Just uplink a separate Gigabit switch.

 

[Tuthmose]

Thank you, thiggins. I see your point about not needing to necessarily go gigabit on the router (I actually have a gigabit switch downstream of the cable gateway already anyway), since where I live I certainly won't use that input capability anytime soon.

Anybody have any thoughts on the Netgear FVS336G? It's well reviewed here, and while throughput isn't massive, it's far more than I need for my current WAN input. More importantly, it seems to be the fastest affordable option offering SSL and IPsec VPN capability, both of which which my further research has led me to believe I need as options. Plus, it's got the (unnecessary-but-nice) gigabit ports. Sooo . . . Are there any downsides or obvious pitfalls this this choice I am missing?

Thanks again,
-Tuthmose

 

[raleighthings]

Based on discussion here and elsewhere these seem to have more than a few oddball bugs which may or may not affect your intended use. Search for it here and via Google.

 

[Tuthmose]

Thank you for the input. I've gone ahead and pulled the trigger on a FVS336Gv2 - I found one unused in box on ebay for $100.

Being a network n00b, the lack of UPnP on the FVS336G is causing me some trepidation, but I'll just have to learn on the fly. The only other choice that seemed to fit the bill was the Draytek 2950, but I simply couldn't afford it's hefty pricetag, and they don't seem to come up used or discounted on the second-hand market.

Now, to figure out an economical and reliable 48-port gigabit switch . . .

-Ron