Now it’s time to enable the VPN. A VPN that works very well with virtual routers is ExpressVPN.
What Is a Virtual Router?
A virtual router is a program that pretends to be a regular router. It allows your computer to work like a Wi-Fi hotspot. Setting up a virtual router could be seen as a way of flipping the WiFi receiver in your PC. As a result, your computer is no longer able to receive WiFi signals, but it can transmit them. Unfortunately, few computers can receive and transmit a wifi signal at the same time. That is why most virtual routers are only able to share an internet connection they receive via cable. In short, a virtual router is a device that is connected to the internet via cable and then transmits that connection via wifi. Nowadays, many devices have the ability to act as virtual routers. Many people already use the Personal Hotspot Function of their iPhones and the “Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot” on their Android phones. The virtual router on Windows works approximately the same way: your Windows computer becomes a new Wi-Fi transmitter that other devices can use to access the internet.
The Possibilities of a Virtual Router
A virtual router allows you to share your internet connection with other devices. This can be very useful when there’s no wireless internet in your direct surroundings. For example, if the room you’re in only offers one wired internet connection, a virtual router will allow you to share this connection wirelessly with other devices. In addition, many people use a virtual router for financial reasons. This virtual variant is free if you already have a laptop or computer. A normal router can cost you quite a bit of money, meaning you can save money by using a virtual one instead. You will barely notice the difference when using a virtual router, since it’s just as fast as a normal router. The only drawback is that, unlike a normal router, you’ll have to set it up again every time you start your computer. Moreover, you can secure a virtual router with a VPN. When you do this, all devices that are connected to this virtual router are also protected by that VPN. So, if you want to secure all your devices at once, this is very easy when you use a VPN via a virtual router. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, some devices can’t run any VPN software themselves. This means you can’t install a VPN on these devices. Examples are Apple TVs, Smart TVs and Google Chromecasts. You can still secure these devices with a VPN if you make them connect to the internet via the virtual router, which runs through a VPN server. When you do this, you redirect the internet of these devices via the secure VPN connection running on the router.
What Do I Need to Set Up a Virtual Router With a VPN?
Below is a list of requirements for when you wish to install a virtual router working with a VPN connection on your Windows device. You will need:
A Windows computer. An internet cable (including a connecting piece if your computer doesn’t have the possibility to directly plug in an Ethernet cable). A VPN subscription (e.g. with ExpressVPN, NordVPN or Surfshark). Virtual router software (which you can download for free via the link in the step-by-step guide below).
To use a virtual router, you need a working computer and an internet cable. Finally, you’ll need a VPN subscription in order to protect both your computer and the devices that connect to the virtual router.
Can My Windows Computer Be Turned Into a Virtual Router?
Before you start this process, it’s important to check whether your computer supports the transmission of Wi-Fi signals. You can find this out quickly by following these steps:
When you see the word “Yes”, your computer is able to set up a virtual router. If you see the word “No”, you will unfortunately not be able to create a virtual router with your device.
How to Set Up a Virtual Router With VPN on Windows
If you’ve got the right equipment, you can get started. You can set up a virtual router with a VPN on Windows in two steps. First, you’ll have to set up the router itself. Then you can start the VPN connection. For complete protection, it’s important to do it in this order, otherwise your internet traffic might use an unprotected connection.
Step 1: Set Up Your Virtual Router
Setting up a virtual router on Windows is quite easy and can be done in just a couple of minutes. You can do this via free software, or by activating the router manually. We’ll tell you how both of these options work.
Setting up a virtual router with Virtual Router Plus
The easiest way to set up a virtual router is with the help of free software. We use a program called Virtual Router Plus, which you can download it by clicking on this link. Simply install the program and open it. You’ll see the following menu:
Behind “Network name (SSID)” you can enter the name of your virtual router. You can make up this name yourself, so that you and the people around you can easily recognize the network. Feel free to let your creativity run wild: how about “Chance the Router” or “Lord Voldemodem”? Next, you’ll have to think of a password that people will need in order to connect to your virtual router. Click the arrow behind “Shared connection” and choose the option “Ethernet“. Finally, click on “Start Virtual Router Plus“. Your virtual router should now be visible when you check the available networks on another nearby device.
Setting up Virtual Router via Command Prompt
Maybe you don’t want to install special software on your Windows computer. No worries. There’s another option. You can also manually set up a virtual router via Command Prompt. Simply follow these steps: Step 1: Start Command Prompt by typing “cmd” in the search bar in the bottom left corner of your screen. Right click on Command Prompt and open it as an administrator. Step 2: Now you can enter the settings of your virtual router. Type out the following command. Take care to spell everything correctly and don’t forget any spaces. netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=XXXXX key=YYYYY After ‘ssid=’ (instead of XXXXX) you should enter the name of your connection, which you can choose yourself. The name only serves to make it easy for others to find your network. Behind ‘key=’ (instead of YYYYY) you can enter a password of your choice. With this password, people will be able to access your network. Finally, press enter. Step 3: Start the virtual router by entering the following command: netsh wlan start hostednetwork You can disable the virtual router with the following command: netsh wlan stop hostednetwork For an overview of information about your network, type this command: netsh wlan show hostednetwork Here is an example to give you an idea of what this looks like in practice:
Once you’ve turned on your virtual router, you can check whether it works correctly by trying to connect to the network with a different device. Make sure you can access the internet when using the virtual router. If this all works, you can proceed to the next step: setting up a VPN on your virtual router. Please note that you will need to enable the virtual router each time you shut down Windows.
Step 2: Set Up a VPN Connection on Windows
Now that your virtual router is working, it’s time to set up the VPN. Fortunately, this is very easy and only takes a few minutes. The infographic below explains the process step-by-step.
Here’s some additional information:
All your internet traffic will now run through your chosen VPN server. This means that all traffic from the devices connected to your virtual router will also be protected. It’s important, however, to check whether your devices are properly secured. You can do this by going to dnsleaktest.com on every device connected to the virtual router. On this website, click on ‘extended test’. The website will check whether your connection is suffering from any DNS leaks. This test will look like the screenshot on the side. If you don’t have any leaks, you won’t see your actual IP address back in the list that’s compiled at the end of the test.
Suitable VPN applications
Not all VPN applications will instantly work in combination with a virtual router. With some VPNs, you’ll first need to change the protocol or the settings of the connection. A VPN application must support the OpenVPN protocol in order to work with a virtual router. There are a number of VPN providers that will be able to function on a virtual router without any problems, but the VPN that proved to work for us over and over is ExpressVPN. This VPN is super fast, offers different servers and has many extra options. It also works flawlessly on a virtual router, because it uses OpenVPN by default. Another option is NordVPN. This provider is one of the biggest VPNs in the world and also works on virtual routers. NordVPN has thousands of servers, so you’ll always have plenty of choice in server locations. It’s also a slightly cheaper option than ExpressVPN. If you’d rather have a little more choice, feel free to take a look at our overview of the best VPN providers of this moment. All of those will work with a virtual router as well. If you use a different VPN, it may not work immediately. This could be due to the settings of the connection. We’ll explain how you can change the settings so your VPN will start working right here: Step 1: Go to you Windows settings and click ‘Network & Internet’:
Step 2: Click on “Change adapter options”:
Step 3: Right-click on the connection that says “TAP-Windows Adapter”:
Step 4: Click ‘Properties’ and then open the ‘Share’ tab at the top. The following menu will appear:
Step 5: Check the boxes in front of both options. Behind the option “Home networking connection” you choose your virtual router from the drop-down menu. Finally, confirm these settings by clicking “OK”. You have now correctly set up the VPN connection in combination with a virtual router! Enjoy surfing the web and streaming content safely and securely with all your devices.
Conclusion
In this article we’ve discussed all about virtual routers and how to set them up on Windows. To secure your internet connection, it’s important you use a virtual router in combination with a VPN. An active VPN connection ensures that all devices connected to your virtual router will be online in a secure, anonymous and free way. However, please note that not all VPNs will instantly work on your virtual router. Sometimes you may need to change some additional settings to get this to work.
