A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that encrypts and reroutes your internet traffic through a remote server. This can be useful for accessing geo-blocked content or protecting your privacy online. However, VPNs can also be used to bypass restrictions placed on your router, such as parental controls or security measures. In this article, we’ll show you how to block VPN traffic on your router.
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Introduction
Most routers have the option to block VPN access. You will need to go into the router’s settings and look for the “VPN” or “PPTP/L2TP” option. Once you find it, select “Block” or “Deny”. This will prevent anyone from using a VPN to connect to your router.
If you want to be extra secure, you can also block specific IP addresses that are known to be used by VPN providers. To do this, go into the “Firewall” or “Security” section of your router’s settings and look for the option to add a new rule. From there, you can choose to block traffic from a specific IP address or range of IP addresses.
What is a VPN and how does it work?
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a way for individuals and companies to protect your personal data and information. A VPN encrypts all of the Internet traffic between your computer and the VPN server, making it impossible for anyone to eavesdrop on your activities.
A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated connections, virtual tunneling protocols, or traffic encryption. A VPN available from the public Internet can provide some of the benefits of a wide area network (WAN). From a user perspective, the resources available within the private network can be accessed remotely.
Most modern routers have built-in support for VPNs, which makes setting up a VPN on your router a simple process. In most cases, all you need to do is enter your VPN’s login credentials into your router’s configuration page and enable the VPN connection.
Why you might want to block VPN traffic
If you’re a business, you might want to block VPN traffic to prevent employees from accessing company resources from home. If you’re a parent, you might want to block VPN traffic to prevent your children from accessing blocked websites. And if you’re just concerned about your own privacy, you might want to block VPN traffic to prevent your ISP from spying on your browsing activity.
Whatever your reasons, blocking VPN traffic is relatively easy to do. All you need is a router that supports IP tables (most do) and a little bit of patience. In this article, we’ll show you how to block VPN traffic on your router using three different methods.
Method 1: Use the router’s interface
This method is the simplest way to block VPN traffic, but it only works if your router has a built-in firewall. If not, you’ll need to use one of the other methods described below.
1) Log into your router’s interface and find the section for configuring firewall rules. This will be different for every router, so consult your router’s documentation if you can’t find it.
2) Create a new rule that blocks all traffic from the IP addresses of the VPN servers you want to block. For example, if you want to block NordVPN, you would need to block all traffic from NordVPN’s IP addresses. You can find a list of NordVPN server IP addresses here.
3) Save your changes and reboot your router for the changes to take effect.
Method 2: Block VPN traffic using DNSMasq
If your router doesn’t have a built-in firewall or if you want more control over which devices can access which VPN servers, you can use DNSMasq instead. DNSMasq is a widely used piece of software that provides Domain Name System (DNS) forwarder functionality and DHCP services. It’s available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and many routers. We won’t go into too much detail here because the steps for configuring DNSMasq will vary depending on which OS and router you’re using. But essentially, what you need to do is install DNSMasq on your router and then configure it to block traffic from the IP addresses of the VPN servers you want to block.
You can find detailed instructions for how to do this here: How To Block All Traffic Except For Specific Ip Addresses Using Dnsmasq On Linux
Method 3: Use a third-party service like OpenDNS or Norton ConnectSafe
If you don’t want to muck around with configuring DNSMasq or setting up firewall rules, you can use a third-party service like OpenDNS or Norton ConnectSafe instead. Both services allow you to blacklist websites and domains so that they can never be accessed on any device connected to your network.
To use either service, sign up for an account and then follow the instructions for configuring your network settings. Once that’s done, add the IP addresses of the VPN servers you want to block to the blacklist and save your changes. Your devices will now be prevented from accessing any website or domain on the blacklist..
How to block VPN traffic on your router
If you want to block VPN traffic on your router, you will need to follow a few simple steps. The first step is to find out if your router supports VPN passthrough. VPN passthrough allows VPN traffic to pass through your router.
Using a web browser
If you want to block VPN traffic on your router, the easiest way to do it is by using a web browser. Just open up your router’s web interface and go to the Firewall section. From there, you should be able to add a rule that will block all traffic from the VPN IP address range.
Keep in mind that this will only work if the VPN is using a static IP address. If it’s using a dynamic IP address, you’ll need to use a different method.
Using the command line
If you’re using a Linux or Unix machine, you can use the following command to block VPN traffic:
iptables -I FORWARD -s
Replace
iptables -I FORWARD -s
This will block all traffic from the specified VPN server IP address, or from any IP addresses within the same /24 range.
Conclusion
Router blocking VPN traffic is a common way for businesses to prevent their employees from using VPNs to access company resources. If you’re trying to use a VPN at work or school, your best bet is to check with your IT department. Otherwise, you can try contacting your router’s manufacturer for more help.