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Router Firmware (DD-WRT vs LuCi) and VPN Options

dubstir

New member
Mar 5, 2015
31
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I purchased the Linksys WRT1200AC router in order to use custom firmware and add a VPN. In the past week I have flashed to DD-WRT to use NordVPN and then flashed to ExpressVPN's image which is based on OpenWRT.

Most VPNs use DD-WRT and Nord was quite good... except that they did not have a single server that ran both NetFlix and Prime Video. So I would have to change servers and copy/paste 2 text documents into DD-WRT whenever I wanted to switch between video services. Nord was cheap though, only $79 for 2 years.

I then flashed to ExpressVPN to test them out. Much nicer interface, with almost all the same bells and whistles as DD-WRT. They have a few servers that can handle both video services without switching. Their price is $99/year, almost triple.

The cost isn't that much of a deal breaker, obviously I'd rather spend less. I rarely use Prime Video, so that isn't too much of an issue, just a pain in the rear.

I am up in the air about which firmware and which VPN makes sense. It seems DD-WRT isn't updated often to fight back against newly discovered bugs, and the same can almost be said for ExpressVPN's custom image. In order to use a router-based VPN, these seem to be the only two options.

Does anyone have any input regarding DD-WRT and/or VPN services?