Can You Get A VPN On Xbox?
I use a VPN when I connect to the internet no matter what device I am using, and this includes my Xbox. I firmly believe in privacy and keeping myself and my data safe. Now Xbox does not come with an option to allow you to connect via a VPN; however, there are two ways to do it, and in this article, I will detail what they are.
You can connect an Xbox to a VPN via a router with a VPN client mode built into it, and there are two ways to achieve this. One is to purchase a new VPN client enabled router, and the other is to flash your router with DD-WRT firmware. The other option is to connect your Xbox to your PC, MAC, or Laptop and allow your Xbox to pass through its internet connection and VPN service.
In this article, I will discover if an Xbox can support a VPN service on its own. Then we will go over the various models of Xbox that are capable of using (or connecting through) a VPN, and finally, we will look at the two main ways you can connect your Xbox to a VPN.
Does Xbox have a VPN?
In today’s world, when surfing the internet on your Xbox, there are security risks, and you need to be protected from all sorts of things such as SWATTING or DDoS attacks from people who are malicious and want to cause you harm (this is a sad fact but a true one).
Besides that, perhaps you want to stream Netflix from Europe, and you are located in the United States. Due to Netflix being region-locked, you would need a VPN to do so.
Xbox consoles are not built with the ability to allow you to run a VPN on them. However, there are two ways that you are able to use a VPN on your Xbox console, and we will list them here and then take you through the steps of each.
What models of Xbox can use a VPN?
All Xbox consoles from and including the Xbox 360 are able to use a VPN. So, let’s discuss the two ways in which they can be done
How to set up a VPN on your Xbox
Purchase a VPN router
Probably the easiest way to set up a VPN for your Xbox is by purchasing a VPN-enabled router. A VPN app is great for devices like your mobile phones and computers; however, if that is what you are using, then you will have to connect your Xbox through that (we will discuss that option in the next heading).
When you purchase a router, look for one that supports VPN clients or VPN client mode. If you already have a router that supports this, then excellent; otherwise, you need to purchase one if you are not willing to flash it (we will discuss this option next).
These are the routes you want to take to set up your Xbox with a VPN that solely rely on a router and not a PC or MAC.
One thing to note is that a router that mentions a VPN server has no guarantee that the device has a VPN client mode. So keep that in mind. There are a few other terms you should look out for when wanting to purchase a VPN router, and those terms identify types of VPN passthrough.
Typically, the Network Address Translation (NAT/firewall) does not function great with VPN protocols such as PPTP, L2TP, and IPsec. These “L2PTP Pass-Through” and other similar terms listed on a VPN router are not what you are looking for because we actually want native VPN client support.
Sadly, though there are not many routers that feature full-on VPN client support, ASUS has a great range of routers suited for this capability, from entry-level to high-end models.
Check out this budget-friendly Asus VPN router on Amazon here
Check out this high-end Asus VPN router on Amazon here
Flash DD-WRT on your router
There is third-party firmware called DD-WRT for hundreds of routers, and it has been around for years. This is a slightly more involved DIY option but is much cheaper than buying a brand-new router. This firmware adds a massive amount of versatility to your router, including a VPN client mode.
If you think that flashing your router is a daunting task, it is not actually and many people with no technical skills have succeeded in flashing their routers, incurring no problems and no bricked routers.
You need to note that even though you purchased or flashed your router to support VPN client mode, you still have to pick a VPN service and then set up your router with it accordingly.
That is beyond this article’s scope, but these two options we have listed here, both purchasing a new one and flashing your old router, will allow you to connect your Xbox to a VPN.
How to connect an Xbox to a VPN client enabled router?
This is as basic as setting up your Wi-Fi or using an ethernet cable for your regular router. In fact, there is no difference. All you need to do is connect your Xbox exactly how you would connect it usually to your router, and viola.
The router will do all the work for you connecting and tunneling through your VPN service. No extra effort or work is required.
Connect your Xbox to your MAC, PC, or Laptop, which uses a VPN service
If you do not have a VPN router and you are in no mood to purchase another one.
Still, you do use a VPN service that you connect to via your pc or Mac; what you are able to do is set up your “network and sharing center” on your PC or your “internet sharing” on your Mac to allow your Xbox to connect to your PC or MAC and connect through that internet connection.
This process is not complicated at all for either your PC or MAC; however, again, it is beyond the scope of this article to go through all the steps that you would need to do in order to connect your Xbox to your PC or MAC, enabling your Xbox to use a VPN.
How should you connect your Xbox to your Router, PC, or MAC?
You are able to connect to your router, PC, or MAC via a wireless connection or with an ethernet cable passing through your device using its VPN service.
Remember that a VPN works by routing your internet connection through you’re your chosen VPN service. This means that information passes through their server instead of your designated internet service provider.
This means when you transmit data to the internet; your data comes from the VPN rather than your computer. Hence, we can say that a VPN is somewhat of a middleman that routes your data for you, keeping you and it safe.
You have to understand that because you are using a VPN, there are extra steps and paths that your data has to go through, and as such, this could cause your internet connection to get slower or lag when you play games.
Hence, the best thing you can do is make sure that if you are using your Xbox and whether you are connecting to your PC, MAC, or router the has a VPN client enabled on it, you are connecting via an ethernet cable.
If you connect via Wi-Fi, you may experience packet drops, a slow connection, and lag. This would be more so if you have a slow internet connection, so if you are using a VPN, make sure you connect your Xbox via an ethernet cable.
Conclusion
We discovered that even though the Xbox itself cannot connect to a VPN, there are ways in which you are able to do so. No matter the Xbox model you have, even the Xbox 360 is capable of being directed through a VPN.
There are two ways you are able to connect your Xbox to the internet and enable it to pass through a VPN. These two ways connect it directly to a VPN client enabled router, and the second way is connecting it to your PC or MAC (which uses a VPN service) and enabling internet sharing.
This will allow it to use your computer’s internet connection, and it will then be able to use the VPN you are allocating to your PC or MAC.
Another thing to note is that you can buy a VPN client enabled router or flash your current router with DD-WRT firmware that allows your router to have a VPN client mode. Lastly, always be sure to connect your Xbox via an ethernet cable to avoid any unnecessary packet loss, slow internet, or lag.
