How to Manage Home internet with a virtual router

While the Covid-19 streak continues here and overseas, working from home has gradually become a norm, and we are adapting to the new customs steadily. To this and so many other reasons, home internet has so far become a necessity which wasn’t the case in the previous years. The world of Mobile and ubiquitous computing is expanding steadily, and so we need to know how to Manager Home internet with a virtual Router.

Modern homes today have embedded computers that use the internet such as; doorbells, cookers, CCTV cameras and so many other gadgets that depend on the internet to create a small home network which will require you to know how to Manage Home internet with a virtual Router.

What is a Virtual Router?

First things first, let’s first understand what a virtual Router is and what it can do to manage home internet. The terms VRouter and Virtual Router are used interchangeably and are a software function that replicates in software the functions of a hardware-based layer 3 internet protocol routing which has traditionally used a dedicated hardware device.

This means that instead of you having a hardware-based router, you can just own a virtual router since it gives the same functions as a hardware router, however this time as a software service.

How to set up a virtual router to manage home internet

Creating a virtual router is more like setting up a hotspot network on your phone, this time using your computer. This makes it possible for you to go on and share your internet connection with other home gadgets without the need for hardware-based routing equipment. Take the steps below to set up a virtual router and how to use it to manage home internet.

The most efficient way to create a virtual router is to use the services of the Virtual Private network (VPN)

Related:
1. How to Create Mobile Hotspot with Windows 10
2. How to fix “failed to obtain IP address” for windows laptop mobile hotspot

A list of VPN services available for use

1. CyberGhost

• It is an ultra-secure service. It protects your connection by providing the no-spy service although its speeds are below standard.

2. Private internet Access

• It provides a very fast server connection with buffer-free streaming. The challenge is it won’t support Netflix.

3. NordVPN

• It provides the best encryption of all VPN services and also has very fast network connectivity. However, it’s not a free service, but provides a 30 days money back guarantee.

4. Surfshark

• It provides unlimited convection for your devices.

5. ExpressVPN

• This is a little bit more expensive than NordVPN but it provides strong security and privacy for your connection.

How to choose the best VPN service to use

• Before choosing the kind of VPN service to use, you should first study the target computer, its Windows apps, and the version of Windows your computer is running.
• Check the type and level of encryption the VPN service is providing. Is it the kind that you need for your connection and the related level of privacy?
• Does the VPN have the capability to unlock commonly useful streaming services such as Netflix? This is very important ever since Netflix and other online streaming services became so vital for our entertainment world.
• Be sure of the speed that the VPN service is capable of, is it the one that ranges in your target speed requirement, if so then go on and add it to your network

Hardware and software requirements

Below are the requirements you need to set up your first ever home virtual router and how to configure it to manage your home internet.

A computer

You need a computer that has a Broadcom WIFI adaptor and must be running a Windows-based operating system such as Windows 8 and 10. This will be your dedicated machine for routing signals to other devices.

A Virtual Private network

In order to create a virtual router on your windows based computer, you will need to have subscribed to a VPN service that supports the open VPN protocol. Note that most of the VPN services out there support this protocol, so it won’t be too much of a task.

Admin Access

Make sure the computer you are using to set up a virtual router is yours or you have the administrative privilege on it. It’s a requirement since setting up a VPN protocol will need an administrator’s permission.

Configuring your virtual Router

1. Go to your command prompt and start your virtual router by typing this command, “netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=key=”
2. Note: change the words My-NETWORK and MY-PASSWORD with the name and password of your choice and press enter to proceed.
3. Go on and type another command “netsh wlan start hostednetwork” and press enter. You should get a confirmation that your hosted network is up and running
4. Once you are done with that, it’s time to share your connection by launching the Run prompt.
5. To do this, hold down the Windows button plus R Win + R and type in ncpa.cpl and press enter.
6. A list of connections available will appear. You will be able to identify the newly created connection by the name you used.
7. Select one with Tap-Windows Adaptor underneath it, right-click, and select properties.
8. Click on the sharing tab, then choose Allow others to allow other devices to connect to the internet through your computer.
9. Now choose the network you previously created in the dropdown. Press Ok to finish.
10. Now go to your VPN and start the connection. Make sure however that the protocol is set to OpenVPN to activate the Tap windows adapter we earlier set. Once this is so, your virtual router will be available for connections from other devices.