Is it worth getting VPN on OPNSense?

Last Updated on September 29, 2020 by Jan Bachelor

Why VPN on OPNSense?

Since you have a powerful OPNSense firewall installed, why not to expand its functionality with securing your entire household behind a third-party virtual private network (VPN) server? This way, you will not have to install a VPN agent on each of your devices (let alone some like smart TVs may not even have VPN agents available).

Advantages of using VPN on OPNSense:

• Anonymized traffic
• You can also change your VPN server to another country, in order to access services that are only accessible there (such as US/UK Netflix programs).
• Typically a VPN provider allows you to connect only 6-10 devices via your subscription. By installing the agent on OPNSense, it does not matter how many devices are behind your firewall – all will be covered.

Disadvantages of using VPN on OPNSense:

• It adds a layer of complexity – in case of something in the process breaking, you could get locked out of internet access.
• Incorrect initial set up could lead to you getting locked out of your LAN as well.
• If you get connected to a slower server, your entire WAN connection gets slowed down for all your devices on your network – – unless you enable VPN only on selected devices.
• If you want to connect to a different VPN server for the same provider (e.g. a different country), you will need to manually switch it in OPNSense – this guide will show you how to go about it.
• Your latency and bandwidth will ALWAYS get worse – it’s therefore best to connect to a VPN server in your country.

Go back to course overview: Build Your Own Router – Proxmox, OPNSense, OpenVPN server and a VPN client all in one!