How can I use a VPN or Proxy on modem level?

Joseph August 1, 2011
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I’ve been reading some of your posts about VPN & Proxies. I’d like to access some US websites not available in my country (Hulu, Netflix etc).

I need a VPN/Proxy that takes place at the modem level instead of the browser setup like Tor etc. Most of us don’t have access to routers, so we pretty much connect the PC straight to the modem, so I’m not sure if a VPN/proxy server can be configured on a modem.

Eventually, the ideal setup would be my modem configured to route traffic through a VPN or proxy, then use my laptop as a hotspot plugged into the modem, connecting my ROKU Box wirelessly and streaming Hulu, Netflix, so forth.

  1. Oron
    June 8, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    See // . I think it addresses your requirements.

  2. Ted Bear
    June 6, 2012 at 12:55 am

    I have the same problem, the internet set up is the hotels. I have Roku but can not access GBTV or some other contet. How do I use a VPN??? Help I am not that technicaly savy

  3. hIUG
    June 4, 2012 at 8:25 am

    Check this out:

    it's written on spanish but works (Y)
    doesnt matter if you haven't the same modem, on every modem you can configure the assignement of ports to specific ip's.


  4. James Bruce
    August 2, 2011 at 7:01 am

    Alternatively, if you have a junk PC sitting around somewhere, you could install a free linux routing software such as smoothwall. (list of suitable distros here: ) 

    You'll need 2 network cards in that PC and an additional network switch to achieve this (only if you need to connect more than one pc). One of the cards connects to your regular net modem/router, the other goes to the switch. The linux router / firewall pc sits in the middle and establishes a VPN connection for you (as well as lots of other fun things). Also, making the thing wireless will be a problem but certainly not impossible. The method above assumes fixed cabling. 

  5. Mike
    August 1, 2011 at 8:52 pm

    I'm afraid this is only possible if the Modem, Router or hardware Firewall has either an VPN Client built in (e.g. Linux with OpenVPN) or offers some sort of site-to-site VPN.

    One option would be a Router with DD-WRT installed.

    Out of the box I don't know any "consumer" product offering these features. Usually this functionally can only be found in SOHO or Enterprise devices e.g. ZyXEL, Fortinet, DrayTek.

    As for a proxy I can only think of using an iptables forward to route all http(s) traffic through the proxy server. Although iptables can be found in a lot of devices most of the Modem orRouter boxes don't really offer the performance needed. It will probably be really slow or not work at all ~ worst case your Modem or Router might overheat.