ExpressVPN Aircove Router Review | Best VPN Router of 2023

Internet-connected gadgets like smart speakers and tablets continue to dominate some of the hottest holiday gifts. But while they’re useful in your home, they can also expose you to liability if outside parties remotely access sensitive web data, such as account passwords or security camera clips, for malicious purposes. The mere thought of hackers violating your privacy is crazy, but even your friendly neighborhood Internet Service Provider (ISP) can misuse your online information to attack you. I have. If your ISP determines that downloads or torrents are using too much bandwidth, they will often throttle (lower) your Internet connection speed.

A virtual private network (VPN) creates a secure connection, masks your device’s identifiers (such as your IP address), and encrypts your device’s network traffic from all prying eyes, allowing you to access sensitive data and the web you visit. Help protect your site. Typically, you’ll need to download a VPN app or “client” directly onto the device that uses the service. This is usually limited to laptops or smartphones running operating systems capable of supporting software, and is not the case for Internet of Things gadgets such as smart TVs, cameras, and gaming systems. But a new router, ExpressVPN AirCove, changes this by integrating the VPN directly into the hardware, automatically covering all devices that connect to your network, even gadgets that can’t install a VPN client. Its speed is enough to take a blow to the arm, but its stable performance and ease of use are second to none.

In addition to being a resident technical expert, I’ve surfed the web for 20 years and downloaded tons of content. Use different VPN services to set your PC’s location to different regions, get discounts on products, access video game servers around the world, and access streaming services from other countries (such as Netflix in the UK). (often excellent) to watch programs. Virtually located on remote servers around the world, it can make it appear that you are accessing the web from another state or country.

After the vulnerability in Eufy’s home security system (the brand I use for my smart home) was revealed late last year, I realized two things: a reliable one that fully protects my data. The company doesn’t exist, and my cybersecurity setup needs a refresher. The premise is to easily add an extra layer of protection to all your gadgets without the hassle of installing software on each individual device, which is why we decided to give ExpressVPN’s Aircove a try. This Wi-Fi 6 router provides a fast and stable connection even when a large number of devices are crowded together. This results in less connectivity and slowdowns and better overall performance for each device. During the two-week test period, we loaded 31 devices into the router, ranging from smart home cameras to gaming systems.

Automatically activate VPN protection and features

The all-black Aircove is a thin router, about the size of two cable TV remotes side by side. It has four antennas that are sturdy enough to be fixed in any direction you tune, and has enough range to cover up to 1,600 square feet. To set up Aircove, simply plug it into your modem and connect your phone or computer to your Wi-Fi network (requires firmware updates to be installed). There are four LAN ports on the back for wiring Ethernet devices, but I only used two. One connects to your modem and the other to your gaming PC. The hardest part of installation is entering your ExpressVPN activation code, which requires a subscription to access VPN features. Signing up for an annual subscription will set you back just over $8 a month.

Once up and running, the Aircove router automatically masks and protects all devices that connect to its network, providing a web app dashboard with a familiar interface, whether accessed from a phone or computer. can be easily managed by The main page displays a list of connected devices and allows you to create groupings using specific rule sets, such as viewing devices from different locations. You can easily drag and drop devices from one group to another. By default all my devices use a US VPN, but if I want to access foreign content I drag them into the group named “UK”. This will automatically switch your device to the UK server without any input other than a simple drag motion. You can have up to 5 device locations active at the same time.

I used the website What Is My IP Address to view my IP address and location, and also checked for DNS leaks to make sure the device was connected to the assigned region. There are no coverage lapses and this level of security virtually guarantees that you are a ghost to all other parties. Although they weren’t able to make it work, they appreciated how well the VPN location spoofing worked. love island On ITV before it premiered in-state from a smart TV without opening the app and activating the VPN service.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. ExpressVPN’s debut hardware is new to the game and oddly lacks typical router features like parental controls and ad blocking. Sure, you can pause the service by putting it in the “no internet” group, but that takes up one of your five precious rule set slots. If you have kids and need to cut off access to your device frequently at certain times, it’s not a big deal. That rule already exists. But since we are in his 20s and I don’t have to do this in my household, I would have to give up grouping to block internet to devices.

Fast but not gigabit fast

Without any VPN features, the router’s baseline performance reached 312 megabits per second (Mbps) in my testing. It’s fast, but mediocre for a $200 device. A similarly priced mesh system averages over 600 Mbps and operates over a wider range.

The Aircove has a solid reach thanks to four antennas on top. I experienced full strength Wi-Fi bars on either end of a 1,400 square foot townhome. I was even able to pull download speeds of over 200 Mbps on average from these points. I was able to penetrate multiple walls and floors and even deliver over 100 Mbps three floors below the router, so I could cover an outdoor camera or reach a small patio. If so, don’t expect any compensation.

Again, I’m buying this just for the VPN features that offer impressive performance. With my TV set to the UK, my laptop set to Mexico, and my Xbox Series X set to Canada, each device was able to push over 140 Mbps simultaneously. It’s smart enough to handle and prioritize speed for devices that need more bandwidth. It works as a basic router, but I can’t boast of its performance when I’m not using a VPN.

verdict: ExpressVPN’s Aircove routers are feature-packed if you want to keep your network protected on all your devices at all times. Easily add encryption protection to all device types without installing software. You can even navigate between destinations and optimize your device signal with a single tap. It’s a solid first step for the company’s hardware division, but we’re hoping that the next generation of ExpressVPN routers will be meshed and add even more features to the dashboard. Shortages are eliminated while coverage for larger properties is expanded.