I'm no expert, and I used to be so called "real man" use pFsense thingy
![Roll Eyes ::)](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/rolleyes.gif)
, own VPN server and etc, but I scrapped all of those as I just don't want spend the time maintaining them. Especially using old hardware, broken, fixed, broken again, reinstalled, reconfigured etc ... no more, too much trouble.
1) Performance: Because VPN is provided by a TP-Link router running DD-WRT, it cannot even remotely benefit from my internet bandwidth. Where I could before use CAD/CAM software in real-time or even watch a movie being run on my remote PC, now I suffer from considerable lag. I don't know at this point, what my options are to get a faster VPN server. I do not want to purchase any additional, power consuming, device.
How old is your TP-Link router ? and why DD-WRT ?
Modern mid class router nowadays already using powerful processor, the burden of processing the firewall , VPN are pretty miniscule that makes them basically unnoticeable.
Old router, when loaded with all these jobs, probably made you lag so much as they're over burdened, hence low bandwidth and probably bad latency too.
No affiliate, you choose so many brands or model, but just for example sake, I use this at my house and my mom's home ->
https://www.tp-link.com/pt/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-c9/ This is considered NOT a high end model.
Firewall enabled with full packet inspection, VPN enabled and also subcribed to TP-LINK dynamic DNS, its free, so I can connect everywhere to home or mom's everywhere just by name I made at the Dynamic DNS provided free by TP-Link, example : mymommy.tplinkdns.com instead of using IP as they're dynamic.
2) Usability: I now have to do two steps - first connect to VPN and only then connect to RDP. Before I could directly connect to RDP. The difference is about 30 seconds for each connection. Doesn't sound like much but is annoying.
My VPN connection, say I connect from internet from my mobile phone back to home network, only needs 2 seconds.
Something is not right.
3) Compatibility: I never succeeded in successfully connect my mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 8 running official Android) to my VPN server. This means that I no longer can RDP to my computer from my phone, which is something I did a lot. Also, this will prevent me from easily accessing my computer from a customer computer, to show him some features he doesn't have a valid license for, or to access some files he needs, which are on my computer. I know many will think I could just take those files with me on a HDD, but it is not that easy. Sometimes those files need to be downloaded from my account at the provider and that is something I won't do on the customer's computer.
The VPN server should not be in your working PC / desktop.
Say assumed you've fixed the router weakness and all VPN is handled by the router like mine, here what I use for my personal setup and mom's house.
![Grin ;D](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
At my android's mobile phone & tablet, I used app named OpenVPN.
->
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.blinkt.openvpn&hl=enFor laptop, same, just google for Windows OpenVPN client.
Since the connection is VPN-ed (read:secured), consider TightVNC (open source & freeware) and install it at your PC as service, not running as apps. So you can even log-in remotely just like you're sitting in front of it.
I've been using TighVNC for > 10 years, they very reliable, tight & mean for remote computing, my suggestion, try it, you got nothing to loose.
For windows laptop, I use that TightVNC too, and for my android tablet and mobile phone, I use app called "Remote Ripple" , made by the TightVNC team, not free though, but dirt cheap just <$5, and one time payment for perpetual license support.
![ThumbsUp :-+](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/icon_smile_thumbsup.gif)
Also I installed an app called "Wake On LAN" at my android mobile phone and tablet too, while out door, I can turn on remotely my desktop PCs, and once turned on , I can use my phone to log in remotely and feels like almost real time, of course, shutting down them too.
For my mom's PC and her android mobile phone
![Roll Eyes ::)](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/rolleyes.gif)
, she has the same router, firewall (full DDOS attack protection enabled), and VPN enabled, and her old PC (win 8 ) running the TightVNC as service, so I can login remotely.
While her android phone, an old samsung, I installed a free Samsung's own app called "SideSync", so I can remotely help her to trouble shoot event simple stuffs like adding a phone book entry or installing an app from google play
![Grin ;D](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
as its like I was right there using her phone. Newer version is called Samsung Flow.
And having a feature called RDP, which you cannot use as it was intended, sucks in my opinion.
RDP protocol has a lot of overhead, again, suggesting to try TightVNC at your two local computer and compare.
Anyway, if someone cares to help me: is there a FREE recommended VPN server that I could safely run on my PC (Windows 10), as this PC is switched on all the time, anyway? Would that be a secure thing to do (pointing the VPN ports to my computer running a VPN server, so that I could then access the computer RDP)?
Upgrade your router to more powerful one, the VPN problem will be gone.
I had been there, having my own VPN server, built, installed, configured .. maintained
![Cry :'(](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/cry.gif)
.. too much troubles, ended up just use a new router to handle them all, beside they're not that expensive anymore.
My 2 cents.