If you live in the UK, one of the leading internet options for you is Sky Internet.
If you’ve got Sky Broadband then you’ll likely have a Sky Q Hub router. With all the benefits that come with it, it is perfectly understandable if you’re not already with Sky why you might want to switch from your current ISP/router.
Sky Q allows you to watch recordings on the go, the silver box is 4K-ready, it works phenomenally with Netflix, and that is only the tip of the iceberg.
However, considering the UK’s restrictive internet laws (and various surveillance issues), you might want to combine your Sky Q Hub router with a VPN.
If that is the case, don’t worry – we will show you what to do.
How to add a VPN to the Sky Q Hub router?
While the Sky Q Hub router comes with an abundance of great features and benefits, it also has one big negative, and that is the fact that there is no way to add a VPN to the router natively.
This is unfortunate if you were looking forward to using the two combined, and if you wanted to use a VPN with your router, you will have to seek another solution.
Luckily, there are many such solutions out there, and we will explore some of them below.
Solution 1: App-Based
If you’ve used VPNs before you probably know that each VPN has its own benefits, features, and alike. One such feature is the ability to protect multiple devices with a single VPN license.
Providers like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IPVanish all offer support for multiple connections. Also, check out reviews can for each:
In the case of ExpressVPN, it allows you to connect five devices. NordVPN allows six, while IPVanish beats them both with unlimited simultaneous connections.
Choosing one of them will let you install a VPN app on all your devices, which is a very cheap way to protect yourself with only a single package and still be able to use the Sky Q Hub router.
The negative thing is that you must download and enable the app on every device you wish to protect and secure, and always remember to connect to a secure server when using that device.
The ExpressVPN app is easy to set-up and use.
Things would be simpler if the Sky Q Hub router worked with VPN directly, but the reality is that it does not.
While the app solution is cost-effective and perfectly suitable it’s down to you to remember to enable it each time.
Solution 2: Hardware-Based
If you are not interested in securing every device in your home with an app, you might want to consider getting an additional router. For example, InvizBox 2 and InvizBox 2 Pro are home routers that come with a built-in VPN functionality.
With them, you can create different hotspots for different purposes.
Using their built-in VPN service will allow you to create a UK hotspot for privacy, and another, US hotspot that will allow you to access the US Netflix. You can create another one for the Netherlands, and use it for torrenting, and so on.
InvizBox 2 works seamlessly with our Sky Q router.
The routers will allow you security and privacy, without sacrificing simplicity.
They also come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, excellent speeds (over 400Mbps at peak), 1024MB RAM, and the power to protect your entire home.
Of course, this brings their price up, which makes this solution more expensive than the first one.
However, for a native VPN router without fiddling about setting up multiple devices, it’s the most reliable one.
Will the Sky Q Hub router get VPN functionality?
While it is understandable that many people would wish the Sky Q Hub router would simply add VPN functionality later on – it is unlikely to happen.
The fact is that ISPs don’t support VPN services. This can be seen in their answers to customers where questions involving VPNs seemed to be blamed as the cause of issues when clearly they are not.
Can I get a free VPN for my Sky Q Hub router?
When it comes to the second solution – the answer is no, as there are no free hardware solutions that will allow you to protect yourself.
You could use a free VPN app for all your different devices, but they are neither safe nor fast, and will probably infect you with malware to log your usage and pay for the ‘free’ service. Rather than help you stay safe and expand your online reach.
Is using a VPN with Sky Q Hub legal?
Fortunately, yes. VPNs are entirely legal, as they are viewed as a technology that increases your security and privacy.
They are as legal as antivirus apps in that regard, and you can use them without fear, as even the UK has no laws against VPNs.
What’s the benefit of using a VPN with Sky Q router?
Using the VPN brings a lot of benefits, such as avoiding throttling, getting faster speeds, and unblocking pretty much any content that can be found online.
You can also use it to access additional content on services like Netflix, which is known for offering different content to different regions.
Additionally, you can hide your location, encrypt your online traffic, and protect your privacy when using services such as Kodi.
You can even torrent securely and anonymously.
In Summary: Sky Q Hub and VPN
The Sky Q Hub router comes with numerous benefits, but it also has one enormous flaw, which is the fact that it cannot be used in combination with a VPN.
While VPNs are perfectly legal (even in the UK), they are still not supported by most ISPs including Sky Broadband.
There are two solutions to this issue – either use Sky Q Hub router without a VPN, but instead, secure every device separately. This involves using an app-based solution from a service such as ExpressVPN.
Alternatively, get an additional router that comes with a built-in VPN such as the Invizbox 2. It is versatile enough to use it for a range of purposes.
The benefits of using a VPN are many, and these are your only two choices.
Whatever you choose, it is better than having no VPN. All that remains is for you to decide which option works best for you.
