[BentWitte]

Please bear with me, but I'm new here and don't even know, where to place this question. Please advice which forum I should post my question to.

The whole idea is to have a dedicated router with VPN to - initally - serve my "smart" TV. The reason for this is because I'm geoblocked.

My network is a mesh, as shown on the attached picture (router and two satellites) and a number of devices attached.

I have - partially - prepared my old Netgear R7000 to be a VPN router and planning to install ExpressVPN on it.
My idea is to run the R7000 on the same network (same domain/subnet or whatever is the right term) and have seen setups for this. The wifi on this router is not vital, but if it can work, then it's fine. As far as I can see, then the R7000 will function like a bridge, but I'm only guessing...
I'm hoping - since everything is on the same network - to be able to use screen cast etc towards my TV.

Questions:
Will this work? If not, why?
Will devices attached to the R7000 automatically get VPN?

Thanks in advance
Bent

[egc]

If the Smart TV is the only connected device then why do you want the R7000 to be on the same subnet?

What you describe is a Wireless Acces Point (WAP), it is possible to use a WAP as VPN client but only if the device (i.e. you Smart TV) can have its IP address setup manually, meaning not only the IP address but also the gateway, as the gateway must point to the R7000.
(there is an alternative solution if you can set static routes on your main router)

It is far easier to setup the R7000 in normal Gateway mode on its own subnet

I will transfer your thread to the more appropriate Advanced Networking forum, see the forum guidelines with helpful pointers about how to research your router, where and what firmware to download, where and how to post and many other helpful tips:
https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=324087

OpenVPN documentation is a sticky in this forum.

[BentWitte]

Thanks for spending your time on me.
Initially the smart TV is the only device, but my idea is of course to connect other devices like Apple TV, Raspberry etc. on that router to get VPN for them also.

The reason for having a separate VPN router is because I'm also connecting to a number of other sites (working from home), where I'm using VPN from my PC and I don't want my home network to conflict in any way with that.

WAP? It might just be a term, but I'm not going to use the wireless on the R7000 - at least not to begin with.
I can set the IP address, subnet, GW and DNS on my TV. The DNS is already set for Unlocator, but it doesn't prevent geoblocking. That's why I'd like to use VPN.

It is very likely, because I don't understand, but as far as I know, if I create a subnet, then I also have to create special routing on the main router and opening the firewall on the R7000.
I know I can set static routes on both my main router (ORBI RBR50) and the R7000, but I just thought it could be easier without.

I've searched for documentation on how the VPN is activated, but haven't found anything. Does it happen "just because the device is connected to the VPN router and requests an address outside of the home network" or how does it work?

If You or anyone can point me to a configuration that will work for me, then I'm all ears.

Thx

[egc]

If you use the router on its own subnet you only have to set a static route on the main router if you want to access your Smart TV from the main network.

I would suggest you first try it on its own subnet.

Reset the router to defaults.
Make sure the routers Local IP address (default 192.168.1.1) is different from the main network, and I mean different in the third octet (the one in bold).
Attach the ethernet cable from main router to the WAN port.
Attach your smart tv on the LAN port and see if you are happy with it.

If you are happy then consult the OpenVPN Client setup guide it might be as easy as just importing the OpenVPN config you acquired from your VPN provider.
Note that Netflix et all is actively searching and blocking VPN's!