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ExpressVPN Launches First Wi-Fi 6 Router With Built-In VPN

The Aircove Wi-Fi 6 router has cleared a full security audit from Cure53 and offers an onboard virtual private network for under $200.

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Rae Hodge Former senior editor
Rae Hodge was a senior editor at CNET. She led CNET's coverage of privacy and cybersecurity tools from July 2019 to January 2023. As a data-driven investigative journalist on the software and services team, she reviewed VPNs, password managers, antivirus software, anti-surveillance methods and ethics in tech. Prior to joining CNET in 2019, Rae spent nearly a decade covering politics and protests for the AP, NPR, the BBC and other local and international outlets.
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A compact router with 4 antennas rising vertically out of its back side. The router is low in profile, similar to that of a nearby cellphone and MacBook

The Aircove is ExpressVPN's answer to Wi-Fi 6 routers and smart home privacy. 

 ExpressVPN

One of the world's largest virtual private network providers, ExpressVPN, has launched its first router with a built-in VPN -- the first Wi-Fi 6 consumer router to arrive on the market already equipped with an onboard VPN. British Virgin Islands-based ExpressVPN said the router, called Aircove and launched Sept. 22, has undergone testing from security audit firm Cure53 and is designed to offer users easier homewide privacy protection. 

Citing recent security studies from Deloitte and others, ExpressVPN said Aircove's launch aims to close the privacy gap in homes where unencrypted data -- and the average number of internet-connected devices -- is on the rise.

"The average US home now has 25 devices connected to the home Wi-Fi network. From laptops and tablets, to smart watches and TVs, things add up quickly and it becomes more difficult to keep track and know that every device is protected," ExpressVPN Vice President Harold Li said in a company release. 

Read more: ExpressVPN Review 2022: Top Speeds and Competitive Transparency Efforts

Aircove's coverage range is up to 1,600 square feet, and its onboard VPN allows for unlimited simultaneous connections. The device permits speeds up 600 Mbps for 2.4GHz bands and 1,200 Mbps for 5GHz. Offering a quad-core 64-bit processor and weighing less than a pound, Aircove receives automatic security updates, comes with a one-year warranty, and is available at a currently discounted price of $169 at Amazon with a 30-day return policy. The actual ExpressVPN service subscription is, however, sold separately. 

ExpressVPN Aircove Router $190 at Amazon
ExpressVPN Aircove Router

A full audit of the device conducted by Cure53 can be found on the firm's public site. According to the ExpressVPN's website, ExpressVPN users are still able to manually install and configure ExpressVPN on some third-party routers as before, albeit at the risk of invalidating the manufacturer warranty.