Questions, answered honestly
FAQ
Why not just use a regular VPN?+
Regular VPNs route you through IP addresses shared by thousands of strangers. Banks, brokerages, and streaming services flag those IPs and lock you out or ask for extra verification. Ownhearth uses your own home connection, so you look like exactly who you are — you, at home.
Do I have to pay every month?+
No. The setup is a one-time fee. After that, your VPN runs on your own routers at no recurring cost. There's an optional yearly plan if you'd like us to actively monitor your connection and fix issues proactively — but it's optional, and your VPN keeps working without it.
What hardware do I need?+
Two small travel routers (about $200 total). We tell you exactly which to buy — they ship from Amazon. You own them and keep them forever.
Is it hard to set up?+
No. You download a small helper app, click once, and paste a claim code. It configures both routers for you. Most people are done in about five minutes, no command line or config files.
Can you see my traffic?+
No. Your data flows directly between your two routers and never touches our servers. We keep only a tiny management channel to help your routers pair and to alert you if one goes offline.
What if my home internet is behind something weird (CGNAT, double NAT)?+
Some home connections — often cellular or certain fiber/apartment setups — don't allow incoming connections, which this needs. Run our 1-minute pre-check before you buy; it tells you honestly whether your connection will work.
Is this legal? Does it break my bank's terms?+
You're connecting through your own home internet — the same connection you'd use sitting on your couch. You're not faking a location or hiding behind someone else's server; you're literally using your real home line from afar. That's a normal, legitimate use of your own internet. As always, follow the terms of the specific services you use.
Will it be fast?+
It's as fast as your home internet's upload speed, since everything routes through your house. That's plenty for banking, logins, email, and browsing — which is what this is for. It isn't designed to be faster than your home connection, and it won't speed up large downloads.
What happens if Ownhearth shuts down?+
Your VPN keeps running. It's on your hardware, using open WireGuard — it doesn't depend on us to keep working. That's the whole point of owning it.
What kind of support do I get?+
Email support from a real person — no scheduling a call to fix a dropped connection. Setup includes 30 days; the yearly plan keeps priority support going.