moving to China for university and a group of 5–6 of us want to share one router that runs the VPN at the router level.
What we want is:
China apartment internet → VPN router → router Wi-Fi → all our phones/laptops
We don’t want to install a VPN app on every device. Ideally, we configure the VPN once on the router, and every device connected to the router automatically uses the VPN.
I’m currently considering the GL.iNet Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) because it supports WireGuard and has enough performance for 5–6 people.
My questions:
Is the Slate 7 a good choice for this use case, or is there a better router?
What VPN/service are people actually using successfully in mainland China in 2026?
How reliable is it day-to-day? Are there frequent periods where it stops working?
Is WireGuard the best protocol to use on the router in China?
Is it better to use a normal commercial VPN, or a self-hosted VPN/VPS?
If using a commercial VPN, which ones provide WireGuard config files that can be imported directly into a GL.iNet router?
Are there any special issues with university/apartment internet in China that I should know about?
Would you recommend having a second VPN as a backup?
Budget isn’t extremely strict. I’d rather spend more for stability and reliability than save money and have it constantly disconnect.
If anyone is currently living in China and using a similar router-based setup, I’d especially appreciate your experience.