Irish gadget that plugs in for peace ofmind
It feels like Wi-Fi has become a basic human need in this digital world we’re living in. It’s great, of course, that we’re seeing more free Wi-Fi around our cities. They help us to cut down on data and roaming charges. However, free public Wi-Fi does come with a price. The risk to our online security and privacy.
I’m naturally distrustful of public Wi-Fi hotspots and, while I use them, I’m careful not to log in to any sensitive services like Facebook or my online banking over public Wi-Fi.
I’ve often thought it would be ideal if someone made a little portable gadget, like a secure Wi-Fi bridge, between me and a public hotspot. Well, an Irish company, Invizbox, have done just that so I was keen to look more closely at exactly what this small gadget can offer.
The Invizbox Go is a small device, and looks like one of those portable powerbanks for smartphones, and that’s one of its features. In the box is the device itself, a USB cable for charging and a card with the admin password for the box. There’s also a troubleshooting guide and a handy quick-start leaflet.
The Invizbox arrives charged, which is really useful as you can get started immediately.The first-time set-up isn’t difficult, but you need to get it clear in your head, what exactly the box is doing. Once I turned the box on, a Wi-Fi network appeared in my list of connections on my computer. I connected to it and used the set-up wizard to then connect the Invizbox to my own Wi-Fi network. It was as simple as that, and that’s the magic of Invizbox. This set-up means that my phone, laptop or other wireless devices connect to the Invizbox, and it then connects to the internet via my Wi-Fi network, or any hotspot I select when I’m out and about. My devices are never exposed to public Wi-Fi networks. Instead, the Invizbox acts as a gatekeeper to keep me more secure online.
There is a nice administration section, that you access from your web browser to set up additional preferences on the box. There are a number of modes available on the Invizbox.
You can choose Tor, which is the secure browsing mode, or you can set the Invizbox as an extender for your Wi-Fi network. Perhaps the most useful mode is the VPN function. This is a Virtual Private Network and you can select the country you want the internet to think you’re in. So if you want to access content that’s available only in specific countries, you can set the VPN to that location, and watch or retrieve the content you’re looking for.
The Invizbox is a very smart device. It does mean that you have another device to carry around and there is an additional cost for the full VPN service though. I think they should have included a carry case as this is likely to be popped into backpacks or bags, and will likely get scuffed.
Overall, it’s incredibly useful and good value. The box also acts as an adblocker and you can charge your phone from empty to full using the built in USB charging facility.
It’s VPN feature is a nice additional extra but most of all, this is about peace of mind online and it’s great to see an Irish company with a likely winner on their hands.