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Anti-surveillance advocates want you to run an open, secure WiFi router
Plenty of WiFi routers have guest modes for visitors; some companies base their entire business models around them. Many of these devices are full of security holes, however, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation doesn't see that as acceptable in an era where widespread government surveillance is a fact of life. To fix this, it has posted a very early version of custom-built open router firmware that promises both easy access and security. While there is a guest mode, the new firmware (based on the existing CenoWRT) should patch common exploits that leave your home network vulnerable. It will even fetch signatures for updates through the anonymizing Tor network to prevent rogue code from posing as a necessary upgrade.
Netgear's WNDR 3800 with ReadySHARE, the roll-your-own cloud service
Netgear's stable of dark gray rectangles of joy has swelled to include the premium edition WNDR 3800, which comes with two features uncommon to most home routers. First is the Clear Channel Selector, which analyzes the wireless traffic and switches to the quietest channel to prevent dropouts. Second is ReadySHARE Cloud -- using the router's USB port, you can attach an external HDD and access the data anywhere there's an internet connection. The only downside is the iOS / Android app for the service costs an extra $2.99, which seems unnecessary considering you're already paying $180 for the device itself. There's a press release in it for you, so why not take a wander down after the break?
