Anonymous surfing in next to no time: eBlocker makes data protection child's play

Anonymous on the net? There are tools for the browser or the Tor network. It should be easier with eBlocker: The plug-and-play solution is ready for immediate use and protects the entire network. n-tv.de tried the sniffer stopper.

Privacy and the protection of one's own data on the Internet are very important, and users are very interested in these topics. In practice, however, it often fails because there is no user-friendly "plug-and-play solution" that is easy to use even for ordinary consumers. If you want to surf the Internet anonymously, you can use browser extensions and plug-ins that can disguise your own identity if desired or block the path of so-called trackers that attach themselves to the traces of the users and follow their path through the network. Informed users can also switch to solutions such as the Tor network. More practical, more powerful and easier to set up, however, is eBlocker, a small box that is connected to the home router and from now on directs all Internet traffic through its locks.

The project of two German security and IT experts started as a software solution in the summer of 2015, and "Indiegogo" was looking for supporters via crowdfunding. In the meantime, another crowdfunding campaign on "Kickstarter" also financed the production of the eBlocker hardware. An important step, because before that, eBlocker was aimed more at technically experienced users who could test the software on a Raspberry Pi, for example. There were also hand-made pre-series devices, but with the successful conclusion of the Kickstarter campaign, end customers will soon be able to buy appealing-looking devices, compact single-board computers with the corresponding security software.

Plug and play privacy

This is what the pre-production model of the eBlocker looks like.

(Photo: jwa)

Declared goal of the eBlocker: to be able to easily switch privacy on and off. In fact, the little sniffer guard works so easily that hardly any technical knowledge is required to set it up. Simply plug it into a free LAN slot on the router and connect it to the power, and the eBlocker is ready to use. It configures itself automatically and without software installation and, after a five-minute warm-up phase, routes all data traffic through its locks.

If you start it up for the first time, it still has to be registered in order to receive all important updates – the open source lists maintained by the community with data collection services, trackers and advertising networks are updated daily. It doesn't take more. A small, orange symbol in the upper right corner of the browser indicates that eBlocker is active. Clicking on it opens a wide control bar in the upper browser area with the most important information and settings.

Here users can see, for example, the number of blocked trackers and third-party advertisements; a click on the respective icon shows more detailed information on the individual addresses. Blocked addresses can be added to an exception list, and users can access a Tor client if they wish and thus hide their IP address. The cloaking function disguises which device a user is surfing with – this is useful, for example, to avoid falling victim to dynamic price adjustments when shopping online. A user who surfs with an iPad can "disguise" himself as a Windows PC with eBlocker. All devices in the network can also be set up separately in the settings.

A blocker for all devices

Perhaps the biggest advantage of the eBlocker, in addition to its very easy setup, is that it centrally protects the entire network, while software solutions such as browser add-ons only work for one device. The data traffic from mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets is also filtered by the eBlocker, not only in the home network, but also when out and about in the future. This mobile function is currently still in development and has not yet been tested, just like the "Family Edition", which gives parents extended setting options to protect their children from unwanted content.

An unfinished version of the software was used in the Tets, and n-tv.de only had a pre-series device available. Nevertheless, the functions that were already available could be used without any problems, setup and handling were amazingly easy, and there were no complications. The Kickstarter campaign will run until Wednesday February 17th. For the duration of the campaign, the eBlocker Pro package is available directly from eBlocker for 99 euros instead of 199 euros, the Family Edition costs 124 euros instead of the regular 249 euros.