Fingbox Home Network Security

If there was ever a device I didn’t know I needed it’s the Fingbox! One day it arrived on my doorstep as if by magic. I had signed up to test it months before and forgotten about it. Lucky me! So what is this mysterious object? The Fingbox is a network security and troubleshooting monitor. In the company’s own words, “It watches over your network to detect intruders, block devices and analyze the quality of your Wi-Fi and internet connection.”

Indeed it does. You simply plug it in, download the app, and let it do its thing. If you do nothing else, the next thing you’ll see is notifications of devices on your network. At this point you can stop or if you want to be the household IT person, go further with the app and secure your space in the world wide web.

Because I’m all about being knowledgeable in all things tech, or pretending to be, I not only labeled all the devices coming and going from my house on my Fingbox app but I also watched the tutorials online. And discovered a few things I probably should have been monitoring all along. Here are the highlights:

• Wi-Fi speed: Is my provider keeping up its end of the bargain? Yes. So that’s good!

• What uses the most bandwidth? Oh, it’s my geriatric laptop. No surprise there.

• Are my neighbors stealing my Wi-Fi? Fortunately no.

• Who’s coming and going from my house? Which friend is it this time and why do kids need to bring all their electronic devices with them?? How much access does an 11 year old need?

But wait, it gets better: the Fingbox has parental controls. Now that’s near and dear to me. Under the “Scheduled Pause” button you can select Bedtime, Homework, or Generic pause. In addition you can pause your Wi-Fi at any time, either the household or by device.

I can’t help but compare the pause button to the Circle from Disney. The Circle is all about setting parameters for internet users, family style, and the pause button is front and center in the app. However, my teenager has figured out how to get around the system and it’s a constant battle to keep him signed in. But with the Fingbox I can set a bedtime and he can’t change it. Score one mom! And Fingbox!

Interestingly enough, one more comparison between the Circle and Fingbox: The Circle is actually shaped like a box and the Fingbox is a round circle. There seems to be some confusion in the marketing departments! Features aside, there are many advantages to be uncovered with the Fingbox and the benefits are good. I’m getting my money’s worth from my internet provider, I’m back on top as tech queen of the household, and I’m the only one with access to the all-powerful pause button. Take that, kids!

#Fingbox