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Karma releases an anonymizing hotspot

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Open a magazine, newspaper, your local nightly news or almost internet blog, and you will be confronted with news about another security breach. Breaches, breaches everywhere. 

Concerned netizens are trying to find ways to protect themselves when online and to protect their privacy. In response, I have written a bunch of articles (such as):

The above reviews were VPN services, but what if you wanted a piece of hardware that was portable and could be used with any WIFI enabled device?

A new player in the hardware category is LTE WIFI Hotspot service provider Karma. 
Karma is releasing a new LTE hotspot (for the US market) called Karma Black LTE hotspot. This device costs $149 now (will go up to $249 after the January 15 pre-order closes). In addition to the initial cost, you will have to plunk down $20 a month for its security services. Karma promises to encrypt your internet traffic and to hide other privacy-invading markers like location, browser identifiers, etc. 

It looks like you will be able to use this service with your own WIFI networks (home, office, hotel, etc.) Karma is also promising to add additional features in the future like TOR, network antivirus, ad blocking and parental control. 

In addition to the monthly security service fee, you will have to spend more money if you want to use the device's LTE connectivity feature ($3/month + $10/GB on the "drift" plan). 

Is it worth it?

I have not had a chance to test the device so everything written here is based on the documentation. 
 

“We wanted to create a product that allows consumers to feel protected while surfing the web. Karma Black is that product. Our users can freely consume internet content while knowing that no one is looking over their shoulders. Consumers do not want strangers listening to their phone calls… they deserve the same security from intrusion when going online.”
— Todd Wallace, Karma Mobility CEO

I believe the goal is noble but the question is "should you spend $20 a month for this level of security?".

A technical user knows that sites, threat actors, and government intelligence agencies have multiple ways to identify and track users. Even with all of the security measures deployed by Karma in its Karma Black hotspot, there are fairly easy ways to identify and its track users [here is an article that talks about TOR deanonymization].

As an example, a site that uses TLS encryption (aka most sites these days) is able to set up a secure connection between your browser and its site. They can drop a supercookie in your browser then track you as you browse the web. Facebook and Twitter did this.

There is an easy to implement technique called browser fingerprinting that would allow an online actor to create a unique fingerprint for your machine using nothing more than the information your browser willingly hands over to any site that asks. You can test this yourself here. 

Using a secure tunnel (aka a VPN), Karma can mask your internet traffic from your local ISP but they can see where you are going. We know very little about what they log. VPN providers like TunnelBear have clear & easy to understand privacy policies. Tunnelbear has had independent audits to confirm that they are living up to their policies. ProtonVPN has a technology that they call SecureCore to prevent privacy breaches if any of their VPN termination endpoints are compromised. 

Unfortunately, there is insufficient information about how Karma Black is actually (technically) delivering these security services, and therefore I have to take every claim with a grain of salt. You can probably buy similar protection from the Invizbox for $190 (hardware plus 12 months of IP Vanish VPN service). You then use the Chrome browser with the uBlock Origin plug-in and you should have equivalent or better protection. 

Most security professionals will tell you tech is easy and that the biggest security weakness is the user. Users normally don't have good security hygiene and even the best security tools can easily be broken why careless users.

My professional recommendation would be to hold off buying one of these devices until a "real" security professional has a chance to test one in a lab and determine how good the security controls actually are. It is easy to mess it up and unintentionally leak metadata. So caveat emptor.

Skyroam Solis Review: a traveller's best friend?

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

I've been using a Skyroam hotspot for many years now and my 2 most popular blog posts (for the old device and service) are here: 

They recently upgraded their back-end service and global WIFI hotspot, and I wanted to test and review it for you. 

Solis is the latest version of the Global WIFI hotspot sold by Skyroam. For those new to this company, they offer a small portable global WIFI hotspot that works in 100+ countries, costs $10US a day for unlimited data and is activated on demand.
 
Although I had many complaints about the pass purchase process with the original product, their hotspot has been part of my every day (EDC) carry kit for three years now.

The Solis improves on its older brother in 2 days:

  • it now supports LTE speeds on countries were it is available (otherwise it drops down to 3G) 
  • it can now operate as a backup battery (in a pinch) to charge your mobile phone

Nice little intro video

I have had the Solis for several months and have already taken it on a US road trip. It is a well-built successor to the original Skyroad hotspot, but the world has changed.

When I started using the original Skyroam in 2014, my carrier didn't offer a global travel package, and it was a pay per megabyte type affair. It got very expensive very fast. Today my carrier offers a US travel package for $7 a day or a global package (in 80+ countries for $10 a day).

If all you need is access on one device, then your carrier package may be more advantageous since it is immediate and does not require any changes. But.... The Skyroam Solis offers coverage in more countries and can provide wonderful internet goodness to up to 5 devices simultaneously. 

In my case, I still rely on Solis or KnowRoaming when I travel since I know that they will offer service everyone for one set price and it is one less worry when I travel. 

The device

If you look at the above picture, the Solis is a beautifully visible shade of orange. It is made of plastic that should withstand the rigours of travel very well. If the battery does weaken, you can order a replacement from Skyroam.

I find the Skyroam Solis much easier to carry than its competitors (including the Geefi).

Using the device

You probably noticed that the device (unlike its older brother) doesn't have a screen. To manage the device, you turn it on and connect to it from your smartphone. You will then be presented with an information page showing signal, passes left, battery level, etc. To use the device "in the field", you turn it on then press the WIFI button on the top. This automatically applies one of your day passes and you get 24 hours of internet. It knows where you are and downloads a virtual SIM for the Skyroam partner in that country. 

You can travel to as many countries as you want during that 24-hour window. All you have to do when you switch countries is turn the unit off and back on. When it starts up, it will identify the local country and download the appropriate country SIM.

You could open the a.skyroam.com captive portal from any device with a browser but it is formatted for smartphones (will look odd on a laptop). Why isn't it responsive?

The Solis is charged with any USBC adaptor which is fantastic if you have a USB C smartphone and laptop. You can charge everything with one adapter.  They provide a mini USB-C to USB-A adapter so you can charge other devices from the Solis but I wouldn't recommend it. WIFI needs every little bit of juice in that battery. 

In my testing (in zones with good LTE coverage and with 1 device connected), I was able to eek out 10-14 hours of usage on a single charge. This number will drop if the wireless signal is weak and/or if you connect multiple WIFI devices to the hotspot. When I tested it with a Chromebook and a Note 8 smartphone, I still got 10 hours of solid use (usage was primarily web pages without heavy streaming).

The software is periodically updated which is a nice touch. I recommend you start the device and let it connect to your local home network (without using a pass) before travelling. If the device needs an update, better to do it now then at a foreign airport waiting for the 15 minute upgrade process to complete. 

How fast is the connection?

I will not post speed test results because that depends on the local carrier, congestion, etc. I will say that in my testing, the Solis achieved LTE speeds comparable to an iPhone 6s Plus. The Note 8 outperformed it with is carrier aggregation technology. 

There is an LTE cap of around 500MB in a 24 hour period. After this, they throttle the connection down to 2G. They claim that this isn't automatic and done to protect the experience for all customers, but I hit this limit consistently (for testing) and saw my speed drop to dial-up performance. At the lower throttled speed, even simple apps like Google Maps took forever to load, and GPS navigation became impossible. 

I understand the need to control their costs but wish there were a way to buy more LTE access if I needed it. 

What about security?

September 2016, I reached out to Skyroam and complained about major security gaps on their online pass purchasing website. After multiple attempts to responsibly disclose the issues (with no follow-up from Skyroam), I wrote an article about it. I am happy to report that the new version of their online portal has fixes all of the issues I previously reported.

What about the general security? It is as secure as your home internet connection. My standing recommendation is to use a VPN where/when possible. You can get a VPNUnlimited lifetime VPN subscription for 5-devices for $18 (promo link), so you have no excuses.

So should I buy a Skyroam Solis?

So the question you are asking yourself is "Should I buy the Solis?". There is no simple answer. If you used the old version, then the Solis is a wonderful upgrade. Every time I tried it, it worked flawlessly without a hitch. The cost is predictable, and I have a bunch of passes purchased ready to use when needed. 

If you are a European with an EU SIM travelling within the EU, you get free roaming anyway. If you are an American with one of those great TMobile plans with free global roaming, you probably don't need this device either. 

A Skyroam PR rep had said months ago that additional functionality would be unlocked on the device (like Bluetooth and GPS), but since they are not available today, I can't factor them in as a benefit. 

For everyone that travels more than twice a year (and doesn't have free roaming), you really should consider it. The best recommendation I can make is that I own one and carry it with me every day (even when in my home country). I will be travelling considerably over the next four months (within the USA and globally) and will be using this thing a lot. 

If you travel once a year and don't want to buy a Skyroam Solis, you can rent one directly from the company. They will mail it to you or you can pick it up (US pickup is available in San Francisco, Atlanta and Austin.)

Roam Mobility Liberty WIFI Hotspot Review

technologyEdward Kiledjian

I travel to the US very regularly and before learning about Roam Mobility, I had to either pay my carrier exhorbitant roaming fees or try to find a temporary SIM card when I arrived in the US (which isn't always easy). Obviously having my US 3G coverage arranged before I start my trip is my prefered option and Roam has been my go to solution. I typically use the Roam Mobility SIM card with my unlocked iPhone 4s but during my last trip, I decided to take their Liberty Hotspot instead.

What is the Liberty hotspot

The Liberty Hotspot is a very small WIFI hotspot that connect's to Roam Mobolity's US network (aka T-Mobile) and deliver beautiful internet connectivity for up to 5 devices. The device itself is extremely small and I ended up carrying it in my dress shirt pocket most of the time.

Roam Mobility Liberty Hotspot

Roam Mobility Liberty Hotspot

The device has a small LCD monitor on the front that displays signal strength, battery left and the number of clients currently connected. Connecting a device is as simple as pressing the WPS button (if the client supports it) or using the pre-configured password printed inside the battery compartment. For the more technical audience, you can connect to a simple web interface and change the default WIFI name and password.

The kit comes with the device, a battery, sim card, USB cable and wall charger.

Roam claims the devices battery should last about 4 hours and my testing shows that they are fairly close. I was in the US for 5 days and kept charging and using the device. I found in my testing that the battery lasted between 3-4.5 hours depending on how aggressively I was using the internet.  

While in the car, I had a dual-port USB Charger that allowed me to keep my cell and the hotspot constantly charged. 

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Why a WIFI Hostpot

There are dozens of use cases when a wifi hotspot could be useful but here are the ones I lived when in Wichita (Kansas) 

USE CASE 1 - Using a MAP app with traffic data

Although I have an on device GPS software (Navigon), without internet connectivity, I lose access to live traffic data. Using the Liberty WIFI Hotspot, I was able to use Navigon, Waze and Google Maps to ensure I always used the optimal route. 

USE CASE 2 - Connectivity in the hotel

Although my hotel offered free WIFI internet, there was 1 day where the hotel WIFI was "broken" and having the Libery hospot meant I could still stay connected.

Most hotel networks are considered extremely hostile and it is possible for a "bad guest" to steal other guests WIFI traffic. Using your own 3G based WIFI hotspot is more secure.

USE CASE 3 - Finding restaurants

Not knowing the area, I used Google Now almost every evening to chose a restaurant for supper. By having connectivity on the go, I could find good restaurants, check ratings and make reservations via OpenTable.

USE CASE 4 - Using VOIP Telephony to save money

When travelling, I typically use a free VOIP app called FONGO to call home (in addition to using FacetIme video and Facetime audio). I used FONGO for free calling back to my Canadian contacts. 

Should I use the data only Liberty Hotspot? 

Roam Mobility does offer a SIM card based voice + text message + data plan but this requires that you have an unlocked cell phone (which most people don't), it requires that you configure your phone to use the Roam Mobility APN and it only works with that one device.

When choosing the Roam Mobility Data only plan via the Liberty Hotspot, you can connect up to 5 devices at the same time, you don't need an unlocked cellphone (since you connect to the hotpost via standard WIFI) and you don't need to play with any device APN settings. 

How's the Liberty WIFI Hotspot performance? 

 

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I performed about a dozen speed tests and most averaged what you see above. Performance is far from the LTE based wireless connectivity we are used to at home but it is more than adequate for everyday use. 

I found connectivity in the major metropolitan areas much better (faster) then what you get as you go further away from the downtown core. 

I read 30-40 different T-Mobile review posts on various sites and most people reported that connectivity suffered greatly when you tried to connect deep inside dense buildings. When using it in a restaurant, my hotel room, or my office in Wichita, connectivity was acceptable. Anytime I went into a large store or mall, I could see my connectivity suffer and speeds drop dramatically.

Incredibly competitive pricing

As I was preparing to write this, I noticed that Roam Mobility dramatically reduced its data only plan prices (this week). [read the details of the new pricing here] 

Data_Only_Table_v2.png

You see above the incredibly lowered new pricing.  For my 1 week trip, I had a 1GB data plan which turned out to be more than enough even though I was using navigation daily, using VOIP to call back home, used it to VPN back into my corporate network and used it to browse the net. 

Remember that most Canadian providers charge you $8 a day for 50MB. If you buy 3 days of access but consume more than 50MB in one day (even though you use less than 150MB over 3 days), you will be charged overage fees. 

The Roam Data cap is available during the entire period and there is no daily cap. Plus for the cost of just 1 day and 50MB with Rogers/FIDO, you get 3 days of service and 300MB of data. 

Verdict

Overall I loved the device. It is small, light and easy to carry. Connecting my phone, tablet or laptop was quick and easy. Once I turned the device on, it connected to the US Roam Mobility network within 30 seconds and I was quickly up and running.

If you travel with multiple devices to the US then this is a fantastic option. I highly recommend Roam Mobility and love their Liberty WIFI Hotspot. 

Test 3G speed of a laptop versus a Playbook

technologyEdward Kiledjian

I havent been RIM's biggest Playbook fan and even with their 2.0 OS upgrade, it feels unfinished and rough to use. I wanted to see how the Playbook would perform compared to a Windows 7 laptop when using WIFI sharing of my iPhone's 3G connection.

THE SETUP

I closed all the apps on my iPhone 4s, did a force shutdown and restard. I placed my phone 4 inches away from my Wilson cell phone booster and it had a full 5 bars.

THE TEST

I then started the Personal Hotspot function on the iPhone and connected only the Playbook. I ran the Speedtest.net test twice and received similar results.

I then turned WIFI on the Playbook off, placed the laptop in the same location and performed the same test

Notice that both tests where conducted using the same test server.

when I performed the test via the Speedtest.net iphone app, the results were very close to those from the laptop.

VERDICT

This is far from a scientific test but it confirmed my "feeling" that the Playbook was slower than the iphone or laptop when using 3G WIFI Sharing.