VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It’s a technique whereby a user’s computer can log on from a remote location and, after verification by name and password, connect securely to a network and all its assets. I’ve used VPN connections for several many years now to connect to clients networks to remotely manage and update Filemaker systems, web sites, Windows and Mac Servers. The VPN Router we recently purchased from the router200 website for our Main Meetings serves a slightly different purpose: to bypass restrictive filtering at Bancroft school. This is the same kinds of technology helping to fuel the free, unfettered access in revolutions happening in Egypt, Libya, and Wisconsin. Keep the Internet free!

Schools routinely filter Social sites like Facebook and Twitter so their students with their smartphones and other Internet devices can better pay attention to the schools educational agenda. It makes it tough for a computer club like DVMUG (of which I’m president) to demo their Facebook presence or discuss Social Media topics of interest. The Witopia router fixes that.

It is  Cisco router preconfigured to automatically connect to a VPN when plugged into an Internet connection. At the school we borrow the Internet connection and set up an Airport router to create our own little WiFi network during the meetings we have at the school. Now we can plug in this new router which tunnels into a VPN connection and this will bypass the filters which have prevented us from looking at certain sites like Facebook.

It’s a cheap date too as the whole cost was $200, $100 of it a yearly fee for the service which we will pay every year, and as we meet 9 months of the year comes to a whopping $11.11 a meeting. Cheap date as I call it. In honor of all those fanboys who post the unveiling of the latest geegaw from Apple I proudly present the Witopia/Cisco Router. %^)