(Cleaning my Internet access) (Just by plugging in a cable)
Let's assume that my internet service provider is called FaiBox
and that I've chosen one of its common offers
At home, all my computers are connected via Wifi to my box.
My problem is that I don't trust my internet service provider a lot.
I know for example that it is able to watch all my online activity
and that it might sell that information.
I also know it can decide what kind of internet services I'm allowed to use,
including blocking ports.
it can also choose which websites I'm able to see,
with spoofed or false DNS.
Finally I know it can take the initiative to favor some destinations on the internet.
For instance to make its own services
or those of its paying partners more efficient.
In that case, we call that Net Neutralitiy violations.
But in the end my biggest problem is that I'm unable
to know exactly what it is doing with my Internet access.
Not only because it doesn't offer any ethical charter about those matters
but also because its way of operating is completely opaque.
Moreover, the general Terms of Use that I've signed with it
don't bind it to anything in that respect either
except, possibly, to officially not respect my privacy.
The goal of this presentation is to introduce you to
a simple and effective solution to those problems.
An association which protects a vision of the Internet
and of privacy with which I agree,
gave me a little box.
We will call it "the Internet Cube"
All *I* have to do to make it work
is to connect it to my Internet modem
From there, a new Wifi network will be available.
I can connect computers from my home to this Wifi network
rather than the one from my ISP that I was using before.
By being directly connected to the Cube my ISP cannot
spy on my Internet activity anymore.
In reality, he will only see encrypted traffic
to the server of my association,
we call this a VPN tunnel.
Thus, it can't either limit or restrain
my internet access.
My ISP is now in reality my association
and my ISP is only one of many ways I can
connect to it.
It is now a simple gateway to my association.
The IP addresses I use on the Internet from now on
are those of my association.
And for the geeks, I also now have native IPv6
on all my computers at home
without having to configure anything
For others, just know that the adoption of IPv6 is primordial
to keeping a healthy Internet in the years to come
I can now easily configure my new Wifi access, thanks to an easy to use UI
I can also freely switch from one association to another by simply modifying
the configuration of my VPN tunnel, using the information it gives me.
The UI is also available in French
If I chose to use another ISP because I found a better offer,
on a private sales website for example
I just have to disconnect my Cube from the previous box
and plug it into the new one.
my Wifi access stays available and works immediately
In the same way, without having to configure anything, either on my Cube,
on my computer or anywhere else.
If my ISP offers TV or Phone access,
I can still use them
and if my association has a temporary technical problem
I can still connect my computer to my old Wifi network
It will be a sort of downgraded Internet access but will still work.
(Self Hosting) (in a few clicks)
The Internet Cube not only cleans my Internet Access
Indeed, if I make the step to protect myself
against an ISP which I don't trust
it doesn't make much senses to use this new Freedom enabled Internet
to give away my personal data, to the servers of private companies
like Google, Facebook or others...
which proudly announce, in their Terms of Use,
that they will exploit my private life.
the best place to store my emails is in my own home
for example in a dresser drawer
rather than the computer of someone else
that is what is commonly referred as the "cloud"
the Internet Cube also allows me to
easily do self-hosting
the Internet Cube, actually contains a software platform
called YunoHost which allows people with a bit of interest
in computers, but without necessarily being an expert,
to easily host, in their own homes, their own internet services
and make them available from anywhere in the world.
The user interface is also available in French.
Since YunoHost knows by default how to manage an email account
I could, for example, install a Webmail interface
which will allow me to easily read my emails
from my browser, like with GMail, for example.
In a few clicks, I can install this service on my Cube
and I can immediately access it from anywhere in the world
with, obviously, secure authentication, in that case.
There are many easy to install services,
like Jappix to chat using instant messaging,
ownCloud to share files or even WordPress
to make my own blog.
By the way, the web interfaces for the Wifi and the VPN that we just saw
are simple YunoHost applications that are pre-installed.
Thanks to the VPN tunnel of the Cube
my server is also mobile
I can plug it in to any Internet access
and my services will stay available.
If I change again my service provider or if I go on holidays or if I want to cut off
the power in my house, for example, I only need to unplug my Internet Cube and
plug it back anywhere else and it will work again without any reconfiguration required.
At the DNS level, it's the IPs of my association that are used to
contact my server and those are fixed IPs.
I can even plug my Cube on a particularly restrained connection,
like a smartphone connected in 3 or 4G for example
or an especially restricted enterprise network
For the geeks, again, wherever I plug my Cube,
my services are also available in IPv6.
(Where can I find this box?)
The FDN Federation is composed of associative ISPs who respect Net Neutrality,
your privacy and who provide, sometimes, VPN services.
Some of those associations offer their own plug'n play version of the Internet Cube
bundled with an optional automatic domain name binding.
and encrypted storage for automatic backup.
Since it is mandatory to totally trust the provider
you will choose this service,
the associations of the Federation are
spread all over France and
allow you to easily meet their members
who are also generally their administrators.
In Belgium, the association Neutrinet, who has also started this project
will gladly welcome you.
In addition, if you wish, you can use whichever computer you want
and a Wifi antenna to install YunoHost by yourself,
and the 2 applications needed for the Wifi and the VPN
since everything is free (libre).
Then, you'll only have to choose a VPN provider
and configure the application.
The shown box costs 70€ all included
and an associative VPN service costs around 7€ per month.
Combined with traditional Internet access at 20€
the result is below 30€ per month for a movable server
and a trusted associative Internet access with TV and phone
from the original Internet Service Provider.
(Bonus) (More and more!)
As a bonus, the Internet Cube can be modified to offer many more features
as you may wish.
For example, without using the VPN application,
it's also a solution to allow everyone to easily and freely share
files during a public event.
We call this, as a provocative, general label, a PirateBox
Also, the Cube with the Wifi on, only consumes 2W at max
which is a lot less than a commercial Box from any other ISP
so it may be paired easily with a battery
or a small solar panel
A battery costing only 12€ allows the Internet Cube
to have an autonomy of 13 hours
You can also configure it to deploy a stand alone WIFI, clean and secured,
to be used in any public event, releasing the owner
of the Internet connection of any legal claim
http://internetcu.be