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Connectify

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Connectify
Company typePrivate
IndustryComputer software
Founded1 October 2009 (2009-10-01)
FounderAlex Gizis
Headquarters
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Products
  • Connectify Hotspot, Speedify
Websitewww.connectify.me

Connectify (/kəˈnɛktɪfaɪ/) is an American software company that develops networking software for consumers, professionals and companies.[1][2] Connectify Hotspot[3][4] is a virtual router software for Microsoft Windows,[5] and Speedify[6] is a mobile VPN service[7] and app with channel bonding capabilities, available for individuals, families and enterprise.[8]

History

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Connectify launched their first product, Connectify Hotspot, in October 2009.[9] It can enable a Windows PC to serve as a router over Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Along with a Windows 7, 8 or 10 certified Wi-Fi device it can act as a wireless access point. This enables users to share files, printers, and Internet connections between multiple computing devices without the need for a separate physical access point or router.

Connectify spent the next two years improving the product, first making it free and ad-supported. In 2011, Connectify switched to a freemium commercial model which included premium features for paying customers. These features included extended support of 3G/4G mobile devices, fully customizable SSIDs and premium customer support.

In 2011, Connectify received funding[10] from In-Q-Tel to begin developing a more powerful and secure remote networking platform and a connection-aggregation application. Connectify used this funding to develop the foundation of the application, and then in 2012 turned to the crowdfunding site Kickstarter[11][12] to raise additional funding[13][14] to develop Connectify Dispatch. Dispatch was a load balancer which could combine any number of Ethernet, Wi-Fi or mobile Internet connections.

In 2014, Connectify launched Speedify, a channel bonding application for PCs running Microsoft Windows and macOS.[15] In January 2016, Speedify for Mobile was launched at CES,[16][17] adding support for iOS and Android. In December 2016, Speedify added encryption on all supported platforms, turning it into a mobile virtual private network.[18]

Connectify released other apps: Pingify (in 2017) - a mobile network diagnostics tool, and EdgeWise Connect (in 2019), which were eventually discontinued.

Products

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Speedify

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Speedify is a mobile VPN bonding service app available for devices running Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, iPadOS and routers running OpenWrt. Speedify can combine multiple Internet connections given its link aggregation capabilities. In theory, this should offer faster Internet connection speeds and failover protection.

Speedify 1.0 was launched in June 2014[19] as a channel bonding service. Starting 2016, as a VPN service, Speedify's privacy policy states they do not log what users do or what sites they visit through the Speedify service.[20]

Starting with version 10, in 2020, Speedify provides QoS for live streams with its new streaming mode, which dynamically prioritizes streaming traffic.

Speedify's version 14, launched in 2023, introduced Pair & Share.[21] This allows sharing cellular connections back and forth between multiple Speedify users on the same local network wirelessly.

The Speedify app can be used for free for the first 2 GB each month;[22] there are monthly and yearly subscription plans available, as well as access to dedicated VPN servers.

Tom's Guide picked Speedify as the fastest VPN in late 2018.[23] Speedify became Citrix Ready in late 2019.[24]

Speedify for Enterprise

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Speedify's solutions for companies include:

  • Speedify for Teams is a multi-seat Speedify mobile VPN subscription with added centralized account management capabilities.
  • Speedify SDK allows developers to build the Speedify functionality into their own apps on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.[25]
  • Powered by Speedify allows vendors to embed Speedify into their networking devices. As of October 2024, Miri Technologies and Magewell released the Miri X510 bonding router.[26]

Connectify Hotspot

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Connectify Hotspot is a virtual router software application available for PCs running Windows 7 or a later version. It was launched in 2009 by Connectify and it has 3 main functions:

  • Wi-Fi hotspot - users can share the Internet connection from their PC through a Wi-Fi adapter.[27] The free version of Connectify Hotspot only allows sharing of wired or Wi-Fi Internet via Wi-Fi. The paid versions allow users to share any type of Internet connection, including 4G / LTE. through Wi-Fi or Ethernet.[28]
  • Wired router - users can share a computer's Wi-Fi connection via Ethernet. This functionality is only available in the paid versions of Connectify Hotspot.
  • Wi-Fi repeater - users can extend the range of a Wi-Fi network and bridge other devices on that network directly. This functionality is only available in the paid versions of Connectify Hotspot.

Starting with version 2017, Connectify Hotspot also incorporates a universal ad blocker for clients connecting to the Wi-Fi or Ethernet network it creates.[29] This feature is available for free.

Discontinued Apps

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Pingify was a free utility for testing network coverage, Internet reliability and VPN dependability.[30] It was available for iOS devices, helping you run ping on your iPhone.[31] Pingify was developed as an internal testing tool for Speedify on iOS - a mobile network diagnostics tool. Then, in 2017, it was made publicly available.

EdgeWise Connect was a simple VPN available for iPhone and Android which could seamlessly move web traffic between the Wi-Fi and cellular data connections. The service used channel bonding technology and was fully encrypted.[32] EdgeWise Connect was launched in early 2019 and could be used for free for a few hours each day; there were monthly and yearly subscription plans available.[33]

References

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  1. ^ Parrish, Kevin (11 April 2014). "Connectify Switchboard: Channel Bonding for the Enterprise". Tom's IT Pro. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Broadpath – Strategic Communications » Speedify Solves Frustrating "Dead Wi-Fi Hotspot Problem" by Intelligently Combining Wi-Fi and Mobile Data Connections for Faster, More Reliable Connectivity". broadpathpr.com. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  3. ^ Norris, Jim (19 February 2013). "Review: Connectify Hotspot turns your laptop into a hotspot". PC World. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Create a super fast wifi hotspot". Instructables. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  5. ^ "Connectify Released A Much Improved Version That Turns Your Windows 7 Laptop into A WiFi Hotspot". Next of Windows. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  6. ^ "Speedify VPN review". TechRadar. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  7. ^ "What Is a Mobile VPN and How Is It Different from a VPN? - Speedify". Speedify. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Connectify commercializes Speedify channel bonding service | FierceWireless". www.fiercewireless.com. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  9. ^ Vilches, Jose (22 December 2009). "Wi-Fi sharing utility Connectify 1.0 launches, remains free". TechSpot. TechSpot, Inc. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  10. ^ DiStefano, Joseph (28 September 2011). "CIA's investment firm backs Philly's Connectify". Philly.com. Interstate General Media, LLC.
  11. ^ Parker, Tammy (12 August 2012). "Connectify aggregates Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G into a fat pipe". FierceWirelessTech. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  12. ^ Rubin, Ross (25 May 2013). "Yanked From The Cloud: Why Connectify Unplugged Its Switchboard Campaign". TechCrunch. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  13. ^ Gannes, Liz (10 September 2012). "Why Choose One? Connectify Blends VC and Crowdfunding in Kickstarter Campaign" (PDF). AllThingsD. The Wall Street Journal.
  14. ^ Parker, Tammy (15 May 2013). "Connectify returns to Kickstarter to enable channel bonding in the cloud". FierceWirelessTech. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  15. ^ Connectify. "Slow Internet is the Worst: Speedify Lets You Combine Internet Connections for Faster Speed". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  16. ^ Shivakumar, Felicia (8 January 2016). "Speedify at CES 2016". TechCrunch. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  17. ^ Moore, Ryan (4 January 2016). "Speedify Mobile combines Wi-Fi, Mobile and Bluetooth technology to provide more reliable access to the internet ~ Android Coliseum". Android Coliseum. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  18. ^ "Introducing Speedify 5.0 - Speedify". Speedify. 28 December 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  19. ^ "Introducing Speedify, the Solution to Slow Internet - Speedify". Speedify. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Privacy Policy - Speedify". Speedify. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  21. ^ Gizis, Alex (21 September 2023). "We're Raising the Bar on Cellular Bonding". Speedify. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Download | Speedify - Speed up everything you do online". Speedify. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  23. ^ "The Fastest VPNs". Tom's Guide. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  24. ^ Citrix, Anil Kumar Anil Kumar is a Technical Marketing Manager at (4 December 2019). "Speedify is Citrix Ready – and ready to boost mobile worker connectivity". Citrix Blogs. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  25. ^ speedify/speedify-sdk-docs, Speedify, 3 October 2024, retrieved 28 October 2024
  26. ^ "Miri Technologies Launches X510 Bonding Network Router to Enable Fast, Resilient Internet Anywhere". Miri Technologies. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  27. ^ "How to Turn Your Windows Laptop into a Wi-Fi Hotspot - Connectify". Connectify. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  28. ^ "Features of Connectify Hotspot - Connectify". Connectify. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  29. ^ "Introducing Connectify Hotspot 2017! - Connectify". Connectify. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  30. ^ "Pingify - Mobile Network Diagnostics Made Easy". Pingify. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  31. ^ Hoffman, Chris. "How to Run Ping (Network Diagnostics) on Your iPhone". How-To Geek. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  32. ^ "EdgeWise - Stay connected, even at the edge of Wi-Fi". EdgeWise. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  33. ^ "Help". EdgeWise. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
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