A Device-Centric Approach

  • What can your router do for you?

    Most customers are delighted with their latest IoT gadgets and the respective apps that come with them. But step back to the network level, the “world” view of your network. Who is keeping track of all these new gadgets coming online—and the old ones too? In the case of Island, it’s your router. And with an Island router, “keeping track” means a wealth of functionality: it finds and lists all your devices, shows you real-time and historical traffic, gives you dynamic or scheduled control over Internet browsing access and other privileges like VPN, alerts you to the network events you choose, and makes sure it all stays secure. Your router can thus give you complete visibility and control of your network from anywhere local or remote, ultimately making your life simpler.

  • What Your Router Can Do for You

    Most customers are delighted with their latest IoT gadgets and the respective apps that come with them. But step back to the network level, the “world” view of your network. Who is keeping track of all these new gadgets coming online—and the old ones too? In the case of Island, it’s your router. And with an Island router, “keeping track” means a wealth of functionality: it finds and lists all your devices, shows you real-time and historical traffic, gives you dynamic or scheduled control over Internet browsing access and other privileges like VPN, alerts you to the network events you choose, and makes sure it all stays secure. Your router can thus give you complete visibility and control of your network from anywhere local or remote, ultimately making your life simpler.

    The Hero-Router Philosophy: A Device-Centric Approach

    The Island router thinks of your devices the way that humans think of devices: as separate entities that can stand alone, belong to people, or be grouped (and people can be grouped too). A device-centric approach means that any network function can be applied to just one or a group of them at a time. It stands to reason that to manipulate all these devices, they need to be easy to find and recognize. Fortunately, Island supplies tools to help.

    The Key to Taking Advantage of Device-Centric Operation

    The first thing you see upon installing an Island router is a list of every device it finds. The most important thing you can do after install to make your online life easy and useful is to name your devices, name people who will use the network (users), assign respective devices to them, and group devices and/or users according to common purpose. While naming, choose icons and colors where possible. For every device, you can assign a related icon—depicting a phone, desktop, printer, camera, light bulb, etc.—from an extensive list. For each user you create, you can choose one of sixteen colors; any device you assign to that user takes on that color in the app. For each group you create, you can assign an icon and a color, and devices assigned to the group take on the group’s color. (Devices not assigned to users or groups are gray.) From then on, viewing lists, graphs, schedules, privileges, or notifications is a snap—the combination of name, icon, and color immediately gives you clear, visual cues as to what is happening on your network.

    Naming and Grouping Has Its Reward: Ultimate Online Ease

    Depending on the size of your network, that initial device list can be long, numbering tens or hundreds of devices. It’s not unusual, for example, to find that a high-end residence may have 200-300 devices on its network. Wherever possible, Island uses fingerprinting techniques to help identify devices and assigns an appropriate, default device-type icon. As there are thousands of manufacturers world-wide making millions of IoT devices, however, some devices show up as serial numbers or codes that require googling for clues. Note that Island’s fingerprinting efforts may take a few days, as more information about a device is supplied the more often it is “seen” on the network. So, identifying every device can take a little time. Once accomplished however, the rewards are rich. You can be notified of any “new” device that connects to your network and can take appropriate actions. You can quickly see when devices, users, or groups are on or offline and monitor their activity. Most importantly, any action you need to apply to a device, user, or group can be accomplished swiftly with a tap or a swipe by simply bringing up the device’s name. Functions such as filtering, pausing, port forwarding, setting DHCP reservations, enabling UPnP, and more—suddenly become simple: no having to create and edit tables, to know and add IP addresses, or perform other onerous routines. In the end, the relatively short amount of time you spend naming and grouping devices rewards you with ultimate ease of use for the rest of the life of your network.

Security: The Sum of Many Elements

  • Security: The Sum of Many Elements

    Every router manufacturer touts security and privacy, but their specific means of accomplishing it are often vague. Generally, it takes a combination of factors to build a secure, private, network environment.

  • Toward this end, Island incorporates the following elements that contribute to security. Although some of these are ubiquitous to most routers today, they are nonetheless pillars of security worth mentioning. Some that come integrated into Island are considered add-ons by other routers, adding complication, expense, and almost always, degrading performance. It is 1) the number of and 2) the quality implementation of these elements that place Island in a unique position.

    A Stateful Firewall
    Not all firewalls are created the same. Island automatically includes a “stateful” firewall that monitors and detects states of all traffic on the network to track and defend based on traffic pattern-and-flow intelligence. You may not realize that Island has a firewall because, unlike most other routers, it requires no up-front configuration. It’s just there, ever vigilant from the moment Island boots up.

    NAT
    NAT contributes one aspect of security, enabling the use of private IP addresses that are fundamentally invisible and unreachable from outside the network.

    Automated Threat Filtering
    Island incorporates a best-in-class URL filtering product to protect both homes and offices. From boot-up, Island automatically prevents all devices on the network from reaching eight categories of known threat-ware. Island offers both preconfigured and customizable content filters to let the customer establish parental, guest, and employee controls.

    Wholistic DNS
    Island offers several options for DNS, but by default, provides DNS over HTTPS (DoH). It provides a wholistic DNS for the entire network that cannot be bypassed,* regardless of the configuration of individual devices. Importantly, it covers non-browsing, IoT devices (such as cameras, baby monitors, and thermostats) as well. Island’s DNS ensures privacy and protection from snooping and “man-in-the-middle” attacks that is not guaranteed when using other traditional DNS services, such as those of Google or of one’s ISP.

    *The one exception occurs if a device has been configured to use another DoH service, as DoH itself does not permit in-transmission modifications. However, in this case, an Island filter (Proxy Avoidance and Anonymizers) listed under the category “Technical” can be set on a per-device basis that will revert all DNS requests back to Island’s DoH.

    Off-the-Cloud Database
    Many device and service applications use the cloud to store and maintain data on activities occurring in your home or business. Island instead maintains all data pertaining to your network local to you. All inventories of your devices, user profiles, filters, network set-ups, and traffic and browsing histories live on your Island, both for performance and security reasons. It’s always easier to protect your network data if it’s not traversing the Internet or living on a server in the cloud.

    Separately, Island’s threat filtering database is also stored locally, a factor that not only improves privacy, but speed of threat detection.

    Customizable Alerts and Pause
    One aspect of security relates to how fast you can be notified of a potential problem, pinpoint the device in question, and respond. Island automatically sends a “red flag” alert to the app upon an attempt by any device to connect to a site considered unsafe: botnets, keyloggers, malware, spyware, and the like. Island identifies the device and with one tap, you can choose to pause its access to the Internet. In addition to the URL categories considered part of the Island protection shield, and on an “all” devices or specific-device basis, you can set up alerts based on URL visits, time on the Internet, volume of data used, or simply whether a device comes online/goes offline. Island thus allows each customer to decide what constitutes a security or privacy breach in their own network and be alerted accordingly.

    Easy VPN Access
    Arguably the most secure means of communicating over the Internet is via VPN encrypted tunnels. While most routers can accommodate VPN clients on the network, not all of them come with Island’s fast VPN functionality built in. Fewer still allow VPN access to the entire network on a per-device basis without burdening them with client software and impacting performance. Island’s VPN access is granted to any user or device on a permission basis and can be scheduled for added security.

    Scheduled VPN or Internet Access
    Once again on a per-device basis, VPN access or Internet availability in general can be scheduled by time, day of week, or start/end dates. During time periods of known or desired inactivity, this feature can preclude access altogether.

    Made in the USA
    Island customers can be confident that all hardware, firmware, and software has been designed, created, and manufactured in the USA, enabling more security and oversight to the development and production process.

Internet Speed: Common Misperceptions

  • Today’s consumers consider Internet access as great a necessity as electricity or running water. While most want a high-performance experience, many don’t understand how Internet speed is achieved.

  • MANY FACTORS AFFECT SPEED
    Internet performance is a chain with many links; some, such as the router, have more impact than others. To get the most benefit from the fastest link, the other links should support similar speeds. For example, if you have very fast Wi-Fi but a slow router component, your Wi-Fi can be diminished. Here are common factors that affect speed:
    • The quality of the server you are connecting with on the other end of your connection
    • The type and quality of your ISP service and connection
    • The speeds you subscribe to
    • Teh quality of your router hardware and software
    • The quality of your switches
    • The quality of your WiFi equipment
    • The client hardware on your end; older devices have limitations
    • The applications you are running; some may be outdated, poorly written or bandwidth hogs
    • The number of simultaneous users on the network
    • An unusual condition such as a virus

    COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
    My ISP subscription plan determines my speed.
    Your plan defines the maximum speeds that the ISP will allow but not the speeds you experience. Just because you pay for 1 Gig doesn’t mean you operate at 1 Gig.

    The Internet port size on my router determines my speed.
    Here again, the size of the Internet port defines a maximum potential limit but does not determine the speed you get. Just because your router sports a 10 Gig port does not mean its software can handle that speed; usually far from it.

    The generation of the Wi-Fi protocol I use determines my speed.
    Using more recent Wi-Fi protocols does typically improve speeds for wireless devices, but the quality of the router function has more to do with the speed you get. You need a high-performance router to get the maximum benefit of fast Wi-Fi, and the router function embedded in the Wi-Fi equipment is rarely sufficient.

    I have only top-of-the-line Internet devices, so they run fast.
    No matter how premium, your devices will only go as fast as your router can handle. Investing in a premium router is the best way to get the performance you expect from your devices.

    Routers are all the same.
    Sadly, many are. Many are built with mediocre hardware and standard off-the-shelf Linux software. But Island is unique, using enterprise-class hardware and proprietary, highly efficient software that operates as close to wire speed as you can get, even with maximum loads.

    I can’t use a wired router because I have too many wireless devices.
    Connecting a dedicated, wired router to Wi-Fi access points delivers far better performance for both wired and wireless devices than any Wi-Firouter-combined product.

    SpeedTest says my Internet speed is good.
    Commonly used speed tests don’t really challenge any router. Rather than bits per second, a test of speed should measure packets and connections per second, reflecting throughput demands under realworld loads such as when gaming, using VPN, and video conferencing.

    My Internet seems fast enough, so I don’t need a high-speed router.
    Some networks currently don’t carry the number of devices, users, or heavy applications to experience lags. However, more Internetconnected devices and hungrier applications are created and sold every day. If you think you don’t need the speed now, you likely will tomorrow.

The Power of the Umbrella

  • The umbrella, a symbol of protection for 4000 years, evokes exactly the emotions the Island team intends to generate with its new router. The power of Island’s umbrella derives not only from the tone it sets, but also from the quality of its filtering database, the unmatched speed of its lookups, and its ease of use.

  • The Umbrella: An Icon of Security and Peace of Mind
    In advertising, the umbrella icon is frequently seen shielding the consumer from rain or other calamity. Scenes of umbrellas on a beach represent not only protection from the sun but conjure up moods of relaxation and peace of mind. Even the tiny paper umbrellas in cocktails suggest an atmosphere of fun and whimsy. Since all of these feelings dovetail with the objectives of the Island brand, we chose the umbrella to represent a major security feature in Island: filtering.

    Why Filtering Matters
    Filtering is basically the ability to block users from browsing to undesirable sites on the Internet. A parent may want to block access to mature content from kids; a homeowner to keep objectionable content off their network altogether; and businesses to filter access for matters of security, legal protection against inappropriate content in the workplace, and productivity. According to PC World, more than 41% of small businesses now use content filtering, and with the current frequency of cyber threats, that number is sure to grow.

    Power In Best-quality Filtering Operations
    Island has incorporated a highly reputable filtering solution. Continuously updated in the cloud, the technology’s URL database scans and categorizes over 750 million domains and 27 billion URLs. Because Island includes high-capacity memory, it is able to keep a sizeable URL database resident locally; any request that is not checked internally goes to the cloud for lookup and is then added locally. Many competitive router brands warn the consumer that, if they turn on filtering (or parental controls), performance may suffer. Not the case here; Island takes pride in high-speed lookups that only add to the power of Island’s umbrellas.

    Power Through Ease of Use
    Note that automatically, every device on the Island is instantly protected from all manner of threat-ware (malware, spyware, phishing, and more) represented by the icon of a single umbrella. If filtering is desired for security purposes only, you’re done, and need not delve into filtering further. If additional filtering is wanted, Island makes it simple to set up. Filtering options are organized into eight major categories, each with subcategories. There are three pre-configured umbrella templates, each progressively more restrictive. You can view the pre-configured umbrellas and assign to users, groups, or individual devices with one click and a save. You can also tweak the pre-configured umbrellas to fit your needs, or thirdly, create entirely custom filters. Setup entails simply selecting allow/block buttons and does not require long manual entries or copy and paste. Such easy filtering setup and assignment makes the umbrella a powerful tool for keeping home and office networks safe.

Why Speed Matters

  • The most common time a user notices speed, or the lack of it, is when loading a page during browsing. If pages or links are slow to load, patience wears thin. If pages display quickly, it’s just plain gratifying. Perception of one’s entire Internet experience rests heavily on performance.

  • The most common time a user notices speed, or the lack of it, is when loading a page during browsing. If pages or links are slow to load, patience wears thin. If pages display quickly, it’s just plain gratifying. Perception of one’s entire Internet experience rests heavily on performance.

    Unfortunately, to understand why Island is so much faster than other routers, we need to take a minute to talk transactions and packets, and how they affect performance. While factors like how fast the pipe is from your provider, how fast your PCs, consoles, or phones are, or how well the software programs you use are written, one large factor affects performance more than any other: the fact that the Internet has become extremely transactional.

    What does that mean? It used to be that you requested a site page, and you received practically all the content back in very few exchanges of information with the source server. Today when you request a page, like a weather site for example, hundreds or even thousands of little transactions occur as ads are loaded, dynamic maps, animations, clocks, temperatures, and more are continually updated in near real-time. Every transaction, big or small, requires roughly the same amount of overhead. More frequent loading of smaller bits of information coming from a multitude of servers places an exponentially bigger load on performance than a one-time load of a large cohesive chunk of information. Then picture many users in one household actively hitting sites like weather or shopping or news simultaneously, or playing games…sometimes using multiple Internet-connected devices at once. Add to that all the devices like cameras, thermostats, and sprinkler systems now checking in for updates, and all the TVs and other devices streaming video. Result: transaction avalanche.

    How Island addresses the performance degradation that is commonly caused by this avalanche of small transactions is exactly what makes Island a performance leader. For starters, enterprise-grade hardware—processor and memory components—have been selected for this product. But here is the most important factor in Island that maximizes performance: Island’s engineers have written its routing software from scratch. Island does not use standard open source, generalized software that practically all residential routers on the market use. That standardized software takes more than 400,000 lines of code, tons of which support outdated mechanisms. Instead, Island’s developers, with decades of network coding experience and award-winning products under their belts, have created an architecture unique to Island that uses roughly a tenth of the code used by open source software and optimizes handling of all packets, but especially small packets. Bottom line: Island’s software is simply way more efficient, giving Island a whopping performance advantage to handle the extremely transactional nature of the Internet today.

Discovering Island Treasure

  • Like pristine shells half-buried in the sand, the Island router is full of treasure—little gems in the software that subtly make life easier. Here we identify a few that streamline the process for install, VLAN, and VPN setup. While these gems greatly benefit less technical installers, even techies appreciate simplicity.

  • INSTALLATION GEMS

    A self-configuring dream machine

    For all types of installation, Island strives to offer as fully an automatic set-up as possible. No need to worry about plugging a cable into the wrong port; Island’s four hardware ports are not assigned specific purposes. There is no set port to connect a WAN (Internet) versus a LAN (local network). Plug anything into any port, and Island figures it out.

    A smooth router-replacement hand-off

    When replacing an existing router, Island’s self-configuring mission reaches even further. With other router installs, the “new” router takes on a new IP address and subsequently assigns new IP addresses to all connected devices, which can result in tedious reconfiguration and disruptions as some devices may need to reboot. Island’s unique approach makes router replacement smooth and simple. However, it requires following a specific sequence of install steps. First, Island is plugged into the LAN while the “old” router is still operational; importantly, this step enables Island to observe and learn the existing network topology. Then, as soon as the old router is disconnected from the modem and Island is plugged into the modem, Island takes on the old router’s IP address and configuration, allowing connected devices to retain their previous IP addresses as well. Like an Olympic relay team expertly passing the baton, this hand-off occurs quickly and transparently, saving time and hassle for the installer.

    Got VLANs? No effort needed.

    Many existing home and business networks have been set up with virtual local area networks (VLANs), such as separate guest and private VLANs. Setting up VLANs enables an otherwise large network to be segmented into smaller, independent networks to save on equipment, manage smaller groups of like devices, and for security. Normally, replacing the router would require underlying VLANs to be reconfigured manually. Instead, Island automatically and transparently discovers and configures existing VLANs. Another gem: creating a new VLAN is simple as well, with an auto-configuration option that minimizes setup.

    VPN GEMS

    Island includes the WireGuard VPN protocol that provides for fast, simple, modern, and secure VPN tunnels; however, WireGuard itself provides no means to make configuration easy. To remedy the complexity, the Island team has written valuable software extensions to simplify Island-to-Island setup in these three usual areas of difficulty:

    Public key use: Public keys are long and difficult to enter; Island substitutes this initial exchange with an easy-to-articulate secret (password) exchange.

    IP address assignment: When dynamic addressing is being used, Island automatically manages assigning addresses to the VPN peer. Bottom line: nothing to do here, no IP-address lookup needed.

    Route management: With Island-to-Island VPN, route management is a non-issue and occurs automatically.

    REMOTE-ACCESS GEMS

    Off-the-cloud access for total privacy. Remote access across the Internet to a device, such as a thermostat, typically requires either cloud-based management or the ability to discover the device, both of which create fundamental security challenges. Island provides a method for the app to discover and communicate with an Island across the public Internet, while keeping the existence of the Island totally obscured. By using a combination of public-key cryptography and one-way hashing, only authorized devices are allowed to communicate. In this way, remotely accessing your Island or any Island for which you have PIN credentials remains entirely out of the cloud, secure, and private.