Every day there are news stories, press releases and warnings about the latest advances the virtual bad guys have made to get inside our connected devices.
One of the latest trends is to attack our routers directly, effectively leaving the front door open to invaders.
Knowing this is a major worry, but that knowledge doesn't mean we then feel like we can do anything about it. It's hard enough getting your teenager to stop playing Fortnite to join you at the dinner table.
Why doesn't technology make life more straight-forward, instead of more complicated?...
The cyber security experts at Norton have taken things into their own hands and come up with the Norton Core WiFi router.
This is not your normal, every day router in many ways - the first and most obvious way, the way it looks. As you can see from the image above, we're not dealing with a boring square panel on a stand or a crazy alien-looking shelf-hog with giant antennae sticking out in all directions. Instead, the Core is a compact geodesic dome painted in a metallic gunmetal.
I thought it was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen and immediately gave it pride of place on the middle shelf of the entertainment unit in the lounge. I was then informed in no uncertain terms that it wasn't cool at all and still looked like a weird gadget, but it was better than what was there before. Oh well.
I was surprised how small the Norton Core is. not much bigger than a large grapefruit, although because of its spherical profile, it's not quite slim enough to fit into a standard data cable cabinet. This isn't a problem if, like me, you think it looks really cool, so you'll want it on display. Because it is so small, the space underneath where you plug things in is pretty cramped. Four ethernet ports, two USB slots and a socket for the power lead is a lot of stuff to hide away under something this tiny - here's how it's set up...
As you can see, the ethernet ports on the left and right edges are actually slightly behind the opening at the back of the base which means if you're using them all it's an extremely tight fit. The ethernet lead included with the Norton Core is more flexible and the plug is slightly shorter than standard cables so it plugs in quite easily. Unfortunately, there's only one of those leads in the box. By the time you fill up all those ports with more standard sized cords, it's actually quite a challenge to get the Core to sit down flat on top of it all.
If you can manage it though, the result is fantastic, because everything is tucked away so tidily. The power lead and ethernet cable are both white and it's probably worth only using white cables for anything else you plug in to keep the whole picture looking subtle and neat.
In keeping with that theme, unlike just about every other router out there, there are no stupid flashing lights to be found anywhere on the Core - just a simple white LED status ring around the base which you can turn off completely once you've got the device all set up. Great work, Norton. I loathe flashing lights.
While we're talking setup, I can't emphasise enough how easy and user-friendly the Norton Core app is. I've installed my fair share of routers, modems and extenders over the years and it's never been this straight-forward. Other devices have promised to be idiot-proof, but more often than not my idiocy has prevailed and I manage to get connected only by resorting to a random combination of app, WPS direct connections and a web based interface.
There's no option to access the Core via your browser, so that simplifies things straight away. The app walks you through set-up step by step and then the fun really begins, because you now have complete control over all your WiFi settings. You can create guest connections with time limits or give certain devices priority over others (useful for uninterrupted streaming or gaming) Perhaps most useful is the ability to pause the connection for any device connected to your network - including the one that teenager is playing Fortnite on. You can even stop the whole network completely so everyone comes to dinner at the same time!
Unfortunately, although there are two USB ports available, there's no way to set up any kind of media server connected directly to the router. I guess if you don't know what I'm talking about, you won't miss it, but I would have thought it'd be a feature Norton could have easily included.
Obviously, with the Core being made by Norton, cyber security is its number one focus - but rather than that feature being intrusive and in your face, because it all happens in the router, the security measures take place well before any potential threats get anywhere near your device. This includes all those new I.o.T. devices like smart fridges, TVs and speakers you didn't even realise could be hacked.
Purchasing the Core automatically entitles you to a complimentary 12 month Norton Core Security Plus subscription which promises to keep you insulated from all those cyber-nasties out there. I wondered if everything would keep working the way I wanted it to, or whether I would have to be constantly creating exemptions for my favourite sites and apps (which you can do easily by the way) but the only time this was necessary was when I tried to use the voice assistant on a phone I was reviewing. I assume the Core wanted to block this activity because the phone hadn't actually been released yet so it didn't recognise what was happening.
Other than that small hiccup, I experienced excellent connection speeds, both down and upstream and I also found the connection strength to be stable all around the house. This impressed me given the small size of the device and no external antennae.
The Norton Core is the perfect solution for anyone who's worried about securing their home network, but doesn't have any real technical know-how. Thanks to the most user-friendly set-up app I've ever used, your new, totally secure WiFi can be up and running in under five minutes. Then you don't have to think about the bad guys trying to steal your stuff ever again, because Norton does the worrying for you.
This is all wrapped up in a compact, aesthetically pleasing package, with the added bonus of being able to threaten your kids with WiFi disconnection at the push of a button - for many, that feature alone would be worth $450.
Click here from more information and pricing on the Norton Core router
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