This is a rather exceptional review, as it is not about an actual VPN service. Instead, GlassWire is a free firewall software. However, there are very significant reasons as to why it is featured amongst our extensive list of VPN articles. These reasons are the specifics of GlassWire; they are designed and work in ways that are actually very beneficial when used in unison with a VPN service. This Austin, Texas based company is adept at visualizing your data and providing detailed information not only about your own connections, but the hosts that you come in contact with. These are especially important when connecting to a VPN network, as most of the time you only see a country, or in better cases the IP address, to boot.
There are two features that define GlassWire in terms of the synergy with VPN providers. First, you are automatically given a graph of your data traffic. Based on this, you – or someone who is adept at such analysis – can identify if your VPN provider of choice uses throttling or not, for example, or any unusual phenomena. Secondly, your active connections are displayed in the Firewall section. If you connect to a host, the location of the host is displayed on a country basis and also the address of it.
The Alerts section offers even more information in this regard, as any time a software is installed, uninstalled, you get a notification. The same goes for online connections that are initiated for the first time since GlassWire was installed. In this case, the client will again provide you with the country of a host and its address as well. All of this is on display via a very polished, user-friendly interface that is very easy to understand.
It must be noted here that you can further ensure your safety when using a VPN by monitoring the server you connect to remotely. In the server settings, you can establish such a monitoring session very easily, but keep in mind that you can have only one at a time on the free version of the software. The paid version is free of this limitation. To quote the official website: “If GlassWire is running behind a router, you may want to use the port forwarding feature of your router to enable remote connections. You will need to forward the traffic from the router’s public IP address to the computer’s IP address, where GlassWire is running”. This means that you will need port forwarding to enable remote monitoring. Luckily, a lot of VPN providers supply this by including it in their packages.
We must emphasize the GlassWire is a virus scanner, and cannot perform acts such as putting files in quarantine or removing them. The client can however control the Windows firewall to perform these tasks on your computer.
Today, GlassWire is optimized for Windows only. Versions of the software for Mac OS X, Android and iPhone are still a subject of debate. Nevertheless, we would like to emphasize that it is a great tool on the Microsoft platforms: it is available on – Windows 7 and onwards, including Windows 10.
As mentioned before, GlassWire has a paid version as well. Three plans are offered, which vary in some aspects. GlassWire does not work on a subscription basis; instead, you do a one-time purchase, you only have to pay for services once.
The Basic plan allows connection for one PC, with a 6-month history of your actions kept. You can also establish 3 remote connections. The one time fee here is $49. The Pro package permits 3 PCs for connection, a 1-year history and 10 remote connections for $99. And lastly, the Elite option will grant you 10 PCs to link together, and unlimited history of your actions stored, and a similarly unlimited amount of remote connections. This last plan costs $199.
Payment options include Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, American Express, JCB and wire transfer.
There are multiple ways to contact GlassWire. The most obvious method is checking out the forum – it is easily reachable on the official website. Other than this kind of community, there is also a blog presence and a Facebook, Twitter and Google+ attached to the network of contacts. Next to an FAQ page, there is also an alert dictionary supplied, describing the client’s specific messages. On top of these there are two kinds of user guides available, too. If you seek direct contact however, we suggest writing an e-mail to the company.
GlassWire is a nice company whose software complements VPN services very well. The fact that there is a free version of their services available that will grant you the functionalities most needed for a good VPN synergy makes downloading this gizmo worthy in itself. Remote monitoring is a similarly great function to consider in the form of a one-time purchase, especially if you want to connect multiple PCs and connect or probe more distant addresses.
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