Another layer of protection: slows things down.
Pros:
Successfully 'masks' your IP address. The program tells you the IP that others will see.
Cons:
Slows down downloading. The Shredder is no better than the free CCleaner.
The Bottom Line:
A very good deal for a piece of software that masks your actual IP identity whenever you think it is appropriate/necessary.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I am, I think, well protected on the internet. The one thing I felt I lacked was the ability to select to be 'anonymous' when surfing or browsing to certain sites where I do not want to be traceable, via my IP. For this purpose, I purchased this software. With available rebates, it was nearly free and while the reviews I had seen of it were mixed, I decided to give it a try.
The good news is: It DOES work. That is, it conceals my own IP by re-routing internet traffic from me through it's own servers and displays an IP address different from my own to others when I am online using the program. That's the good news.
The bad news is that the software slows down things considerably. For example, using a cable modem (Comcast) it takes somewhere between .7 and 1.3 seconds, generally, to download my own web page. With the Anonymizer program running, it takes about twice that long. Now, to those of you unaccustomed to quick downloads, this may seem trivial -to me, it is a little annoying. I have 'solved' the issue bu turning the program's Anonymous Surfing function OFF unless I feel I need it in specific situations. The switch to turn it Off/On is quite simple and obvious on the program's 'dashboard.' It seems like a particularly good and useful idea when making online purchases, banking or doing business of any kind.
Essentially a free program, I can use it to take the place of monthly fee-for-service anonymizing services - but left running all the time will certainly slow you down.
Also included in the basic program are 1)a free, 'lite' version of a Shredder - that I have found to be no more effective than the, also free, CCleaner, available from most download sites, and 2) a trial version of a program called "Nyms" which creates and manages anonymous email addresses you might want/need. I plan to let that function expire, but to continue to experiment with the primary tool - the Anonymous Surfing - for a while longer while I discover what it is good for and not so good for.
After several day of using it, I can recommend it to those of you to whom the downloading slowdown is not of great importance. It seems to do what it claims. The controls are quite clear and the choices of setup are pretty intuitive and uncomplicated. It sure beats the heck out of paying monthly fees for similar services!
