Tuesday, August 23, 2011

We've Moved!

We've just launched our first value-added, premium software, Connectify Pro v3.0! To go along with our brand new release, we've launched a new website, and a spiffy new blog, over at http://www.connectify.me/blog/.

Never fear, all previous content (including posts from our developers, tips-and-tricks, and past release notes) has been migrated to our new blog. But, all future content will be posted to http://www.connectify.me/blog/ only, so make sure to change all of your bookmarks now! And while you're at it, you'll want to download Connectify Lite v3.0 if you haven't already. It's the most feature-rich and error-resistant version of Connectify to-date! Just follow the below link to download Connectify Lite v3.0:

http://downloads.connectify.me/ConnectifyInstaller.exe


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Upgrade to Connectify v3.0 and Get More From 'Clients/Services' Tabs!

We’re always listening to what features Connectify users want to see implemented into upcoming releases. With the latest major version of Connectify being released next week, our development team has added several useful features that Connectify users themselves have requested. If you’re interested in trying out these new features and updates, you can take advantage of our pre-launch offer, which gets you a full one-year Connecitfy Pro v3.0 license at $14.99 (half-off the retail cost).

One of the coolest new features gives Connectify users the ability to see, interact, and control access-level of the various devices connected to your Connectify Hotspot.

Before you get started, you'll want to click on the Connectify ‘hand’ icon at the top-left corner of the user interface to access the Connectify Menu, click ‘Display Options’, and make sure that ‘Always Show Access Icons’ is checked. Now, click on the “Clients” tab where all connected computers, smartphones, tablets, and any other devices will appear, along with an IP address and descriptive icon (when Connectify is able to determine what type of device is connected). To the right of each device, you’ll see four icons which allow you to do as follows (clockwise from top-left):
  • Globe Icon: Disable Internet access for the particular device, while still allowing for local access.

  • Refresh Services Icon: Allows user to manually refresh the services running on an individual client.

  • Available Services Icon: Shows users the number of available services that are currently running on the client device. The Available Services Icon can be refreshed by simply clicking the Refresh Services Icon directly above it.

  • LAN Icon: Allows user to enable or disable local area network (LAN) connection between the host and client. When the LAN Icon is disabled, client devices will still have Internet access unless the ‘Globe Icon’ is also disabled.

With Connectify v3.0, now you can control which client users/devices can access Internet through the Connectify Hotspot, and which can access the LAN only. This feature adds a strong measure of security, where you can allow client access to your Internet without compromising your local data. You can even totally block certain clients by disabling both the LAN Icon and Globe Icon.

In addition to seeing what devices are connected to your Connectify Hotspot, the pro version of Connectify automatically scans your network for available shared folders or drives, web servers, and other remote services and provides you with options to easily connect. We like to call this the “Scannify” function, named after our popular port-scanning Android app. To do so, just click on the “Services” tab in the Connectify application, where a list of available services will be listed. To launch any service, simply double-click on it and Connectify does the rest!

To upgrade to Connectify Pro v3.0 at a special one week only pre-launch price of $14.99, simply follow this link to the Connectify Store: https://sites.fastspring.com/connectify/instant/connectifyprelaunch

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Try Connectify v3.0 Today!

The Connectify Pro v3.0 release is just around the corner, but we want to give our loyal community of users a sneak-peek at some of the new features and fixes in this latest major version of Connectify. We're sure that once you try Connectify v3.0 you'll want to upgrade to Pro (which we're offering this week at $14.99; 50% off the retail price). Click here to get your discounted one-year license for Connectify Pro v3.0.

Our development team has been hard-at-work addressing known issues, and adding some awesome new features to both the free and Pro versions of Connectify. If you'd like to take Connectify for a spin before you upgrade, follow this link to download the latest installer:

http://downloads.connectify.me/ConnectifyInstaller.exe

Check out the new features in both Free and Pro versions of Connectify v3.0:
  • Faster performance: 30% higher throughput when sharing fast Internet connections.
  • Improved Device Identification: Improved detection of XBox 360s and certain Motorola devices.
  • Completely new UPnP implementation: Improved performance, no spurious warnings. Fully-tested with Xbox 360 (PlayStation 3 sees Connectify as Type 3 NAT. This issue is expected to be resolved in an upcoming Beta).
  • All new tabbed User Interface
  • Intelligent warnings when hotspot starts without Internet Connection (New in this Beta)
  • Resizable User Interface: grab the top or bottom and resize UI to preferred height. (New in this Beta
  • New, clearer Status Area across top of UI (New in this Beta)
  • Easily access the Connectify Menu by clicking on logo next to the Start / Stop button (New in this Beta)
Fixes and Updates:
  • Service startup on boot
  • Support for multi-monitor setups where the taskbar is not on the primary monitor.
  • Fixes to UPnP and fragmented packet handling to improve gaming and streaming video over Connectify. (New in this Beta)
  • New algorithm for choosing IP address of hotspot improves compatibility with iOS devices. (New in this Beta)
  • Uninstaller now requests error report.
  • New 'About' screen thanks all open-source projects utilized by Connectify.
  • Microsoft has been working with us regarding the Blue Screen of Death issues that certain computers experience when hibernating. Based on what we learned, we have reworked how Connectify interacts with the Windows power management system entirely. With this new power management code, no Connectify user (with up to date Service Packs) should ever see the BSoD again!
And here are some of the cool, new features available to Connectify Pro v3.0 users:
  • Automatic Internet Selection: Connectify intelligently chooses which Internet connection to share! When set to “Automatic,” Connectify automatically detects your active Internet connection and makes necessary configuration changes to your hotspot.
  • Support for Windows XP and Windows Vista (Ad-Hoc Mode only)!
  • Service Discovery: In the all-new Services tab, Connectify will automatically scan your network for available shared folders or drives, web servers, and other remote services and provide you with options to easily connect. Now the services are also listed next to each client (in the blue oval) on the clients tab.
  • Simple Client-by-Client Firewall Controls allow user to control which clients can get to Internet and which can access local computers only.
  • Support for PPIP and Qualcomm Gobi cards: Connectify Pro now supports sharing Internet from Qualcomm Gobi-based 3G/4G cards.
  • No Advertising

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Connectify Pro v3.0 Pre-Launch Release Now Available!

We are proud to to announce the Connectify Pro v3.0 Release Candidate! This is a major new release: the best Wi-Fi hotspot you’ve ever seen, even if you’ve used earlier versions of Connectify.

With 3 million downloads and counting, the Connectify community has been growing steadily. Now, with the official release of Connectify Pro around the corner, we'd like to thank you, our dedicated Connectify users, by offering a pre-launch, one-year license for Connectify Pro v3.0 at half-off the retail price (keep reading to learn how)!

Highlights of this release include:
  • Support for Windows XP and Windows Vista (Ad-Hoc Mode only)!

  • Automatic Internet Selection: Connectify intelligently chooses which Internet connection to share! When set to “Automatic,” Connectify automatically detects your active Internet connection and makes necessary configuration changes to your hotspot.

  • Advanced Power Management Logic which completely avoids the sections of Windows 7 where Blue Screens of Death happen on many systems. Microsoft has been very helpful with working through the crash files that some of you have sent in. Thank you, we think we have that issue fixed now.

  • Simple Client-by-Client Firewall Controls allow user to control which clients can get to Internet and which can access local computers only.

  • Service Detection allows you to see web servers, shared drives, and other services on each client.
The biggest trade-off that we made after speaking to many users is that we have eliminated all advertising from our installer, as well as 3rd-party ads from in the user interface itself. This advertising brought in some revenue, but we understand that it bothered many Connectify users. The decision to remove ads from Connectify was a tough one. Instead, we now offer you two choices:
  • The free version now requires your hotspot name to start with “Connectify-”, or,
  • You can purchase Connectify Pro to name your Connectify Hotspot anything you want, and get all of the other great features that come with Connectify Pro.
So much has been added to this major new release of Connectify. Here's a side-by-side analysis of new features:


Feature

Free 3.0


Software Access Point

X

X

Share Internet from other
Wi-Fi networks

X

X

Share Wi-Fi from 3G/4G Networks




X

Display connected computers/ devices

X

X

Scannify” Service Discovery

Web Only

X

Fully-customizable SSID

“Connectify-”

X

Repeater Functionality

X

X

AutoInternet selection




X

Streamlined UI, updated look-and-feel

X

X

Simple Firewall Controls allow user to control whether each client can get on your local area network, and/or use your Internet connection




X

Premium Support (automatic ticket escalation)




X

Retail Price

Free!

$29.99 USD per year or $4.99 USD per month
See below!

For one week only, we are offering Connectify Pro v3.0 at a deep discount for our loyal community of Connectify users! Purchase Connectify Pro by August 23rd, 2011 and enjoy the software for $14.99 for the first year. That’s half-off the retail price!

To take advantage of this limited-time offer, simply point your browser to https://sites.fastspring.com/connectify/instant/connectifyprelaunch


For full Connectify Pro v3.0 Release notes, click here.