IN CASE THE INTERNET IS SHUT DOWN: Five ways you can stay connected without internet
Thompson Nsisongabasi
Oct 15, 2020
In these times of unsteady network and human interference, a few app and techniques can help you stay in touch with friends and loved ones 'without' the internet.
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This ability is especially useful when you feel your life is in danger. We will look at five of the various ways you can stay connected if the internet is, for any reason, unavailable.
*The first is an app called Bridgefy.
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Download Bridgefy just like other apps and, using Bluetooth, you can connect with anyone within about 330 feet (100 metres) radius from you.
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The only downside is that it is not encrypted. Therefore, what you share can be intercepted. And the person(s) you wish to communicate with must be on Bridgefy, too.
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Second, download a VPN (virtual private network) such as TunnelBear, CyberGhost and NordVPN.
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What a VPN does is give you a 'ride' on the internet, but almost hiding your identity(Internet Protocol address).
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It is a kind of private network inside (or off) the public network.
A downside of VPN is that it consumes battery power excessively.
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*Third is Firechat. This app, like Bridgefy, uses Bluetooth. However, it needs a substantial number of users for it to work well. That is, the more the number for users, the wider the network.
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*The fourth is use of Lantern. When you use this app, people in areas where the internet is not down, or uncensored area, help you use the internet.
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Now, what is common with these ways of using the internet without using the internet (does that make sense?) is that they are p2p (peer-to-peer) networking.
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Peers, here, are computer systems(or smartphones) that are connected via the internet. But the information(data, files, etc) shared in this network is done without a central server.
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That is to say, each "peerÔÇØ is a server and a client on its own. This is how it is able to work even when the internet is down in a particular area.
*The fifth style is what should come naturally to any Nigerian: give your social media usernames, passwords, pins (and needles, lol), to a trusted somebody who is outside of where the internet is down.
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You could go further to tell the person(s) that if you go incommunicado for so and so length of time, they should raise the alarm.
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I hope with these few points of mine, I have been able to convince you that you can use the internet to keep your dream flying against all odds.
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— Thompson Nsisongabasi