PortaPow 3rd Gen Data Blocker (Pack of 2) - Protect Against Juice Jacking

These are great for stopping a data connection with the computer you're connecting to, they're particularly handy with my iPhone 6s and Macbook pro because I have tethering set up, so if I plug the iPhone in without these my tethering connection is used. I've also used them in the office to connect to colleagues computers when I just wanted to charge my phone. I thought they would improve the charge speed of the iPhone when connected to a Macbook but they don't as it seems that Macbooks already supply the full power to charge a phone even when a data connection is active. I found this out by using another very handy product from PortaPow which is the PortaPow Dual USB V3 Power Monitor with SmartCharge - this lets you see how much power a USB device is consuming and as you can see from the attached photos, with a data connection established the power draw is the same as when using the data blocker (note that the power draw goes up and down slightly, hence the difference). But regardless, these are very handy and do the job well. They're also very sturdy. One note - I tried using this in my Audi S4 and it didn't like it, it kept constantly reconnecting and got very confused, so it seems it won't work in all places.

I tested this item using an HTC phone cable that I bought in August 2011 to charge a Sony phone that I bought in June 2014. The tests were conducted using a USB 2.0 port on a desktop PC that was built in May 2009. I used a USB power monitor to test the recharge rate with and without the data blocker in place. The power monitor showed 4.73V from the USB 2.0 port regardless of whether or not the data blocker was being used. Without the data blocker the cable gave a recharge rate of 0.54A. I then added the data blocker inbetween the cable and the USB port and the reading went up to 0.73A, an increase of 0.19A. I can also confirm that with the data blocker in place my PC could no longer detect that my phone was plugged in. Conclusion: this item really works. It increases the recharge rate and prevents data from being transferred along the cable.

Straightforward and simple protection for your data

Great idea. Being red you don’t forget to use them. No noticeable difference in charge time for me. Good price for piece of mind.

The plug side of this device has no physical data pins, so it’s definitely going to block data as advertised. It tells the downstream device that it’s connected to a fast charger - it’s not just a dumb power pass-though. The down-side to this is that it knows nothing about the actual charger so ‘fast charging’ speed might be pretty variable in practice. Being type-A it’s only going to support legacy fast charging, not any of the type-C specific stuff like PD, and so it may not work as a fast charger with all devices. It’s still a handy thing to have if you use public chargers and good value for what it is.

I hate mains adapters. I have drawers full of them. So for me, it was REALLY irritating when I bought a mains plug socket adapter with lots of nice USB sockets that can supposedly handle 2.4 A per port, and yet I measured my tablet charging from it at just 300 mA. Clearly it was meant for Apple iPad, and my tablet is Google/Android. Same with my computer. I *know* its USB sockets can output 1 A to phones and tablets, but the drivers to allow it to don't work on Windows 10 - they output at 0.5 A at max, and generally around the 380 mA mark. And at work, which supplies "universal" slots that are meant for Android, not Apple, and barely charges my iPhone. Some ports, like on TVs, won't supply any power to a phone or tablet at all, not even enough to trickle charge. A whole mythology has built up around "good cables" and "bad cables" and it's not hard to see why. The little PortaPow fixes these issues for me and allows charging by devices at the same speed as the original charger (confirmed with a USB test stick), with the added benefit that my embarrassing stored pictures don't pop up on the desktop of a rather large screen the moment I plug in my device at work, thanks to its "USB condom" functionality. Yes, you can produce similar effects by shorting out the data pins on a USB cable (or buying one that does so), but this brute force method won't help you if the charger only allows full current draw when detects specific devices, as many appear to now do. The PortaPow, in "spoofing" that your device is Apple/Android/Samsung and picking the best output no matter what it really is, is a much more elegant solution. I only have two criticisms. My first, smaller one is that PortaPow could be a bit shorter if it was arranged better inside - it can be a bit awkward when added to the length of the cable going into it, like a long stick hanging out of a USB socket. My second isn't to do with the PortaPow itself, but its intended usage: by bypassing the data pin negotiation, you can potentially draw more current from a USB port than was designed for. I don't know if PortaPow is safer than any other hacky "fast charge" cable/dongle in this respect. Many devices are clever and will cut off or lower current if necessary but some may not be and could potentially blow out something inside, so I would advise using PortaPow carefully.

This is an absolutely essential piece of kit to take when you are travelling anywhere with a charging cable for your Mobile phone. Why? Because when you use a public charging socket...YOU HAVE NO IDEA what is on the other side of that. Could be something to extract data while you charge. And it could. I tested mine and found that there was no data flow when in use. So 5 stars. I have got these for the whole family now.

Grate what a product very well packaged smart looking and is very well made brilliant a must have.

Look no further! This PortaPow USB data blocker has no connection for data and will only connect the power lines ensuring that your phone or tabled is charged and not accessible through the data lines. A must have for the security aware traveller. Be it due to personal security concerns or business driven concerns, this is the gadget you need to have.

Ottimo prodotto anzitutto, io ho preso la versione Smart Charge che è la più consigliata, ma ne esistono altre due ottimizzate per devices poco popolari e "particolari". Svolge sicuramente bene il suo lavoro: velocizzare la ricarica dei dispositivi connessi alle lentissime porte USB della maggior parte dei pc, (isolandoli al contempo dal trasferimento dei dati). Tuttavia non eguaglia in termini di velocità il caricatore originale dei nostri devices, ma si ci avvicina moltissimo: ho misurato la tensione con un apposito misuratore di tensione per prese USB: nelle fasi iniziali di ricarica eroga 0,90 ampere contro 0,99 del caricatore originale, verso la fine della carica (l'80%) l'erogazione rallenta a 0.50, e infine 0.30, esattamente come con il caricatore originale (è il telefono a comandare questa feature!!). Conclusione: Vale assolutamente l'acquisto, ottimo prodotto per chi lavora in ufficio / passa molto tempo davanti al pc, evita di portarti sempre dietro il caricatore da casa o l'acquisto di un secondo e più costoso caricatore da parete.

Moim zdaniem niezbędne akcesorium w podróży, ale również w pracy czy w domu. PortaPow jest przydatny wszędzie tam, gdzie chcemy skorzystać z zasilania portu USB, ale nie chcemy wymiany danych miedzy naszym urządzeniem a nieznaną ładowarką lub obcym komputerem. Zarówno przygodne ładowarki, jak i komputery mogą być niebezpieczne ze względu na możliwość próby ataku podłączonego telefonu złośliwym oprogramowaniem. Ma to znaczenie także wszędzie tam, gdzie korzystamy z komputera np. u znajomego czy w pracy, ale nie chcemy, by rozpoczynał on synchronizację z naszym telefonem, której możemy nie być w stanie w porę anulować. Chcemy po prostu jedynie skorzystać z zasilania USB w celu doładowania. Sama koncepcja tego typu zabezpieczenia nie jest nowa, bo od dawna słyszałem o zabezpieczeniach zwanych USB condom. Jednak PortaPow jest porządnie wykonany, co budzi zaufanie i zajmuje niewiele miejsca.

J'ai reçu cette clef, très rapidement mais comme d'hab Amazon utilise des cartons trop grand, la il s'agissait d'une grande enveloppe qui pourrait se retrouver bloqué dans la boite aux lettres. Une clef basique mais qui est censé éviter les passages d'information. Je pense en acheter une autre, pour le moment je peux dire que pour la recharge de mon iPad elle fonctionne très bien. Par contre elle ne fonctionne pas pour une clef USB qui est utiliée sur plusieurs ordinateurs ce que je trouve dommage. A voir sur un long terme et sur d'autres appareils.

Does what it says it should. No complaints. Great product!