These days a lot can be accomplished with a Raspberry Pi single-board computer. Among other things, a Pi can be used as a connection-sharing firewall for public Internet access.
The early Raspberry Pi models were computationally very weak and economically impractical (because of hidden expenses). The Pi was invented for hobbyists and students. Getting one to do anything useful required knowledge and expertise. (That was the whole point.)
Not any more. Now the "Raspberry Pi 3 Model B" has a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, plenty of USB ports (4), and built-in WiFi. There's enough power to do much more than the early models could do.
More importantly, someone with almost no technical skills can put one to use.
Complete the Kit
People will say the Raspberry Pi is a "$35 computer", but it isn't; it's a $35 motherboard that needs at least a case, storage media, and power supply.
The price of an outfitted fully-capable Pi is half what one cost in late 2015.
| Pi 3 Parts - March, 2017 |
|---|
| Rasp. Pi 3 Model B | $39 |
| Official Pi Case | 6 |
| Sandisk Extreme 32GB | 21 |
| 3 Amp Power Adapter | 10 |
Subtotal: $76
You'll avoid frustration and have a happier experience if you by quality components.
- You can get a cheaper MicroSD card, but probably shouldn't.
- You can get a cheaper 2.5 Amp power adapter, but probably shouldn't.
Parts Pertaining to a Privacy Pi
A Pi can be turned into a portable personal VPN gateway device. If you want to connect wireless devices, this requires two additional WiFi adapters.
| 2x Edimax Nano WiFi NICs | 18 |
Total: $94
Instructions about for setting this up.
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