Our Technology Recommendations for Northern Wisconsin Homes
These are tools and services we actually use, recommend to clients, and believe offer real value. We've organized them by category in a "good, better, even better" format—because the best solution depends on your needs, budget, and how much control you want over your data.
Free, you probably already have an account, works across your devices automatically. Great starting point if you're not managing passwords at all yet.
Fully functional free version with everything most people need. Premium is $10/year for extras like emergency access and advanced two-factor authentication. Open-source and trusted.
Integrated into the privacy-focused Proton ecosystem. If you're using Proton Mail or VPN, this creates a cohesive, secure environment. Includes email aliasing to protect your real address.
Pre-installed, regularly updated, good performance. Edge works well across Windows and mobile devices.
Independent, privacy-focused, highly customizable. Strong tracker blocking built-in. Good balance of privacy and compatibility.
Privacy by default with aggressive ad/tracker blocking. Built-in options for supporting creators. Chromium-based so sites work reliably.
Free, reliable, huge storage, excellent spam filtering. You probably already have one. Good search and organization tools.
End-to-end encrypted, Swiss privacy laws, ad-free. Free tier is genuinely useful for most personal email needs.
Proton Mail paid plans add custom domains, more storage, and advanced features. Fastmail offers excellent email with great calendar/contact integration and customer support—no encryption by default but solid privacy practices.
Comes with your existing account, seamless integration with your devices. OneDrive is included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Automatic photo backup on mobile.
End-to-end encrypted storage with Swiss privacy. Free tier gives you a start; paid plans expand storage and integrate with other Proton services.
Use Proton Drive or similar for sensitive documents, plus a local backup solution (external hard drive with regular backups) for full control. For critical data: 3-2-1 rule (3 copies, 2 different media types, 1 offsite).
Automatic backup from your phone, easy sharing, decent search. Google Photos free tier is compressed quality; iCloud and Amazon (with Prime) offer full quality within limits.
Use Google/iCloud for convenience and access, but also maintain a local copy on an external hard drive. Photos are too important to trust to just one system.
Proton Drive for privacy-focused cloud storage, or services like Synology Photos for full control with your own NAS. Always maintain local backups on external drives you control.
Better than nothing, widely supported. Vulnerable to SIM swapping but still adds significant security for most people.
Free, more secure than SMS, works offline. Microsoft and Google authenticators sync across devices with your account.
Physical security keys offer the strongest protection against phishing and account takeover. One-time purchase, works across many services. Best combined with authenticator app as backup.
Free or rental fee, gets you online, basic functionality. Fine for simple setups and non-technical users.
Purchase your own router (TP-Link, ASUS, Netgear) for better performance, control, and features. Eliminates rental fees over time. Keep ISP modem or buy your own if supported.
For larger homes: mesh systems (Eero, Google WiFi, UniFi) provide seamless coverage. For more control: systems like Ubiquiti UniFi offer professional features at reasonable prices. Great for smart homes, streaming, or multiple users.
Free, built into devices you already have, simple to use. FaceTime works great for Apple-to-Apple. Meet and Teams work across platforms.
40-minute limit on group calls but excellent quality and reliability. Most people are familiar with it. Works on everything.
Open-source, no account required, privacy-focused. Host your own or use their free service. Great for those who want control and privacy without big-tech data collection.
Enable tracking protection in Firefox, Edge, Safari, or Brave. Free, easy, immediate improvement.
Free, open-source, highly effective ad and tracker blocker. Works in Firefox, Chrome, Edge. Regularly updated.
Raspberry Pi-based DNS blocker that works for your entire home network. Blocks ads and trackers for all devices including smart TVs and phones. Requires some technical setup but very effective.
Free, syncs automatically, simple and reliable. Good for quick notes and basic organization.
Notion is great for structured information and collaboration. Obsidian excels at linked notes and works with plain markdown files you control.
Quick capture in Keep/Apple Notes, deep work and organization in Notion/Obsidian. Use what fits the task. For maximum privacy: Obsidian with local files only, or Joplin with your own sync.
The "even better" options often prioritize privacy and control, which sometimes means trading some convenience. The best choice is the one you'll actually use consistently. Start with "good," upgrade to "better" when you're ready, and move to "even better" if privacy and control matter for your specific needs.
Need help choosing or setting up any of these? That's exactly what we're here for. We can walk you through options, help with setup, and make sure everything works together smoothly.