Skip to main content

Bitdefender Box (2018) review

The Bitdefender Box will watch over your Wi-Fi, for a steep price

There’s a good chance you have an antivirus installed on your computer. Having antivirus is of course an excellent idea, and highly recommended — but its scope is limited. It protects only the device it’s installed on. In today’s era of always connected smart speakers, locks, and cameras, that’s not good enough.

Bitdefender thinks it has a solution with the Box. Now in its second generation, the Box is a cross between a home router and antivirus software. It does the usual home router tasks, but also scans devices for common vulnerabilities, and warns you of unusual behavior.

Easy to install, usually

Simple, quick installation is a focus of the Box. It comes with straightforward instructions that get the router up and running within five minutes. Bitdefender knows that you likely already have a Wi-Fi network, and so prominently includes the option to clone your existing network, which makes for a seamless transition. That’s an important feature given the number of Wi-Fi devices in today’s homes. Resetting ever smart speaker, laptop, phone, and game console is a chore the Box avoids.

We did run into an issue setting up the Box with a Zyxel C2100z router provided by CenturyLink. Setup was easy yet wired Ethernet speeds were mysteriously constrained. Thankfully, this initial issue seems an exception, since we had no problem configuring the router with several other networks.

Simple, quick installation is a focus of the Box.

Box is designed as part of a full ecosystem of Bitdefender products including its Total Security software (a one-year subscription is included). That means you’ll have to install Bitdefender on your PC and smartphones for fully functionally. The Bitdefender Central smartphone app makes that simple, as you can push email links to devices for quick setup.

The router’s performance is acceptable. It supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi over the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and we found it reliable at ranges of 20 to 30 meters, which is enough for most homes. Wired use is more limited because there’s only a single gigabit Ethernet port. This seems to be a trend among more modern, security-minded routers. Still, given the price, we’d like to see more ports. There’s no support for smart home standards like ZigBee of Z-Wave, either.

A watchful router

Once up and running, the Box is fully controlled through Bitdefender Central. Despite the name, Central is split between app and browser interfaces.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The app handles most tasks. You can use it to check up on data use, see what’s connected to your network, pause devices, and so on. It also delivers notifications; for example, it will tell you when a new device connects to your network, or when any protected device attempts to access a malicious URL. That latter feature is, we think, a key benefit for families. Maybe you’re being mindful of security, but what about everyone else who uses your computer or network? The Box can tip you off if someone’s gullible enough to click on an ad promising a free iPhone.

Given the price, we’d like to see more Ethernet ports.

We can’t tell you with certainty that the Box will defend against any threat, and even if it did protect against all malware at the moment you read this review, it wouldn’t protect against malware that exists tomorrow. A degree of trust is required. Luckily, there is reason to believe in Bitdefender. The company’s antivirus scores well in AV-Comparatives testing and has earned tops marks from the AV-Test Institute.

Parents may also be interested in the parental control features, which are mostly handled through the web interface. Box has the usual tricks, like restricting access by time or by type of website. It goes a step further though with phone management — and lets your kid check in as “safe” with the press of a button. An even greater degree of monitoring is available with Android phones, including real-time location tracking.

Bitdefender Box review
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Box can detect threats through social media, too. The software can, if given proper access, alert you if someone asks for your child’s address. At the same time, the tool is built for a degree of privacy. Box doesn’t continually log conversations, but instead exposes only the messages it believes a threat. It seems a nice compromise between privacy and safety.

Security, at a price

The Bitdefender Box is expensive at $250. It comes with a year’s subscription to Bitdefender Total Security (with support for an unlimited number of devices) but, after that, you’ll need to spend around $40-$50 per year on the software. The Box will work as a router without it, but its network monitoring and parental control features will be severely curtailed.

That adds up to a good chunk of change. You’re likely used to free antivirus suites, and Bitdefender’s Box is a step in a different direction. Whether it’s worthwhile depends on your household. The bigger it is, the more sense the Box makes. A family of five will likely have at least five devices but, once you’ve added sensors and phones and laptops, it could be in the upper teens.

Just make sure you’re okay going all-in on the Bitdefender ecosystem and paying a subscription fee each year. This is not just a router. It’s a commitment.

DT Editors' Rating: 3/5

Matthew S. Smith
Matthew S. Smith is the former Lead Editor, Reviews at Digital Trends. He previously guided the Products Team, which dives…
What is Wi-Fi 7: Everything you need to know about 802.11be
Checking a Wi-Fi router and internet connection on a phone.

Wi-Fi 7 is the latest evolution in the 802.11 IEEE standard of wireless networking, and it's the direct sequel to Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. It's faster, offers improved support for a greater number of simultaneous connections, and will be more adaptable, to better maintain low-latency connections. It will be an excellent solution for streaming ultra-high-definition video to multiple devices simultaneously, and may find use in future wireless virtual reality and augmented reality headsets.

There aren't many Wi-Fi 7 devices or routers available just yet, but a soft launch has already begun in China, and that rollout will gather sped in the coming years. To get you ready for the next generation of Wi-Fi technology, here's everything you need to know about Wi-Fi 7.

Read more
The best budget routers you can buy right now
A Wi-Fi router next to a laptop.

Routers have gotten expensive of late, especially if you're looking for something top-of-the-line. But not everyone needs the latest features and speeds. Fortunately, you can get a reliable router today without spending a whole lot of money, and that's likely enough for the average home.

We’ve picked some of the best budget routers on the market today so you don’t have to struggle and scroll through endless lists to scout for the right one.

Read more
This Wi-Fi security flaw could let drones track devices through walls
Professor Ali Abedi flying Wi-Peep standing against brick wall.

A research team from the University of Waterloo has attached a device to a drone that can use vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks to see through walls.

Imagine intruders being able to track people by the devices they have on them or find weak spots in their homes. This alarming possibility has been proven by a device called Wi-Peep, which is essentially $20 of easily-purchasable hardware, an off-the-shelf quadcopter, and the work of Dr. Ali Abedi and his team at the University of Waterloo.

Read more