A dongle is a hardware device used for software security. It can also refer to any key required for a program to function or a small hardware device that plugs into a computer port. Dongles can be lost or stolen, causing significant cost in lost time. Different types of dongles exist, including USB and serial port dongles, and some can handle multiple licenses. iLok® is an example of a dongle that can hold up to 100 iLok® protected software licenses.
The primary, and some would say the only correct, use of the word dongle is to refer to a variety of hardware devices used as a security to safeguard proprietary software. Some use the dongle, by extension, to refer to any key required for a program to function. Some extend it in a different direction to refer to any small hardware device similar in size and shape to a dongle in the first sense and that plugs into a computer port. A fourth meaning is a special adapter cable for connecting wireless cards to an Ethernet jack. Either way, the name is said to have originated from a variation of the word dangle, which describes how devices dangle from the port on the computer they’re plugged into.
The first type of dongle is also known as a hardware key. Without the dongle, the software cannot run. For many dongles, this is because the software application, upon opening, sends a code to the dongle, which is intended to respond with the serial number that unlocks the product. If this transaction is not completed, the software program is not available for use, therefore only an authorized user can access the program, unless the device is lost or stolen. On other keys, such as KEYLOK®, some of the program’s executable code may actually be stored on the key as another approach. Either way, for a user with many licenses, the cost in lost time if a dongle is lost or stolen can be extremely high.
The first dongles were made for parallel ports. There are now different types of dongles that take advantage of different technologies. Examples include USB and serial port dongles. There are also dongles that combine the function of the hardware key with other functions, such as flash memory. Furthermore KEYLOCK® has a hardware key with network functionality and can control the number of simultaneous users allowed.
Dongles that have several licenses needed at the same time can be daisy-chained using one port. An iLok® is an example of a dongle that can handle multiple licenses. It is a USB device that can hold up to 100 iLok® protected software licenses. iLok® copy protection is used extensively by manufacturers of digital audio and video software, including Mark of the Unicorn®, M-Audio®, Digidesign® and Synthogy®. A Dongle Buddy® extends the range of the dongle. iLok® offers Zero DownTime® protection — which, however, may not cover all software licenses owned by a user — and a ring for attaching an anti-theft cable.
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