Web Filtering/Firewall Software

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14 Nov 2002
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Hi all,

I'm looking for a solution to web filtering and the like so that my sister can let her daughter surf the net on her wireless laptop without worrying about dodgy popups, oddball sites and the like.

I am thinking something like Net Nanny is needed so we can block chat sites, myspace, bebo, facebook etc but I've never used the software - I'm just fishing for some recommendations really. If there's something out there that also allows a lockdown of ports in one package (all we really want outbound is POP, SMTP, HTTP, HTTPS, perhaps MSN - that one is still under review because of the silly amount of virii propagated through it)

Free stuff is good, but I don't mind paying a reasonable amount for something good.

EDIT: Any opinions on Bluecoat's K9?
 
Last edited:
Hi all,

I'm looking for a solution to web filtering and the like so that my sister can let her daughter surf the net on her wireless laptop without worrying about dodgy popups, oddball sites and the like.

I am thinking something like Net Nanny is needed so we can block chat sites, myspace, bebo, facebook etc but I've never used the software - I'm just fishing for some recommendations really. If there's something out there that also allows a lockdown of ports in one package (all we really want outbound is POP, SMTP, HTTP, HTTPS, perhaps MSN - that one is still under review because of the silly amount of virii propagated through it)

Free stuff is good, but I don't mind paying a reasonable amount for something good.

EDIT: Any opinions on Bluecoat's K9?

These are the free ones I know off:

K9 Web Protection - which you have already mentioned is supposed to be very good....

Free Internet Filtering.... - it seems to work ok

Glubble - only recently found this, not quite sure how good it it!
 
Look no further than OpenDNS. You can set it up on a router or on a single pc.
You can choose what categories to block like adult, dodgy sites etc etc

You don't have to install any big programs and its 100% FREE! www.opendns.org
 
Would have been my suggestion. Seems quite popular and pretty good at what it does. :)

How do you get around a smart kid just changing the DNS settings though? Local policy adjustment I guess?

I'll give K9 a go and might do the OpenDNS thing in tandem. That should be super safe :)

Thanks!
 
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