Internet filtering for children?

[Gremlin]

Any one used any of the software available? Any advice on which works best?

Free or paid, I presume the paid ones work better. I'm trying to think of one I've heard of before, but the only other I see regularly mentioned is Net Nanny (no experience). I've used Fox Filter before, it seemed pretty good, but a client is worried about their child playing naughty games she's invited to (no idea what, and can't really ask the child to show me either...)?? Presume it's an applet online or something, and no idea if something like Fox Filter would work, as it was more url or word based...

Reports (or able to see what's been browsed) on internet usage would be nice as well.

[Fatjim]

Use openDNS until you find something better.

[Headbanger]

I put the PC where I can see it.

My eyes work best.

[Edbear]

I put the PC where I can see it.

My eyes work best.

Definitely! Recommended to have it where it is seen by all.

[Edbear]

Any one used any of the software available? Any advice on which works best?

Free or paid, I presume the paid ones work better. I'm trying to think of one I've heard of before, but the only other I see regularly mentioned is Net Nanny (no experience). I've used Fox Filter before, it seemed pretty good, but a client is worried about their child playing naughty games she's invited to (no idea what, and can't really ask the child to show me either...)?? Presume it's an applet online or something, and no idea if something like Fox Filter would work, as it was more url or word based...

Reports (or able to see what's been browsed) on internet usage would be nice as well.

You should be able to check browsing history easily. When you click on Favourites there are two other tabs, one is history.

[Gremlin]

You should be able to check browsing history easily. When you click on Favourites there are two other tabs, one is history.
Easy to delete that history, or browse without leaving a trace...

Another option is to put a proxy between the network and internet, easily done, just want to know what's recommended in software at the end user etc.

Moving the computer has been recommended already but may not be feasible.

[SMOKEU]

Using internet content filtering software is a complete waste of time. If kids want porn, they will get it. I've never been stopped looking up porn at any educational institution by filtering software as it's so easy to bypass. There are bad parts of the internet, just like there are bad neighbourhoods in town. You're better off spending the time educating children about online safety rather than using some bullshit software which claims to prevent porn or whatever.

[Akzle]

kids?
i install the back of my hand to the front of their C drive. occasionally they'll get a boot or reboot as required.

[Gremlin]

Using internet content filtering software is a complete waste of time. If kids want porn, they will get it.
I somehow suspect that won't help calm a mother...

I might try opendns on myself first, and see how easy it is to circumvent, or how it behaves.

[SMOKEU]

I somehow suspect that won't help calm a mother...



Giving her a false sense of security doesn't help either. At every educational institution I've been in that has content filtering in place, I've always managed to easily access porn. It doesn't take a lot of skill to do either.

[Akzle]

I've always managed to easily access porn. It doesn't take a lot of skill to do either.

...clearly.

i'm on for that bong, too. bike is sick. (srsly sick) so err.. come on up

[unstuck]

kids?
i install the back of my hand to the front of their C drive. occasionally they'll get a boot or reboot as required.

Do not touch your children in anyway whatsoever, unless you have their permission to do so.:no:
Our computer was always in the lounge when we still had kids at home, so we could keep a bit of an eye on them. We did try a couple of programs, but my son knows more about computers that the dude at the local Clive wilson computer store, so it was a waste of time really.:blink:

[ducatilover]

Giving her a false sense of security doesn't help either. At every educational institution I've been in that has content filtering in place, I've always managed to easily access porn. It doesn't take a lot of skill to do either.

Why would you need pron at a school?

Silly question, sorry.

But most kids won't get past opendns will they?

[Gremlin]

But most kids won't get past opendns will they?
All depends how it's delivered. If it's a video on Youtube, or a post on Facebook you're asking a lot. Obviously trying to browse www.porn.com won't work, so yeah, recommending a solution when you're not actually sure how it's being accessed is tricky.

Still, playing with the DNS upstream should capture a lot, device independent and scalable. Hell, even viruses commonly mess with your DNS, it's one of the first things you have to tackle. Might have to look at a DNS re-direct if they do start getting clever.

[SMOKEU]

...clearly.

i'm on for that bong, too. bike is sick. (srsly sick) so err.. come on up

Sweet, I will do a road trip up there one day when I get back into riding (bike is fucked). Let me know if you're ever down this way.


Why would you need pron at a school?



Why not? Back then we didn't have internet capable mobile phones so there was no other way to get teh pr0n at lunch times.

[Hitcher]

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/block-inappropriate-websites-with-opendnss-familyshield-service/

[Headbanger]

I somehow suspect that won't help calm a mother...

I might try opendns on myself first, and see how easy it is to circumvent, or how it behaves.

Too funny.

You witnessed children on the internet?, looked at the sites they use?

[SMOKEU]

Kids should also be encouraged to watch porn, that's how I learned about secks when I was 10 years old. Redtube and Youporn (among others) are a wealth of information.

[p.dath]

I particularly like the free version of Norton Online Family.
https://onlinefamily.norton.com/

One of the reasons I like it is because you can set time limits across a group of computers.

[Hitcher]

Smart kids, left unsupervised, will soon find ways around web filters.

[bluninja]

You could just download a list of 'naughty' sites and add them to the Hosts file. Simple and cheap...and provided they can't edit the hosts file means they have to find sites or proxies not on the list.

I used to have to secure a 6th form college (16-18 year olds) network. Kids are sneaky, but they forget all the grumpy old bastards were kids once...and IT types tend to never grow up. Apart from finding new IP adreeses or sites that weren't yet blacklisted, most just went looking for unblocked proxies. Top 10 site hits showed the new proxies each day...then you blocked them and watched the monitor screen turn red till they went to the next proxy on the list...which you then blocked...and so on...until you then locked out their accounts and made them come round pay their fine and sign to say they wouldn't do it again. After a few had been suspended and fined or stood down the rest behaved, till the next term. Any who accessed porn sites without proxies were found and suspended....sadly having accessed porn, male students had a flow of blood from head to penis and kept hitting the sites instead of working...easy to spot if you know what to look for.

The clever ones surfed porn at home as their parents didn't know how to lock it down and couldn't track what they were up to.

Best idea is to make sure the kids surf in the same room you are sitting. It's cheap and effective ...only problem is when they go to a mates house :)

[Headbanger]

You could just download a list of 'naughty' sites and add them to the Hosts file. Simple and cheap...and provided they can't edit the hosts file means they have to find sites or proxies not on the list.



all 900 million of them or just the 200 000 most popular?

[bluninja]

all 900 million of them or just the 200 000 most popular?

Just used to get a list of 500,000 (which was about all XP could take in it's host file) and refresh monthly.:shutup:

[Hughsie]

There are two main way's, both of which have problems;
If you block websites via keywords then you have the problem of blocking educational information with said 'naughty' words.
The other way is to block via web addresses but the problem there is websites are created quicker than you can block, also proxies will bypass this.
The only other option I can think of is blocking web addresses progressively, by this I mean you check his/her history every so often and block the websites there parents do not approve of. I know it's easy to delete your history at browser level but most people do not know how to delete there history at the modem/router level, or even use a tracking program.
I'm getting a bit overboard now but you may also be able to use a remote access program to allow the parents to check on what is being accessed at any time, these come in different shapes and sizes from the standard windows programs to trojan styled programs. (Google will further educate on these)

After all that I still think education about what to do and what not to do on the internet needs to be the main point as we all know kids will do everything there told not to do unless they know why they shouldn't do it.

[Headbanger]

Make sure you block google so the kids don't spend 3 seconds getting around all that useless junk.

[Akzle]

I used to have to secure a 6th form college (16-18 year olds) network. Kids are sneaky, but they forget all the grumpy old bastards were kids once...and IT types tend to never grow up. Apart from finding new IP adreeses or sites that weren't yet blacklisted, most just went looking for unblocked proxies. Top 10 site hits showed the new proxies each day...then you blocked them and watched the monitor screen turn red till they went to the next proxy on the list...which you then blocked...and so on...until you then locked out their accounts and made them come round pay their fine and sign to say they wouldn't do it again. After a few had been suspended and fined or stood down the rest behaved, till the next term. Any who accessed porn sites without proxies were found and suspended....sadly having accessed porn, male students had a flow of blood from head to penis and kept hitting the sites instead of working...easy to spot if you know what to look for.

back in my day we had 'puters at school. the "IT" guy got shitty at me for installing quake on 60 machines. he locked me out of my account. i hacked his and locked him out. he spent a month re-ghosting the network. one. by. one. then i got expelled for stabbing some cunt with a fence post.

[Ender EnZed]

then i got expelled for stabbing some cunt with a fence post.

Bro, that should be your sig.

[scracha]

http://www1.k9webprotection.com/

Free, very good, very customisable.


Other (or also) option is to use openDNS family shield. Set it on your router, block other DNS servers and then they can't easily find dodgy stuff on their tablets, smartphones, games consoles etc.


Last but not least, there's a couple of NZ ISP's that offer filtering. Maxnet and watchdog. Might be others...not sure. From memory they aint cheap though as they geared up for Schools and business' IMHO.

[SMOKEU]

back in my day we had 'puters at school. the "IT" guy got shitty at me for installing quake on 60 machines. he locked me out of my account. i hacked his and locked him out. he spent a month re-ghosting the network. one. by. one. then i got expelled for stabbing some cunt with a fence post.

Fuck bro, you are a legend. I can learn a lot from you.

[imdying]

Has she considered, you know, parenting? :facepalm:

[Edbear]

There are two main way's, both of which have problems;
If you block websites via keywords then you have the problem of blocking educational information with said 'naughty' words.
The other way is to block via web addresses but the problem there is websites are created quicker than you can block, also proxies will bypass this.
The only other option I can think of is blocking web addresses progressively, by this I mean you check his/her history every so often and block the websites there parents do not approve of. I know it's easy to delete your history at browser level but most people do not know how to delete there history at the modem/router level, or even use a tracking program.
I'm getting a bit overboard now but you may also be able to use a remote access program to allow the parents to check on what is being accessed at any time, these come in different shapes and sizes from the standard windows programs to trojan styled programs. (Google will further educate on these)

After all that I still think education about what to do and what not to do on the internet needs to be the main point as we all know kids will do everything there told not to do unless they know why they shouldn't do it.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=imdying;1130495254]Has she considered, you know, parenting? :facepalm:

Far too simple an answer for some parents, I'm afraid. My wife works in ECE and some of the parents we see would make you cringe! Clueless? Absolutely! The child rules from the day it's born. :facepalm:

[gijoe1313]

Getting gremlin to do this is like asking Hannibal Lector around for dinner ... :facepalm:

[Bald Eagle]

Getting gremlin to do this is like asking Hannibal Lector around for dinner ... :facepalm:

would be a good feed, Hannibal can seriously cook.