Internet content filter recommendations?

[HungusMaximist]

Got a younger, just turned a teenager brother who loves surfing the net and looking at crap like hacking, cracking, game mods, home made explosives and so on, and lots of these sites are linked to porn sites and has porn ads.

Just need a some recommendation on a GOOD content filter which WORKS and is EASY to use. The shit ones I've seen on the net are the free ones and 90% of them don't even block jack.

Need some tips and willing to PAY $$ if it actually WORKS! Cuz, I hate to pay for something that actually don't work. Tips? Your recommendations?

Cheers!

[jrandom]

Good luck trying to install anything on the computer itself that he can't just bypass immediately.

Your only hope is to set up a separate firewall box that he has no passwords for, and install a filtering system there, and make sure he has no physical access to that box and the internet router (locked cupboards are good).

But anyways. He's 13. Why are you so worried about him seeing porn? Half the girls in his class at school have probably had abortions by now.

[HungusMaximist]

Good luck trying to install anything on the computer itself that he can't just bypass immediately.

Your only hope is to set up a separate firewall box that he has no passwords for, and install a filtering system there, and make sure he has no physical access to that box and the internet router (locked cupboards are good).

But anyways. He's 13. Why are you so worried about him seeing porn? Half the girls in his class at school have probably had abortions by now.

I like to Firewall idea.

Actually, it's actually all the underground torrent sites, hacking sites, mods this and that type of sites that get inundated with spy ware, mal ware, whatever ware else that downloads on to your computer without your permission.

[mashman]

Good luck trying to install anything on the computer itself that he can't just bypass immediately.

Your only hope is to set up a separate firewall box that he has no passwords for, and install a filtering system there, and make sure he has no physical access to that box and the internet router (locked cupboards are good).

But anyways. He's 13. Why are you so worried about him seeing porn? Half the girls in his class at school have probably had abortions by now.

That's a lot of work... you'll constantly have to check the logs and check the sites he's visiting to block them, in which case you'll likely never get anything done but you will become a pron encyclopedia, or develop RSI... Might be worth gettin in touch with the ISP and see if they have any filtering at their end, I bet they have...

[NJ83]

hey we had the same problem with my little brother not so long back

downloaded a filter from here

www1.k9webprotection.com

seems to do the trick

[rainman]

...which WORKS and is EASY to use

Those two attributes are probably incompatible, given the problem you are trying to solve.

An external box that he has no access to is the only option. Do you have any Linux skills?

[Slyer]

Tell him if he visits those sites he doesn't get to use the computer.
The best content filter is in his head, train it.

[samgab]

Really awesome and easy and FREE way!!!

check out openDNS (google it)
http://www.opendns.com

You register for free, then choose which filters you want, from mild to wild, then go into your router settings and put the new DNS numbers in instead of the automatically selected dns settings.

Very easy to set up and VERY effective.

Another benefit is it protects you from phishing and stuff AND speeds up your internet browsing, as the openDNS servers keep a big cache of dns server resolves.

5 Stars out of 5 from me :)

[BigGuy]

You could set your DNS to point to the opendns servers. Go to http://www.opendns.com/ and have a read. I've used the service with a fairly good success rate and it's free.
Once you have an account you can set the level of filtering you wish.
Of course this only works with sites that use DNS to resolve the site rather than direct IP access. But at least it's a start!

[BigGuy]

Haha - you must have been typing the same thing as me at the same time samgab :laugh:

[samgab]

You could set your DNS to point to the opendns servers. Go to http://www.opendns.com/ and have a read. I've used the service with a fairly good success rate and it's free.
Once you have an account you can set the level of filtering you wish.
Of course this only works with sites that use DNS to resolve the site rather than direct IP access. But at least it's a start!

haha, SNAP!

[P38]

Had a similar issue with my boys when they were teenagers.

Teenage boys who are a bit net savvy are gonna get around a filter in a heartbeat.

Simple solution ... move the pc into the lounge and supervise them.

[BigGuy]

Had a similar issue with my boys when they were teenagers.

Teenage boys who are a bit net savvy are gonna get around a filter in a heartbeat.

Simple solution ... move the pc into the lounge and supervise them.

Not if they don't have access to the DSL routers password (assuming DSL of course). The only way they can get around it is to do a hardware reset on the modem. Then they have to figure out the userid, password, other details for the DSL provider that you signed up with. and those details of course are a secret aren't they :)

[inlinefour]

Got a younger, just turned a teenager brother who loves surfing the net and looking at crap like hacking, cracking, game mods, home made explosives and so on, and lots of these sites are linked to porn sites and has porn ads.

Just need a some recommendation on a GOOD content filter which WORKS and is EASY to use. The shit ones I've seen on the net are the free ones and 90% of them don't even block jack.

Need some tips and willing to PAY $$ if it actually WORKS! Cuz, I hate to pay for something that actually don't work. Tips? Your recommendations?

Cheers!

Just let him do it, give it awhile and most of it will loose interest and the novelty will be gone. Game mods even I still do, although Im no longer running cloned games as I can afford the originals. Just make sure you have decient antivirus software and if he opens a can of worms etc that screws up the PC then just put him on clean up duties for a few weeks.

[Slyer]

I'll have to remember about that opendns site, thanks for that.

[jrandom]

spy ware, mal ware, whatever ware else that downloads on to your computer without your permission.

I've given up trying to educate people in how to use their computers without installing malware.

What you should do, apart from the innuhneh filtering, is get his computer clean and updated and working perfectly with all the software he needs installed on it, take an image of the boot HDD with Acronis TrueImage or similar, and install a second 'data-only' HDD and make sure he knows to store all his data on that one.

Then, whenever the mood takes you, you can dump the image back onto the boot disk, run Windows Update, and hand the machine back to him in the reasonable certainty that it is free of evil. Faffing about trying to surgically remove this week's spyware/rootkit/etc is for the birds.

[Bren]

the easy solution for me was to change my O.S

been running for 5 years on linux and never got any malware or viruses or dialers that work on linux.

[TerminalAddict]

dansguardian .. running behind a squid proxy ... however, you need an extra computer kicking about running all the time acting as your proxy.

[bobsmith]

Here is an answer: EDUCATION

You could spend all your money and time trying to restrict internet access but there will always be some way to circumvent it. (unless like someone mentioned you get a firewall box and stick it on a locked room even then you would either have to somehow blacklist countless web proxy sites out there or operate it on a whitelist basis - on which case you might as well not have internet at all)

I say rather than trying to restrict what kids can see, educate them in how they should use the internet. You don't have your kitchen fenced up so that your kids can avoid getting hurt (unless you have a new born...) you instead educate them so that they don't burn them selves, etc... The same thing here.

Anyway that's my rant for the day.

(ps things like dns filter - one only needs to override the dns setting on the computer and if it's a physical box in the house such as proxy or firewall in the house one only needs to bypass this physically...

[davereid]

Move to Australia or China. Then the government will do it for you.

Of course, at he will google the IP address of a proxy server, or download a copy of TOR and he will bypass all your content restrictions.

Put his 'puter in a public place, so he can be supervised. If the Chinese Government can't censor the internet, it's unlikely anthing you do will be seen as anything but a (temporary) challenge.

[Blossom]

Yep I am afraid I have to agree with the old school set on this one. We have a 13yr old and a very savvy 11yr old. PC's are not for bedrooms. Keep it in the lounge where you can see it.
I see kids with computers in their rooms all the time, seems a bit like giving a kid a motorbike and letting them teach themselves how to ride while unsupervised. I dont like those odds.

[HungusMaximist]

Yea the computer is actually by the office, which is next to parent's bedroom.

I'll take up on those other ideas. Chur fullahs.