Internet Filtering Software--specific question

[jakeevan]

I'm looking for a good individual program that will help filter my internet access at home. I know of plenty of good ones, but what I am mainly concerned about is teenagers in my house using proxy websites to get around blocks. I know it might be impossible, but there has to be some company that keeps a day to day updated block list of these sites that pop-up so as to avoid this problem. Does anyone know of any?

Thanks!

Jacob Atchison

 

[eyec]

use a good hosts file manager (HostMan comes to mind) on each machine.

one website that allow "users" to have multiple chat windows open across a webpage is meebo.com - i have added this to my hosts file so they cannot access it. reason being is my ZA has logged a lot of unusual port activity when my "users" first started using it instead of other IM programs.

p.s. my "users" think i an a mean dad, but i told them when they buy their own PCs and phone line they can control their own activity AND if they get their PCs infected - i change $100/day to fix them!!

 

[kjv1611]

This is one area where Windows Vista may be worth considering. I don't know all the details, but it appears that Vista has more built-in options of this sort than XP does. So, you might not have to go out and find 3rd party software for this sort of protection.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[tfg13]

eyec, does hostman prevent a "user" from modifying the hosts file with a text editor? I'm just thinking about the "work arounds" kids come up with these days.

As far as the solution, if the "users" are not administrators, you should be able to block the ability to get to the "connections" tab, or the network connections setup totally. There are ways around it, but once again, you have to be an administrator to do the work arounds, with a pretty good working knowledge of WMIC.

 

[Grenage]

Not really, you could simply run a browser that doesn't need to be installed (a simple executable), or do IE settings reflect the operating system's proxy settings as a whole? (I've not used XP in a long while).

Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[eyec]

you have the option to HIDE and not allow editing of the HOSTS file with HostMan. so far the kids have not even found it - they just know that i have certain sites blocked somehow!

 

[biglebowski]

Do you use a router to connect to the internet, most of the netgear ones now come with content filtering or parental controls built in.

State of the art filtering and controls allowing parents and administrators to limit URL access

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[tfg13]

Thanks eyec! I'll probably grab it and play around with it at home.

 

[kjv1611]

tfg13, The router idea may be the very best idea. The reason is that it is more of a hardware solution. Your children would have to know the password to login to the router, AND how to find the appropriate information. Also, this can be done more or less invisibly to your "users."

If you don't already have a router, you really need to get one, anyway, whether you use it for parental controls or not.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[burtsbees]

A router is a good idea, especially a Cisco with IPS, IDS and the ability to do TCP Intercept---I know a lot about those stupid chat rooms, and one thing they have are script kiddies out the wazoo. The problem with a hardware solution is that they are easily bypassed if the person has physical access to the device (for example, anyone can Google "password recovery" on a Cisco router and do it).
The software block, like HostMan, can be hidden (and I believe password protected---if you do the permissions correctly in Windows anyway, they cannot 'unhide' it or close it, remove it or anything.).
Good luck.

Burt