How to filter and control Internet access and Internet content (dns)

Do you need to control access to the Internet? Do you need parental Internet monitoring for child safety? Do you have a small business and need to control Internet access by employees and visitors? How do you keep children away from unsafe Internet sites? How can you minimize the abuse of time and dangers of surfing?

Free and open Internet access has been a terrific opportunity for computer users. However, scam artists and unscrupulous hackers have littered the Internet with false doors, traps and land mines that can ruin the surfing experience. Many computers routinely pick up malware that slow the PC down and can render it useless. Everybody appreciates the openness of the Internet but some users also have the responsibility to protect their families and some have a need to protect their organizations assets and operational continuity.

Antivirus and PC security software can help, but when a browser opens up, a tiny crack in security is opened, and then a sneaky site URL or a careless click can widen that security crack and let the bad guys in! How can you keep the Internet experience as open as possible, and also do enough web content filtering and Internet access filtering to protect yourself and your family? The large corporations have extensive and expensive Internet filtering appliances available to them. What can a parent or a small organization do to mange Internet access with little or no money to spend?

The bottom line is that there are good solutions to these problems, and two options are recommended below: a free service solution, and an inexpensive software solution; both are relatively easy to setup.

The solution to these problems is to add a layer of Internet access filtering and Internet content filtering to your home or office network. There are free ways to get a filtered Internet and low also low cost alternatives for website filters. These solutions can achieve the safety objective without overly limiting  the  Internet experience.

Internet filtering software– Software programs can limit or control access to the Internet. The software acts as an outside controller to the browser and blocks specific sites, or restricts access to only a few allowed sites.

DNS address look-up filters – These services can control the website access by managing the address look up process. You type in Microsoft.com and the DNS service that looks up where Microsoft.com is located on the Internet, can then apply desired filtering.

Hardware filtering – Many routers can provide an extra layer to filter Internet access, generally through a subscription service.

Browser controls – many browsers offer some form of filtering or access control through settings but these are generally limited or easy to circumvent.

DNS is short for Domain Name System. The Domain Name System is actually a network of address servers. Their task is to translate the domain name you type into your browser into an actual and unique Internet address. When you type HubPages.com into the address window of your browser, your PC's network software goes to the DNS server address assigned to you by your Internet service provider (ISP). The DNS server looks up HubPages.com and determines that the IP address is actually 66.211.109.13 (or whatever IP address HubPages.com server is currently using).

You do not have to use the DNS server assigned to you. A DNS service, like OpenDNS, can do more than just look up an address. It can categorize web sites and assist in filtering or blocking access to certain sites, based on your instructions.

OpenDNS first came to my attention as being a possibly more efficient DNS server choice than my local ISP's DNS servers. For many users the address look-up process is faster resulting on the requested web page being displayed in your browser more quickly.

One client, a golf course, kept having malware problems on a clubhouse computer that was open to guest use to access the golf handicap site. Guests routinely used the PC to check Email, news headlines, etc. Unfortunately some members were a little more aggressive (or careless) in their surfing, and the PC was constantly clogged with adware and spyware, and rendered less than useful. Management did not want to broadly restrict Internet access.

OpenDNS turned out to be an excellent solution. It was simple to setup an account for the golf course, change the DNS settings on the Handicap PC, and select a filter set that allowed generally safe surfing, and blocked access to the type of sites that were causing problems. The guests didn't notice the difference, and there were no complaints.

I setup a personal account, and now the grandchildren can use the home PC when they visit, and we don't have to be overly concerned that they are going to get to sites that are harmful to them or the computer. If there are specific game sites we don't want them to go to, we add the URL to the block list.

OpenDNS.com provides an array of services to corporate clients as well as a free service for the home or SOHO user.

A law firm wanted to lock down several PCs that were used by multiple people and subject to unsupervised surfing and the resulting malware issues. They didn't feel a need to restrict most desktop users, or block personal use in general. They wanted to be sure that users of certain PCs would only go to approved business related sites.A selective control was needed.

We tested several products and settled on BrowseControl. It can be stored on a single PC or on a server. We chose the server install for ease of management. The server install and setup was easy. The client software is then installed on a PC that needs to be controlled. The control can be by user or by PC. Once the client is installed, you simply set up a list of allowed sites, and apply them to the target PCs. The allowed URL and blocked URL lists are easily edited and applied, so the process is a breeze to maintain.

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