browser filter needed

[sys-eng]

I just got ADSL connection at home and need a good browser filter to keep out the porno and gambling sites & ads. I found a list of about 30 filters but no reason to choose one over the other. I would like to see a review comparing the features of several but I have not been able to locate one. My ISP does not offer server filter.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated.
Also if you know of a comparison review, please provide link.

Thanks.

[Gene C]

I use the one that came with my virus scanner program!! Trend
PC-cillin.

even tho I have it turned off . for it is so touchie that sometimes I can't even get to some of the site's I use a lot. when time will let me "I'm behind a few days now" I'll see if I can get some reviews for you on this.

[sys-eng]

Thanks. I use Norton Anit-Virtus Corporate Edition but Norton has a separate product for filtering. I would like to see a review before spending the $$ for Norton. The reviews that I did find were back in 1999 -- too old.

[Axel]

Part of it is understanding how most filters work -

As I understand it, most filters do two things - check the URL against a "known bad" list that gets frequent updates and scans the page for known bad text depending on the filters you have activated.

I don't have any PC's at home that aren't constantly in "public" view -

My filters ride as a pair in my head - my own two eyes.....

Anything else is typically unreliable.

If you or another reliable adult isn't there to always watch, then you might have to take the power cord with you while you're out.

As power cords of that type are easy to come by, that isn't a totally reliable means to secure the system.

Most BIOS passwords can be circumvented with a jumper or toggle on the motherboard.

One last point before I step off my soap-box, here - Locking those things out isn't really the answer. Education and discussion is a more perminant-long term solution. After all, a yahoo search on the word lottery turns up more sex sites than lottery sites. Between the folks pushing the garbage and the curiousity of youngsters, you aren't going to be able to stop the truely determined..... you'll just end up making things more interesting for them....

[sys-eng]

I agree that a user determined to find trash will succeed. I want to avoid the unintentional viewing. It is sort of like locking the doors to your house. A real burglar can break in with a crowbar if they want to but the neighbor kid will likely walk away.

[Axel]

Like I said - even a search on "lottery" will bring up smutt -

Those types of sites count on global searches like that to get curiousity hits.....

So - if you are doing general research on most search engines - most of what you will succeed in doing is making sure that most general search results will be blocked by the filter software and your kid will just get frustrated and not do the work or figure out how to defeat the filter.....

If you do the research for them, most of the lesson is lost -

They have to live in the world some time - most of what you can hope to do is let them know what you think is right and then they have to start making their own decisions -

That is, as long as we aren't talking a toddler here - what age group are we talking about?

[sys-eng]

If the web gets that bad (its not yet), we will simply use the local library more. The filter that we use at work blocks 99.999% of the porno and gambling sites/ads and we still get averything we need with no special frustration. I don't know that level of filtering is readily available at the PC level.

My youngest one is 14. Most teenagers are not mature enough to make good value judgements. By and large they believe that they are indestructible, life is game, fun is the most important thing in the world, and choices have no consequences. After all, the characters on TV make all kinds of bad choices and everything always works out good for them by the end of the show.

[jadison]

This one has proven to be quite valuable, useful, and works well!
Click HERE (http://www.n2h2.com/) for the link to N2H2's internet filtering software. I've used it for over a year now, and only a few links have been misrepresented.

Try it, from what I gather, the home edition (http://www.n2h2.com/downloads/ifm/zdownloadz.php) is free.

-=jd=-

[sys-eng]

I believe that the demo is free for only 30 days. Is yours still working after 30 days? Is it still doing the automatic updates to its database?

I have some reluctancy spending $40 for the software froma company that may not be around a year from now.

The company is currently in violation of NASDAQ's listing requirement of $1/share minimum. N2H2 must secure a closing bid price of at least $1 a share on or before Nov. 19 and then for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days. If not, it will be moved from the NASDAQ for trading to one of the penny stock exchanges where it will get much less exposure. N2H2's shares last traded above $1 a share the week of May 25. The company's shares reached a 52-week high of $3 on Sept. 20, 2000, and a 52-week low of 25 cents on Dec. 14, 2000. Shares of the N2H2 (NTWO) was trading at $0.43 on Wednesday afternoon Nasdaq trading.

It does look like a good product. I especially like the idea of different filtering for each user.

I have been using a freeware program called We-Blocker
http://www.We-Blocker.com/index.html for the last week or so. It is working but did seem to slow the surf some.

please reply back to the two questions above.

Thanks!

sys-eng

[jadison]

I apologize, the version we're using is not free, and the free one is only a trial. :(

As far as the reliability of the product...it's performed well for the past 1-2 years!
Another one that comes highly recommended, but again costs $49/free month trial, is Cyber Patrol (http://www.surfcontrol.com/products/cyberpatrol_for_home/product_overview/index.html)

I'm still searching for a free blocking software utility, will post back soon.

-=jd=-