Web-Filter for ALL!
Congratulations Will and Kate!

Just like I will congratulate siblings and relatives on their upcoming arrivals, I am so happy for the Royal Family and the new HEIR TO THE THRONE!  Yes, I did watch the two-hour date-line special that went in the very details of the arrival, which consisted of looking at the outside of the hospital and talking to people that happened to be there.

Prime Minister Wants a Safer Environment for the New Monarch!

The Prime Minister announced that Great Britain will limit pornography for Internet subscribers by default.  See full article from the BBC.  The Prime Minister stated that he is not trying to be a “moralise or scaremonger” but he is deeply concerned about the affect of pornography and the exploitation of children.  The new rulings will require Internet Providers to filter pornography to a 'family … Read More »

We often hear about the threats out on the Internet: cyber bullying, hacking, phishing, gambling, addiction, etc.  It is easy to feel overwhelmed.  Where do I begin?  How can I actually protect my family? Follow the checklist below and you will be well on your way.  Make one change. Wait a few days or a week to make sure it doesn’t break anything.  Then start on the next item on your list.  You will no longer feel overwhelmed but in control!

Internet Safety Checklist

FireDrill – The most important lesson you can teach your child is to alert a parent or adult if they see anything that is ‘scary’ or ‘inappropriate.’ No matter what filters or controls you may have installed, kids will accidently click on the wrong link and stumble upon inappropriate material.  They need to feel comfortable talking to a … Read More »

Internet Safety: Get Filtered!

We all talk about installing a web filter.  But I KNOW that some of you think it is this CRAZY technical project and you couldn't possibly know how to do it.  Well, below is a video tutorial describing how to install the K9 Web Filter on your home computer.  It is very easy to follow.  If you have any questions please leave a comment.

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Review of K9 Web Filter

1. Easy to Install – This application installs like any other application that you would download from the Internet.

2. Easy to Configure – The dashboard is pretty self-explanatory.  You can change settings for filter levels, customized filtering, allowed time periods, actions when a website is blocked. etc.

3. The Barking is Annoying – I turned on the barking option (bark when blocked) thinking that is a great … Read More »

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Internet Safety and OpenDNS

When trying to provide Internet Safety for the home, web filtering is one of the hot topics for parents. OpenDNS is a FREE web filtering service.  Once implemented, it filters traffic for your entire network.

It filters traffic for ALL Internet enabled devices:

Game Consoles
Mobile Devices (iTouch, iPhone, Android, iPad)
BluRay Players
Computers
Laptops

Let me repeat:

OpenDNS filters all traffic for ANY device connected to your Network!!
How does OpenDNS work?
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DNS Explained

DNS “Domain Name System (DNS) is a service that occurs in the background of your Internet traffic.  Think of it as an address book for the Internet.  Every website has an IP address let's say 64.53.25.35.  It is a unique IP address and your communication with that website is through that address.   However, it would be difficult to have a list of favorite 'IP addresses.'  Instead, websites have … Read More »