Screenshot and Keylogging Monitoring Software (50$ per computer) SoftActivity Keylogger Please also consider the reviews from
For example, it might be to access your router, but there are many examples in their instructions for specific information on how to set it up.Ħ. In Windows 7, for example, I had to click on the "access type connections" link for my internet connection, then clicked "details" in that pop-up, then looked for "default gateway" for the IP number. To know the URL to access your router, do this: go to the "Network and Sharing Center" or right click on your internet connection and choose "details" or "properties". Pros: It works differently than typical filters by routing requests to bad sites to a "no page found" site - this prevents the HTTPS problem that gets around some other blacklists (like K-9 sometimes), and it works to block porn for anyone connected to your wireless internet-even if they have no other filter software set up on their computer.Ĭons: It is harder to set up because you have to configure your wireless router, but they have instructions. It also shows the keywords that are offensive when it blocks a page -words I would rather not see, but I think these can be supressed in the "hide" tab or "other settings"?ĥ.
I consider it 100% essential to really block sites.Ĭons: to make a change only one person can be logged in (you have to log out of all other users to update the settings). It isn't free, but it IT WORKS DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHERS -thus it blocks others' shortcomings.
How it works: it will block only some wikipedia articles, such as with the word "porn", but not all wikipedia articles. Therefore, it even blocks sites that get around the blacklists above. Unlike the competition which checks URLs against a "bad site" blacklist, this checks text and content of the page for keywords that might be porn-related. This blocks unwanted advertisements in Firefox or Chrome - essential to block unwanted advertising.
(Note: to remove the chat program 'Messenger', just uninstall Windows Essentials, and it will prompt you for which programs specifically desired for removal-so you can leave Family Safety). perhaps Microsoft's servers get overwhelmed? Use this in combination with the other tools listed. In addition, I have seen that sometimes it just stops working for no apparent reason. Win 7:It doesn't work on Administrator logins, only "standard" user accounts. It provides time limits (for specific user logins), the ability to block games / specific programs, and either an internet whitelist (which allows only specific sites you designate) or a blacklist (which disallows bad sites according to Microsoft's blacklist).Ĭons: Win 8: It will work on Admin accounts if you first set the parental controls in a child account, and then change the child acct to an Admin account (in the control panel for user accounts).
You can download it at Windows Live Essentials and then activate it in the Control Panel (activate Parental Controls). It comes with the ability to block or whitelist specific sites, and it provides timed whitelisting for up to 15 - 60 min (very useful).Ĭons: not compatible with some anti-virus programs, but it is compatible with Microsoft Security Essentials (also free).Īlso essential in our day and age, this provides a whitelist for specific user logins.
K9 Web Blocker is a good, free program for those who are concerned solely with Web surfing, but the lack of a chatware filter leaves some holes for predation.This is the best free internet filter, nearly essential in our day and age. Equally impressive, and a little bit scary, was the log that detailed not just blocked Web sites but also every Web site visited. K9 also has categories for blocking sites that have been detected as potential malware threats. With more than 50 categories for organizing Web sites, and the keyword-free proprietary K9 rating system, the Web monitoring and blocking aspects of the software functioned well.
Because the password gets sent to the e-mail account of the person who registered the program, it's possible that an enterprising user could disable K9 on a shared computer.ĭespite those drawbacks, K9 comes with a handful or so of predesigned filters and an option to customize. Uninstalling requires removing the app from the Task Manager, then using its password to delete it from the Windows Control Panel, and finally, rebooting. The control panel is accessible only through the Internet. To run the program, you must register on the Web site to get the free activation code. For a free Internet filter, K9 Web Blocker does its job well, providing a broad collection of options for customizing your remote Web supervision needs.