Internet safety for children

earth mother

Please will someone recommend a programme for protecting children from accessing potentially damaging websites.
Our computer has several profiles, so what I would like to find is a programme that will control the children's User Accounts, but not my partners' - he is pretty useless on a computer. I installed NetNanny, but he was driven mad having to put in passwords for sites.
So. To re-iterate. I want to put controls on my childrens' accounts, but leave my partner's account free of controls.
Many thanks, if someone has any ideas

Khannie

There's been a couple of threads on this. I'd say have a search back with the search facility. From memory K9 is worth looking at.

earth mother

Many thanks. I'll have a look

Earth Mother

Muzzer

I'm not sure you'll want to hear my opinion Earth Mother but I'm a believer in parental supervision at all times. I'm not a parent so my opinion might well be obsolete but I reckon they should be hands-on supervised if you feel they are too young to view the potentialy harmfull sites.

I hope you find an adequate solution although it is quiet easy to pick up a cheap laptop for your hubby or the kids these days..

ntlbell

Muzzer wrote: »

I'm not sure you'll want to hear my opinion Earth Mother but I'm a believer in parental supervision at all times. I'm not a parent so my opinion might well be obsolete but I reckon they should be hands-on supervised if you feel they are too young to view the potentialy harmfull sites.

I hope you find an adequate solution although it is quiet easy to pick up a cheap laptop for your hubby or the kids these days..

I agree, but even when supervising the kids harmful content can *pop* up when browsing any sort of content.

But you're right supervision and educating the kids should be a higher priority.

Muzzer

ntlbell wrote: »

I agree, but even when supervising the kids harmful content can *pop* up when browsing any sort of content.

Your right ntlbell, although I think there is some software that can be easily dowloaded to STOP *pop* ups. I could be wrong but I'm almost certain I have heard of such software.

We'll get there between us, Boards.ie is the place for problem solving!!!

ntlbell

Muzzer wrote: »

Your right ntlbell, although I think there is some software that can be easily dowloaded to STOP *pop* ups. I could be wrong but I'm almost certain I have heard of such software.

We'll get there between us, Boards.ie is the place for problem solving!!!

Indeed, not just *pop* up's tho, a very safe Google image search can throw up some dodge content for example

K9 from bluecoat as mentioned previously looks pretty good.

earth mother

Thanks again to everybody.
I've checked out K9. Looks good, but doesn't monitor individual profiles. I simply don't know if that is possible.
I have Pop Up blocker installed.
I hear what people say about monitoring children on the computer, and I do to a large extent. But I am really most concerned about my 13 and a half year old son. Extremely mature 13, I may add!!
Please don't tell me that I can monitor HIM on the computer, cos I cant. He is in secondary school. He is home for about an hour before I get home from work.
That's why I want a good Web Protection software.
He's a good lad, but is - of course - curious .
Earth Mother

ntlbell

If he is a very mature 13yr old then maybe a sit down and a conversation about it might be best.

You won't be monitoring him on school computers.

You won't be monitoring him at a friends house.

You won't be monitoring him in a cyber cafe.

You get the point. I think at that age especially if he is "mature" a conversation/discussion on it would be better.

You can't put a filter on curiosity.

Venom

As others have posted the only real method is parental supervision at all times. Netnanny and its ilk all suffer from the same flaw of children knowing more about technology than their parents. Try putting a master password on the PC to stop your kids using the PC when an adult is not around and maybe move the PC to a location in a room where they cant get up to mischief on it

No offence meant to you OP but your kids or their friends will know alot move about your computer then you probably do.

gamer

See here http://www.safefamilies.org/download.php
you can go to internet explorer;net options content settings,set to block nudity,bad language,then set settings,password,eg tar12gh that cant be guessed.
CHECK the net history too.
google FREE net filter.

Moonbeam

www.webwise.ie might be helpful too

jd83

If your computer is connected wirelessly to the internet through a wireless router you can also configer router to block unsuitable sites. They usually have a setting that detects sites of the adult variety and you can also set them to block certain sites. You can also set it to only allow internet access at certain times. Most also have logs so you can go back see whats been looked up and some will even automatically email you the log.

This included with the parental controls in windows and making you child aware that you can view everything they look up should protect them from accessing unsuitable sites.

But as the poster said before the best defense is when possible physically monitor them your self. Might be a bit strict but you could just password protect windows and turn bios password on and only allow use when your there. If you do have router and want help setting it up feel free to pm me.

tagoona

I've installed Microsoft Family Safety on the laptop. The kids have their own profile and we had to put a password on ours. But it can restrict usage and email a report to the parent email addresses. Well worth a look

wil

Ive also used the Windows Live family safety and it seems to work well enough.
It is all tied in to your wondows live user id and you can manage it on line. It can be a little confusing and not always intuitive as the web interface has occasionally give me griesf in the past but once set up it seems to work away in the background reasonably well.
You set up separate windows profiles/logins on the pc for each child/level then set up restrictions/age profiles for each in the FS control.
You can set times/ hours /allowed programs/games/age limits/ restricted and allowed websites, restricted words etc.

On a very restricted young user profile it is probably better to set up a whitelist of allowed sites and add more as you need. When attempting to access anything new it will ask for approval from the admin user.

For older users it is more complicated as they will often learn other users pw to get around restrictions, so can be useful to restrict their favourite sites from other profiles in order to encourage them to use the one allocated to them.
Withr that its down to education and trust and if that doesn't work, let me know how you solve it

Inquitus

milky00 wrote: »

I've installed SpyLogger Mail Plus (<snip>l) - installing and setting is very easy. In my opinion it's reliable tool for full parental control over the computer. All information copied from monitored computer and collected in your e-mail box. Program is very discreet.

Costs much as a computer too.

Soo value
Much crap
Very lol

janeparker

Of course, Microsoft Family Safety is more user friendly & trusted utility.

Regards:
Jane

yawhat!

Open DNS is really your only option to block porn and to log peoples internet history. Change the router password as well when its set up so your son can't change the settings. It's free as well.

If he knows you have a filter he could buy a cheap smart phone and just use that to watch porn.

And from my days in school when we were young it was quite simple to get a porn DVD. Also there is USB sticks now that are 64GB and not that expensive which could easily save 500 hours of Porn.

Best to sit down and talk with him.

yoyo

Zombie thread closed.