Sunday, June 19, 2011

Web content filtering with OpenDNS

Are you searching for a tool that will restrict your children or students from accessing unwanted websites? Are you in search of an easy tool to manage your networks web activites ? Then ,OpenDNS is the tool for you..!

How to set up?

First of all, change your router settings to use openDNS as your DNS servers. That is, change your DNS address as 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. Dont know how to change DNS address of your router ?

Now create an account in www.opendns.com if you dont have one. Once you register, login to your openDNS dashboard. Now , go to "create a network" option in the dashboard. You can create networks as many as needed for your purposes. For example, for maintaining your home network ,create a network named "HOME" and for your office maintanence purposes , you can create a "OFFICE" network.

While creating networks, they will ask the IP address of your router. If you are using static IP, you can give that IP directly. But if you are using dynamic IP, you have to update the IP each time you have a new IP. You can do that manually(oops!) or you can use client softwares which will automatically updates your IP address once you get a new IP(:-) cool). You can download that softwares here(for windows,for mac).

So you have set up the your networks and now you are using openDNS. Now the important step comes..Content Filtering

Content Filtering

Go to "Settings" tab of your dashboard and choose the network for which you are going filter contents. Now in "Web Content Filtering" tab, you have different levels of web filters High,Moderate,Low,None and Customize. Choose one among them according to your need and give "Apply". Done! It will take about 3 minutes to get the settings active since the new rules are to be updated in all the openDNS DNS servers around the world!.

Manage individual domains

Another cool feature is that you can manage(either always block or never block) individual domains where you can make exceptions. For example, if you choose "Customize" level and you ticked "serach engines", all the search engines will be blocked. But if you want to allow "Google", you can just add a "never block" to google.com. Give it as google.com (not www.google.com) to apply this same rule for all the subdomains of google.com .

Who all are using OpenDNS?

  • OpenDNS is the number one choice for K-12 schools. More than 40,000 public and private schools and school districts around the world use openDNS to control Web content. 
  • OpenDNS is the smartest and easiest way to protect all Internet access in your home.

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