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Non-Jewish Internet Filters and Other
Find the one that works for you - and feel free once again!

Note that, due to IRS regulations, we cannot provide direct links to for-profit companies.

Surfing without a filter is like this person...


1) K9 WebProtection (www.k9webprotection.com) is the free version of an advanced corporate solution, and has more powerful options than any of the other free ones we have tried. (Click here to see what someone posted on our forum about K9, and the best way to use it).


2) www.browserstopper.com

Someone writes in the comments to this YeshivaNews article:


I have the browserstopper filter at home, it's very good and is built in to the wireless router so it blocks content on all connected computers in the house. It's totally customizable and very thorough. Nothing is fool proof but this is a very big help,  - just make sure the password is held by the right person in the house.
...

 


 

3) Hedgebuilders (www.hedgebuilders.com) - A server side filter. Only $6 a month and offers accountability reports if requested, for free. It works anywhere (as opposed to the Frum server-side filters, which work only in certain areas).

 

Someone wrote us that he was very happy to find this filter and added: "The main thing is that I cannot uninstall it in the ways I have done previously with other filters. It may be harder to uninstall than the frum ones even, and cheaper. lt works with any ISP, and broadband. It also seems to work in Windows 'safe mode', even "administrator" account".

 


4) Keylogger Software (recommended by www.no-porn.com)

What you don't know can destroy your family.

The first step in helping a loved one combat their addiction to pornography is to help him or her acknowledge the severity of the problem.

Because pornography addiction thrives on secrecy, an addict will go to great lengths to conceal his or her addiction. Even if you are aware of some pornography use, you are certainly not aware of the full extent of their use if your loved one is a true addict.

There are several software programs that will monitor and record some computer activity, but only a few that will record all activity, including chat sessions, screen images, web sites, etc.

 

No-porn.com recommends "PC Tattletale" for its effectiveness and affordability.


 

5) Filtering Software (www.bsafehome.com)

Bsafe Online, Inc., a premier provider of Internet filtering and total Internet security, is now even better at protecting your family online. In less than 12 minutes parents can download Version 5.0 with PredAlert which not only filters out pornography, it monitors instant messaging and chat rooms as well. Bsafe is equipped with an auto shut down setting that will turn off the PC after a set number of attempts to circumvent the filter and is completely tamper-proof.

Try BSafe Online now!

 


 

6) SafeFromSites (www.safefromsites.com).


A low cost Internet filter , that works on all devices. Blocks only three categories pornography, spyware, and virus sites. It can't be circumvented because it is controlled by DNS at the ISP level. One can't delete the program.

 


 

7) OpenDNS (www.OPENDNS.com) - Free!


A great way to filter the web is to use OPENDNS to provide DNS services (it is based on St. Bernard iGuard filtering). They have settings to filter many different types of websites and anybody can set it up VERY easily. The way it works is you change the DNS servers on the router or on an individual computer to their servers:
208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. (They happen to be much faster than the usual servers provided by the ISP anyway). Then you create an account on their website and you can put in your current IP address and set up the filtering. They have many different options available. Any attempt to access a blocked website (even ads on news sites for example) will show up with some type of message that the site was blocked. This can be done by office staff on the entire network -- preventing ANYONE in the office from accessing anything inappropriate. I think they might even have a program to update their servers with the client's dynamic IP address (if it changes often). Also, you give the account over to someone else to take care of. And it is usable globally -- since it is a DNS based filter. And best of all, it's free!

 


 

8) Yoggie (www.yoggie.com) - Marketed primarily as a security device. (A frum IT professional that I know recommended it as a filter).

 


 

9) Safe Eyes (www.safeeyes.com/Porn_Filter.asp) - Fast, effective, and affordable Porn Filter. Free 15 Day Trial. Safe Eyes includes Content Control, Program Control, Time Control, Popup Blocking and Usage ...

 


10) NetDog Porn Filter (www.netdogsoft.com): Netdog blocks all porn quietly and automatically in the background when anyone's on the computer.


Mac Users
Posted on the forum at www.jewishsexuality.com

For Mac users, I would recommend modifying the hosts file (found in /etc/hosts). The process is somewhat technical, but it means that any websites added will be categorically blocked, and in order to access them you would have to: attain administrator status, re-edit the file, and reboot the computer.

This website explains two ways how to do this. If you follow the first (harder) way, the changes cannot be reversed using the second way.

The file establishes a clear boundary, and also takes a long time to modify (at least 5 minutes), so I find that it kills the immediacy of the urge.

This process is built in to the operating system, and thus makes it a natural way to block things.

For a great list of Internet Filter Resources compiled by www.hareidi.org - click here