I've had several clients in the past ask about how to protect their children from inappropriate content while online. A few have also asked how to use technology to help them break some bad browsing habits as well. Historically, I've had a fairly straight up answer that may cross the line with some, although it is most definitely true. One thing any parent has to consider is that if your child is actively looking for inappropriate content, the solution is ultimately going to be directly addressing the issue. You can place all kinds of locks, blocks, and restrictions on your internet connection at home, but if the true source of the problem is not addressed, the child (or adult) will simply go somewhere else to get it. With free wifi available in most restaurants and many other public places, plus the fact that so many kids have smartphones, iPods, or portable gaming systems with wifi, all they have to do to evade your best efforts to keep them "safe" is use someone else's network.

That said, I do want to let you know about an excellent and FREE option that can be a part of the solutions. I have used OpenDNS in the past to setup custom filtering in homes and businesses. The process is fairly straight forward, although it can be a bit daunting if you don't know a little about networking. It's safe to assume that most don't really know what DNS is anyway. Here's a quick primer... Every website is hosted on a remote computer, and every computer that is online has an IP Address. The IP address is a series of numbers that uniquely identifies the particular server that is hosting the desired webpage. The DNS server's job is to quickly lookup www.google.com and direct your web browser to the appropriate IP address, which if you're curious, is http://74.125.67.104/. Don't believe me? Click it.... Anyway, by using OpenDNS' DNS servers instead of the ones your internet service provider sets up for you, you're able to setup custom filtering, reporting, etc, to help protect young eyes from internet pornography. They also offer more categories of blocking such as weapons, proxies, tasteless humor, and so on.

OpenDNS requires setting up an account and managing your home network from a fairly user friendly webpage. Once your account is set, simply add the right DNS numbers in your router, and every device on your home network, wired or wireless, is instantly filtered without installing any software on any computer. Pretty awesome, but OpenDNS has recently made it even simpler for families who just want to block porn and that type of content.

Choose FamilyShield if you're looking for a quick, no-fuss way to protect your children from adult content online for free. As long as you can access your router's administrative page, anyone can set this up. We can even talk you through it by phone and be done in jsut a couple of minutes... Its that simple, and very easy to follow directions are given at the site.

So, if you're looking for a quick, easy, and FREE proven method to help deter bad browsing, FamilyShield is your friend. only keep in mind my opening comments that technology in this case is not the complete solution, but is only intended to help reinforce what the parent is already doing.

God bless,

-myk