Truth is we live in a time where it’s very easy to come by inappropriate content online. Parents are well acquainted with this. Inappropriate can be anything from pornography, gambling, social networks, peer-to-peer sharing sites, dating site, etc. I’ve found a pretty good solution in a service named OpenDNS. Simply put OpenDNS is a filter through which your home views the internet.
The great thing is you get to determine what gets filtered and what makes it through. Here is a small list of filterable options.
- Gambling
- Drugs
- Alcohol
- Sexuality
- Lingerie/Bikini
- Hate/Discrimination
- Adult Themes
This list isn’t even a 10th of your filtering options. Whatever isn’t filtered out by the options you choose can be customized by blocking specific websites. If your wondering “does this slow down my internet connection?” As far as I can tell it does not. However, his may differ from router and internet service provider.
The great thing about OpenDNS is that it’s setup at the router level. Without a lot of technical know how is very difficult to bypass from any one computer. As long as you keep your password hidden your home internet will be safe.
[section_title color=”gray”]THE SETUP[/section_title] I could do my best to walk you through the process step by step but luckily for you OpenDNS has already done it and probably much better than I ever could. Click the image below to view their walkthrough where they talk you from sign up to service. In the video below they breeze by logging into your router. Here’s how you do that.1) Assuming you’re connected to your network you will need to find the routers IP Address.
- On a MAC: System Preferences > Network > Advanced Settings > TCP/IP tab and find the router IP ex: 10.0.0.1
- On Windows: Start Menu > Run > type “ipconfig” and find the router IP ex: 10.0.0.1
2) Go to your web browser and type in that IP address. This will bring you to your routers admin panel.
3) If you’re prompted for a username and password and you don’t have a manual, try this site http://www.routerpasswords.com/ and search out your routers default username and password.
4) Once you’ve logged in start watching this video.
1) Unplug all devices from your AT&T Router
2) Take one Ethernet Cable and run it from your 2Wire Router to your other router, mine is a Netgear. Doing this will transfer your internet connection from your AT&T router to your other router.
3) For the best possible security it’s best to turn off the WiFi on the 2Wire router so no one can sneak by the OpenDNS filter by connecting to your “old” router. To do that:
- Open your Internet browser and type “http://192.168.1.254” to access the U-Verse settings menu.
- Enter your user name and password and hit the “Enter” key on your keyboard.
- Click the “Home Network” tab along the top of the screen.
- Click “Disable” next to “Wireless” in the “Status at a Glance” section, and click the “Confirm” button in the confirmation window to disable wireless.
4) After you’ve plugged in your “new” router your computer should show a new wireless network available. Connect to that network.
5) Once connected you will need to find the routers IP Address.
- MAC: System Preferences > Network > Advanced Settings > TCP/IP tab and find the router IP ex: 10.0.0.1
- Windows: Start Menu > Run > type “ipconfig” and find the router IP ex: 10.0.0.1
6) Go to your web browser and type in that IP address. This will bring you to your routers admin panel.
7) If you’re prompted for a username and password and you don’t have a manual, try this site http://www.routerpasswords.com/ and search out your routers default username and password.
8) At this point you can follow the instructions here. http://www.opendns.com/support/videos/basic/ This should get you setup through OpenDNS
Open DNS is a great free way to protect your family online. We have it setup in our home, I hope it gives you peace of mind like it gives us.
Bryce
