Servers & Network

Background

While proxy servers temporarily cache your internet content for faster network access, content filters can assess web traffic entering your network, and block access to web sites according to pre-determined rules.

Content filters are often installed in conjunction with a proxy server - in small networks they are often running on the same hardware.

Which content filter?

The biggest decision to make when planning an internet content filtering system for your network is whether you want to DIY, or pay for a commercial product, or find a solution somewhere in between.

There are many comercial providers of both filtering software, and dedicated filtering appliances. Some of these are listed below.

The first choice for DIY (for ease of setup and administration) is Dandguardian, running on a Mac.

A number of commercial software filtering solutions are also built around the Dansguardian software.

Details of some of the options are listed below:

DansGuardian (Home Page)

If you would like to setup a local content filter at a school, or you have a broadband connection at home and are interested in setting up a content filter to keep the kids out of trouble, this is the product. Free for non-commercial use.

Danguardian comes from the Linux world, but an OSX Installer has been developed by Dave Lopata.

For Mac OS X:
Dave Lopata's OSX DG Installer
a complete DG/Squid install, including a GUI console for DG. No GUI config (yet) for Squid settings, so departmental schools may also need to install WebMin to manage "upstream" settings such as parent proxy, etc.

For Red Hat Linux:
Red Hat DansGuardian Installer: go to Downloads:stable:Red Hat for the RPM
DansGuardian WebMin module (Use WebMin to admin DansGuardian)

Alternatively (for OSX):
If you like to tinker with these things, you can combine Squid and DG, using a WebMin interface....
SquidMan (a neat OSX Squid installer with a GUI)
WebMin - OSX Package (Provides a web interface to administer DG)
DansGuardian WebMin module (Enables Webmin to config DG)
Wazza's SquidMan-DansGuardian-WebMin setup notes (pdf - 1.5 Mb)


See also:

Other Mac OSX Info
Mac OS X Squid-Dansguardian Installer (Installs DansGuardian and Squid, but cannot be easily re-configured for parent proxies, etc.)

Webmin installation instructions (from phpMac - incorporated into Wazza's notes above.)

ClarkConnect (Linux)

Includes firewall and security tools, file, print, web, e-mail, proxy, antivirus, antispam, content filtering, VPN servers (Free version for Home use).

CensorNet (Linux)

Content filter & firewall - an open-source project built on the Dansguardian filter.

SquidGuard (Linux)

An ultrafast filter, redirector and access controller for Squid. Filters by URL, not the content of pages (unlike DansGuardian). Free, but Unix tech experience essential!

SafeSquid (Linux)

Internet Proxy, content filtering web-gateway, Internet Access Manager, Internet Bandwidth use optimiser. Free edition available.

iSherrif

Commercial filtering tool, suitable for small and large organisations.

ClickSafe

Commercial Web & email filter appliance. Just plug it in to your network! Suitable for small and large organisations, including schools.

SafeSquid (Linux)

Internet Proxy, content filtering web-gateway, Internet Access Manager, Internet Bandwidth use optimiser.

See also:

WebSense
LightSpeed
iPrism - a content filtering "appliance".