Quote:
Originally Posted by cookie1
Glad I checked this thread, Ive been agonizing about how to control the kids internet use as its becoming a problem..
will definitely look at this open source firmware!
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If you want more feature-rich options (that are
free for home use - just supply your own old/second-hand hardware) then you should look up:
1.
Sophos UTM (used to be called Astaro) - Linux-based, very professional, with everything but the kitchen sink in features - commercial product but
free for home use
2.
pfSense - FreeBSD-based "industrial strength" firewall with specific add-ons for filtering, anti-virus, intrusion prevention, etc. - lighter on resources but not quite as feature-rich as Sophos and requires a bit more knowledge to configure
3.
IPCop - Linux-based firewall, with add-ons, not as feature-rich as Sophos - uses same free web filter as pfSense
There's also:
4.
Untangle (also Linux-based, very professional with comprehensive features) but you only get the
Lite version for free, with additional components requiring a subscription. Mind you, the Lite version might have all you need.
For something really simple, you could try:
5.
OpenDNS - it provides customisable filtering. You can open a paid subscription to get (IIRC) fewer limitations and extra features or just use the free service. There's no software/hardware required - just set your DNS to point at OpenDNS's servers (assuming your ISP permits third-party DNS).
I've used all of the above at one time or another. Presently, I use Sophos UTM (on a cheap, second-hand Pentium P4 box) and pfSense (on an
ALIX2 box). I don't use a "retail grade" router, just a dumb modem in front of my custom router/firewall.