OpenDNS as Content Filtering

Whether you have kids, you are a business owner, or you just want to avoid bad sites, Internet Safety is a concern for many. Finding parental control or other blocking software can be a difficult task.

There are many blocking programs available, but not many available for free. On my home network, I use OpenDNS which is free for everyone — even businesses. .

OpenDNS is a DNS service. Along with faster name resolution (the main feature it brags), it provides a filtering service from multiple filtering organizations. You can filter just about anything. (Read on for a complete list)

OpenDNS is also great for schools that would like to look into cheaper filtering solutions, or do not currently have one. Another great point is that OpenDNS can be very difficult to bypass as long as you are not an administrator.

“So what’s the con? How do they make their money?”
…in a way you probably won’t mind:
If you incorrectly type a domain into your address bar, and OpenDNS can not guess what you wanted, a search page will appear similar to Google. On the side of this search page, there are sponsored advertisers.

A premium service is available at a very low price if this bugs you. A low price is also available for Government and Educational services.

OpenDNS also offers basic network security at a DNS level, blocking phishing websites and preventing your computer from accessing malware and botnet servers.

Full list of blockable categories: