best software for home network monitoring & access control

[davsarg]

Hi, I have a small home network of 1 desktop PC and 2 laptop PCs. The laptops belong to my children and so, in order to control my children's usage and keep them from harm I am looking for advice on suitable software, ideally to be administered from the main desktop PC (or possibly hardware) that will allow me to do the following:

1. allow or block internet access per laptop for specified time periods.

2. Block specific websites (i.e. whitelist/blacklist) per laptop rather than a blanket ban for all machines.

3. Monitor internet usage per laptop.

I may consider a hardware solution but it would need to act solely as above as I already have a cable router (which doesn't provide the functionality I need - hence the question)

Anyway hopefully somebody will have some suggestions for me. Thanks very much in advance for your help

 

[SecurityTheatre]

You could try Bluecoat's K9 software. It's not perfect, but it works, and it's free.

 

[taq8ojh]

I was wondering if there was free/cheaper alternative to Logmein Pro. I don't need extensive features, just something like being able to check Eventlog, Device manager, get hardware info etc., without logging to the desktop.

Logmein seems to have such functionality, but at outrageously ridiculous price that's not even one time payment, but subscribtion-based on top of that.

 

[xSauronx]

I was wondering if there was free/cheaper alternative to Logmein Pro. I don't need extensive features, just something like being able to check Eventlog, Device manager, get hardware info etc., without logging to the desktop.

Logmein seems to have such functionality, but at outrageously ridiculous price that's not even one time payment, but subscribtion-based on top of that.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc766438.aspx

you can do that over your LAN from your local manage your computer snap in.

you will be prompted for credentials if you are not on a domain.

 

[taq8ojh]

I should have mentioned I meant computers somewhere over the internet. Not local network of any kind. Hence the Logmein reference.

 

[sonitravel09]

Actually you can try out WorkExaminer. It is mostly orientated from small and corporate business but the rate for 2 laptops is not overestimated.