website blocker?

[Alex]

preferrably something centralized that we can run on the server to stop ppl from accessing orkut and other specific sites all day long... what's the best way to go about this?

thanks!

note - FREE software is preferred!

 

[CalvinHobbes]

Firewall on the router?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Random firings to incite fear?

- M4H

 

[n0cmonkey]

Squid + dan's guardian? I think that's about all you'd need.

 

[JackMDS]

Option 1. Run a centralized controllable Firewall.

Like the combo Windows 2003 server with ISA server.

Option 2. Run a high end Hardware appliance that Routes the Internet and can be configured for selective filtering (look at the Sonicwall line of Routers).

:sun:

 

[WannaFly]

as cheesy as it sounds, a hosts file that redirects the websites would be sufficent (and free!), assuming you dont allow uses to change the hosts file (NTFS). Put a sample hosts file on a network share, and every night run a script that copies it to all the network computers that way if you update it it will automatically "push". There are many other free options, but this is pretty simple.

 

[Joemonkey]

You could do it with DNS tables

we use Websense where I work, it works pretty well. They do a crappy job of categorization though, 80% of the websites people seem to go to are labeled "Miscellaneous: Uncategorized"

 

[Alex]

Originally posted by: WannaFly
as cheesy as it sounds, a hosts file that redirects the websites would be sufficent (and free!), assuming you dont allow uses to change the hosts file (NTFS). Put a sample hosts file on a network share, and every night run a script that copies it to all the network computers that way if you update it it will automatically "push". There are many other free options, but this is pretty simple.

thanks! i'll look into that!

EDIT: worked like a charm! this will be easier and cleaner than installing a bunch of filtering software etc... the ppl here are not that computer savvy and have no clue what a hosts file is, so this will no doubt stop them from going to certain dangerous and other time-wasting sites!

 

[WannaFly]

Originally posted by: franguinho

Originally posted by: WannaFly
as cheesy as it sounds, a hosts file that redirects the websites would be sufficent (and free!), assuming you dont allow uses to change the hosts file (NTFS). Put a sample hosts file on a network share, and every night run a script that copies it to all the network computers that way if you update it it will automatically "push". There are many other free options, but this is pretty simple.

thanks! i'll look into that!

EDIT: worked like a charm! this will be easier and cleaner than installing a bunch of filtering software etc... the ppl here are not that computer savvy and have no clue what a hosts file is, so this will no doubt stop them from going to certain dangerous and other time-wasting sites!

saw your thread in OT, i should've given a disclaimer with this solution It is a pain since there are no wildcards, and people can still use IP's to get to the websites. Hope it works ok for you - dont forget to block the anonymizers!

 

[Sex Smurf]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
You could do it with DNS tables

we use Websense where I work, it works pretty well. They do a crappy job of categorization though, 80% of the websites people seem to go to are labeled "Miscellaneous: Uncategorized"

they use websense here too. any way to get around it?