Internet Filtering for a community library?

[BarriedaleNick]

Hi

 

I have just started helping out in a community run library and they are really only just getting started. Everything is a bit all over the place at the moment but they have 20 PCs for community use (which are being replaced this week with the some slightly newer models - Dell 780s!). They also have wireless access and business fiber broadband from Virgin.

 

So they want a low or no cost basic internet filter. No real need for granularity of users just something basic to stop the children accessing inappropriate stuff. Ideally not a filter on individual PCs as they want to filter wireless too.

This isn't really my area so any advice would be gratefully received - these guys are working really hard to rescue a library that would have been closed down by the council.

 

Cheers

[manc_techie]

Do you need reporting? If so, PFsense might do the trick. If you simply need to block access a secure DNS service might be useful

[BarriedaleNick]

Reporting isn't much of an issue - a DNS service would be fine. I was having a look at NxFilter but I'll take a butchers at PFsense too - cheers.

I haven't had time to look closely at their setup but I guess DNS is provided by the Virgin router along with DHCP so it should be simple enough..

[blueplanetit]

If you need to filter everything centrally no matter the device the doing it on a router or firewall would be the answer, you are not dependent on any local configuration or software. You could swap out the router for a DrayTek with a web filtering subscription, this would be pretty low cost and you would be able to demonstrate that your specifically filtering on Safeguarding sensitive areas, I dont know unlike schools what the library's obligations regarding Safeguarding. There is a link to the DrayTek Webfiltering here Web Content Filtering

[BarriedaleNick]

Not sure myself on the safeguarding aspect but no doubt they will have some obligations. Thanks for the link - Ill check it out..

[mikkydoos]

+1 for PFsense on linux/BSD distro.

 

Theres a quite a few software filters out there e.g. K9

Edited December 5, 2016 by mikkydoos