DurhamNet filtering

[spiderz]

Hey, just a quick one! I've been looking for alternative filtering services and during the testing of various products i discovered that when i took my current filtering box down that DurhamNet seemed to have lifted their filtering (redscreen on blocked pages).. so for example with the box off we can now get on facebook, twitter, redtube etc.. kind of scary really considering i believe we are paying for this service. I was wondering if anybody knows if they have had a restructure and changed their filtering policies finally allowing network managers to take more control or alternatively has something broken.

 

Regards,

Ian

[webman]

As far as I know, that's working as designed. When you remove the magicbox between the outside world and your LAN, you're removing a transparent proxy service which directs traffic through DurhamNet and applies filtering.

 

In my personal opinion, due the lack of flexibility with the DurhamNet filtering solution, you'll be much better off purchasing something like Smoothwall and replacing the magicbox with it.

[AngryITGuy]

In my personal opinion, due the lack of flexibility with the DurhamNet filtering solution, you'll be much better off purchasing something like Smoothwall and replacing the magicbox with it.

 

Funnily enough I received an email from DurhamNet last week after logging a problem with them. Looks like they are working on a update to their filtering solution which should give more control to the individual school.

 

Quote from email

 

We are currently rolling out our new web filtering system for Durham schools, it provides greater flexibility for individual schools to control what is and what is not allowed.

 

I've asked for out MagicBox to be updated during the summer holidays so that the new filtering can be tested alongside our web filter before unleashing it on the students.

[webman]

Saw your tweet about that - very interesting indeed. Only taken 5 years

[AngryITGuy]

Saw your tweet about that - very interesting indeed. Only taken 5 years

 

It didn't give details on how the school would have control needless to say I will be asking that question.

 

I think they have updated the filters today too as we are having an awful time with the internet, I've only just managed to get on the Edugeek!

[Hightower]

We've had WebWasher (the new solution from DurhamNet) for a few terms now (since Sep 09 I believe). It's better because it does allow control (as we never had control before, it was a case of what's good for the goose) over which sites should be unrestricted etc etc.

 

Shame we can't upload at the minute, which is a WebWasher issue as they put us back onto the old filters and uploads worked. Seems tedious but really is affecting T&L because music students can't upload their work at the minute.

[spiderz]

thanks for the comments! it turns out i unplugged and bypassed the magic box by mistake!