Web Content Filtering with OpenDNS (Linux Journal)

[Posted March 3, 2009 by ris]

Linux Journal takes a look at OpenDNS for content filtering. "OpenDNS is a free service that enables you to block content you deem inappropriate at the DNS level. There's no need for any proxy configuration on either the client or the server. All you have to do is arrange for your servers and clients to use the OpenDNS DNS servers instead of the DNS servers provided by your Internet provider. Once that is done, if users try to access a Web site that provides inappropriate content, they are redirected to an OpenDNS Web site that tells them the site has been blocked and why."

Web Content Filtering with OpenDNS (Linux Journal)

Posted Mar 3, 2009 21:42 UTC (Tue) by fum (guest, #53675) [Link] (5 responses)

Wouldn't any persistent kid figure out the ip address to avoid being blocked?

Might still be useful

Posted Mar 3, 2009 22:09 UTC (Tue) by dwheeler (guest, #1216) [Link] (1 responses)

Just having an IP address isn't enough on many websites; a lot of sites have shared IPs. And in any case, the goal is probably mild and easy deterrence for the non-technical person, not perfect protection. Many kids would just move on.

Might still be useful

Posted Mar 3, 2009 22:33 UTC (Tue) by Cyberax (✭ supporter ✭, #52523) [Link]

So you need to add this IP to /etc/hosts or %system32%\drivers\etc\hosts.

Much difference, yeah.

Web Content Filtering with OpenDNS (Linux Journal)

Posted Mar 3, 2009 22:49 UTC (Tue) by job (guest, #670) [Link]

I think the main idea is to protect the user from sites they don't want to access, such as spam and malware, not to block users against their wishes.

Web Content Filtering with OpenDNS (Linux Journal)

Posted Mar 4, 2009 11:12 UTC (Wed) by whitemice (guest, #3748) [Link]

No. Maybe on a silly home network (about which noone cares), but not on a corporate network. On a Corporate network you are required to use the provided internal DNS servers. At the network edge/gateway DNS traffic from any other hosts is filtered out - so if you don't use the provided DNS servers you get no DNS service. The only way to get around them is to tunnel out with a VPN provided that will not be filtered.

Web Content Filtering with OpenDNS (Linux Journal)

Posted Mar 4, 2009 15:15 UTC (Wed) by dmaxwell (guest, #14010) [Link]

Which is why one cannot browse to IPs on our network unless they have been whitelisted.