Scott Nixon

If you are a concerned parent or IT Manager interested in blocking and/or monitoring what Internet sites are being visited, OpenDNS might be for you. DNS is the service that allows your web browser and computer to access websites.

OpenDNS is totally free but supported with advertising on OpenDNS’s rebranded search results.  Begin by registering for an account on OpenDNS’s website and follow the simple setup instructions to be done in a few steps. All home networks use a dynamic IP address that changes often which would require setup again, however OpenDNS has solved this problem with a small application that only needs to run on one computer (Windows or Mac). IT Managers can filter on several static IP address or a network range.

Once you have configured your computer or router it’s time to customize your account. Content filtering is the main feature of this service. OpenDNS catalogs thousands of websites into several dozen categories from Adult Themes, Drugs, P2P File Sharing, Social Networking, and Weapons. You can select from the pre-configured categories, customize, and/or manually add domains to fit your needs.

For organizations you might want to also ad a custom logo to the rebranded OpenDNS search. They also allow you to keep statistics and logs for the traffic. The advanced should probably left as default and only modified by experts. However if you use a corporate VPN from you may need to explicitly allow the domain or IP address.

Once you have configured your home router to use OpenDNS and set your preferences on OpenDNS’s website all computers in your network will now be protected. For example, if a neighbor connects to your home Internet which is configured with OpenDNS, his access will be restricted and placed under the exact same limitations as all other computers on the network.

All computers that use OpenDNS are also protected from known Phishing and Malware websites. (Please note that this protection is only limited to websites that are known to OpenDNS and does not replace the need for user vigilance and other security measures such as firewalls and anti-virus). OpenDNS also touts that their DNS service is faster than most Internet Service Providers. Therefore, OpenDNS is a useful tool for everyone regardless of whether or not you need web content filtering.
Expert Insight:
I have personal used OpenDNS as an unregistered user for that last three and a half years. I also implemented OpenDNS to filter content in a large organization after many failed attempts of trying to block sites at the firewall level. With hundreds of clever users and open proxies available, it became a huge hassle to manage and I installed OpenDNS and it worked effortlessly. OpenDNS is an excellent tool and I highly recommend using it.