Author Topic: Internet Filters (Read 640237 times)

Definitions · « **Reply #2000 on:** March 18, 2019, 04:05:50 PM »

Are there any free PC internet monitoring software options. Meaning I don't want a filter just something that will log all websites visited.

I tried k9 but I can't figure out how to just see the links visited.

shwarmabob · « **Reply #2001 on:** March 18, 2019, 04:07:30 PM »

Quote from: Definitions on March 18, 2019, 04:05:50 PM

Are there any free PC internet monitoring software options. Meaning I don't want a filter just something that will log all websites visited.

I tried k9 but I can't figure out how to just see the links visited.

an Asus router with Merlin firmware can log all visits (an more)

ckmk47 · « **Reply #2002 on:** March 18, 2019, 05:19:03 PM »

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 03, 2019, 09:19:09 AM

Are K9s categories and website lists static from as of five years ago, effectively that they're not categorizing or filtering newer websites since they stopped updating K9?

TAG no longer recommends K9 (if they ever did) because they stopped servicing it. I'm happy with them on my computer; I've had them a while. But I don't have anyone trying to hack around it. (I don't think.)

Moe Ginsburg · « **Reply #2003 on:** March 27, 2019, 10:40:27 PM »

Can anyone please describe the differences, if any, between Meshimer, Gentech and Geder?

Ephraimh · « **Reply #2004 on:** March 27, 2019, 11:27:52 PM »

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 27, 2019, 10:40:27 PM

Can anyone please describe the differences, if any, between Meshimer, Gentech and Geder?

Meshimer is the strictest (won’t allow even basic news), Geder is more lenient (allows news) Gentech is even more lenient (allows videos, YouTube etc.).

Also, Meshimer & Geder black out out skin color, Gentech does not.

Moe Ginsburg · « **Reply #2005 on:** March 27, 2019, 11:52:56 PM »

Quote from: Ephraimh on March 27, 2019, 11:27:52 PM

Meshimer is the strictest (won’t allow even basic news), Geder is more lenient (allows news) Gentech is even more lenient (allows videos, YouTube etc.).

Also, Meshimer & Geder black out out skin color, Gentech does not.

I'm using Meshimer and I have access to most general secular news sites. I have their most lenient available filtering.

Do all three of these filtering companies have certain guidelines where they'll refuse to open certain sites even if the customer requests it?

Do all three use Livigent? Which other filtering companies (besides those three) use Livigent? Are there differences between PC based Livigent filterting and cellphone based Livigent filtering?

Ephraimh · « **Reply #2006 on:** March 27, 2019, 11:59:27 PM »

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 27, 2019, 11:52:56 PM

I'm using Meshimer and I have access to most general secular news sites. I have their most lenient available filtering.

Interesting. They didn’t offer me that option, even when I requested it.

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 27, 2019, 11:52:56 PM

Do all three of these filtering companies have certain guidelines where they'll refuse to open certain sites even if the customer requests it?

Yes, or else what’s the purpose of the filter.

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 27, 2019, 11:52:56 PM

Do all three use Livigent?

Yes

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 27, 2019, 11:52:56 PM

Which other filtering companies (besides those three) use Livigent?

Tag, although they go through Gentech a lot.

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 27, 2019, 11:52:56 PM

Are there differences between PC based Livigent filterting and cellphone based Livigent filtering?

Of course lots of it, in what aspect?

Moe Ginsburg · « **Reply #2007 on:** March 28, 2019, 12:12:27 AM »

Quote from: Ephraimh on March 27, 2019, 11:59:27 PM

Tag, although they go through Gentech a lot.

TAG offers their own Livigent based filtering aside from Gentech?

Quote

Of course lots of it, in what aspect?

Are both the PC based and smartphone based Livigent equally robust to withstand bypassing the filter? How else is the PC version different functionality-wise than the smartphone version?

BTW, do Livigent based filters route all internet traffic via a VPN?

pcgeek · « **Reply #2008 on:** March 28, 2019, 10:36:19 AM »

Quote from: Ephraimh on March 27, 2019, 11:27:52 PM

Meshimer is the strictest (won’t allow even basic news), Geder is more lenient (allows news) Gentech is even more lenient (allows videos, YouTube etc.).

Also, Meshimer & Geder black out out skin color, Gentech does not.

I used gentek up until around the year ago and they DID black out skin color

Moe Ginsburg · « **Reply #2009 on:** March 28, 2019, 11:05:19 AM »

Are Livigent based filters considered to be the gold standard (in terms of non-bypassability and/or in terms of identifying inappropriate content) among internet filters for the frum community?

Ephraimh · « **Reply #2010 on:** March 28, 2019, 02:02:40 PM »

Quote from: pcgeek on March 28, 2019, 10:36:19 AM

I used gentek up until around the year ago and they DID black out skin color

Its done by toggling a yes/no option, guess it varies by location.

Ephraimh · « **Reply #2011 on:** March 28, 2019, 02:02:48 PM »

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 28, 2019, 11:05:19 AM

Are Livigent based filters considered to be the gold standard (in terms of non-bypassability and/or in terms of identifying inappropriate content) among internet filters for the frum community?

Yes

mbasar · « **Reply #2012 on:** March 28, 2019, 05:23:36 PM »

Gentech is considered the Gold standard for windows MACOS, Android and IOS.
Techloq is a UK company that provides filtering for windows and routers.

Avid Reader · « **Reply #2013 on:** March 29, 2019, 12:17:27 AM »

NativUSA is very good, perhaps better than Gentech, but only available for computers, not mobile devices.

Yisroel Tech · « **Reply #2014 on:** March 29, 2019, 08:46:49 AM »

Quote from: Ephraimh on March 27, 2019, 11:59:27 PM

Interesting. They didn’t offer me that option, even when I requested it.

I think it depends if a personal device or a business device. But not sure how to decide what is what.

Moe Ginsburg · « **Reply #2015 on:** March 29, 2019, 09:10:06 AM »

Meshimer uses a VPN, demonstrated by that their IP address shows up to anywhere the user visits. Do all the Livigent based filters use a VPN? Does routing all your internet traffic via their VPN slow down your effective internet speed? Does their using a VPN impede your ability to use other applications or business connections that require their own VPN?

Does Livigent offer filtering services directly without going through third-parties such as Meshimer, Geder and Gentech?

How is Livigent a better filter than everyone else? Are there no common methods to bypass it, that some other filters (i.e. K9 and OpenDNS) suffer from? Are Livigent website categorizations more accurate than other providers?

Yisroel Tech · « **Reply #2016 on:** March 29, 2019, 09:16:18 AM »

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 29, 2019, 09:10:06 AM

Meshimer uses a VPN, demonstrated by that their IP address shows up to anywhere the user visits. Do all the Livigent based filters use a VPN? Does routing all your internet traffic via their VPN slow down your effective internet speed?

Does Livigent offer filtering services directly without going through third-parties such as Meshimer, Geder and Gentech?

How is Livigent a better filter than everyone else? Are there no common methods to bypass it, that some other filters (i.e. K9 and OpenDNS) suffer from?

Livigent offers filtering service directly (http://www.livigent.com/buy/p-2/) but not for end-users, if you have a big business and want to manage the whole filter on your own they would offer it.

Livigent is better first because it is the most established one and proven to work. There is no extremely simple way to bypass it (although it is of course technically possible), it is very deep in the system (and also it has a much smaller user-base than K9 and OpenDNS, so there is not that much sharing of bypasses even if someone does find one.)

Moe Ginsburg · « **Reply #2017 on:** March 29, 2019, 09:45:32 AM »

Quote from: Yisroel Tech on March 29, 2019, 09:16:18 AM

Livigent is better first because it is the most established one and proven to work. There is no extremely simple way to bypass it (although it is of course technically possible), it is very deep in the system (and also it has a much smaller user-base than K9 and OpenDNS, so there is not that much sharing of bypasses even if someone does find one.)

Your point about it being "deeper in the system", and as such more difficult to circumvent, applies to Livigent's smartphone filter or to their PC filter?

Ephraimh · « **Reply #2018 on:** March 29, 2019, 11:26:02 AM »

Quote from: Moe Ginsburg on March 29, 2019, 09:45:32 AM

Your point about it being "deeper in the system", and as such more difficult to circumvent, applies to Livigent's smartphone filter or to their PC filter?

Both.

stooges44 · « **Reply #2019 on:** March 29, 2019, 11:29:47 AM »

Quote from: Yisroel Tech on March 29, 2019, 09:16:18 AM

Livigent offers filtering service directly (http://www.livigent.com/buy/p-2/) but not for end-users, if you have a big business and want to manage the whole filter on your own they would offer it.

Livigent is better first because it is the most established one and proven to work. There is no extremely simple way to bypass it (although it is of course technically possible), it is very deep in the system (and also it has a much smaller user-base than K9 and OpenDNS, so there is not that much sharing of bypasses even if someone does find one.)

Also because they were filtering when gentech and meshimer were still in diapers

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Author Topic: Internet Filters (Read 640237 times)