Free software to control internet access

The cost of remediating an attack can force small businesses to permanently close and can seriously damage the credibility of larger organizations. Malware can prevent schools from functioning and harm can be caused to individuals whose data is stolen in these attacks.

Compared to the consequences of a malware or ransomware infection, the cost of implementing solutions for controlling Internet access is minimal. Cloud-based solutions in particular are inexpensive, easy to implement and require next to no maintenance. No software installations are required, the solutions typically self-configure, and Internet access control is managed from a web-based portal with a few clicks of a mouse. This is a quick and easy change that requires no technical skill.

Once connected to the Internet access control service, administrators can log into the web-based portal and set filtering parameters as best suits the requirements of the business, school, or organization.

These Internet access control solutions act as the first line of defense against malware and ransomware. This is provided through blacklists of websites known to harbor malware and ransomware, blacklists of IP addresses from which spam email is known to have originated, malicious URL detection software, phishing protection software, and antivirus software.

This first line of defense checks every request to visit a website against the blacklists and security software is used to ensure webpages are safe to visit. Both the blacklists and the software are updated in real-time by the service provider, reducing the maintenance overhead of the Internet access control solution and ensuring both users and networks are protected from the very latest web-based threats.

Cloud-based Internet access control solutions for restricting Internet access in the workplace have multiple options to meet the requirements of every type of business, school, or organization. It is unlikely that any system administrator will need to use all the options. The easiest way to control internet access is by using category filters. SpamTitan Cloud has 53 different categories abortion, adult entertainment, alternative beliefs, alcohol, etc.

System administrators can control Internet access to any of these categories with the click of a mouse. Click to block the category and any attempt to visit a website that is not permitted will see the user directed to a local block page that explains why the content cannot be viewed. It is possible to fine-tune the category selections with keyword filters — these present the opportunity to control access to websites with specific words in their content or in downloadable files.

It is also possible to control Internet access by individual user, user group, and the time of day, or — if one network user requires access to a specific blocked website — adding the website or a webpage to a whitelist will allow it to be viewed, while other resources covered by the category are still blocked. You can get a day free trial of the Pingdom system. Pingdom Website Performance Monitoring is our first choice!

It uses a mix of synthetic and real-user monitoring to give you detailed insights on how your site is being used. We were impressed by the granularity of the application performance insights whcih is great for getting ot the bottem of bottlenecks and issues. This module specializes in examining the network traffic on local or remote networks. It is also able to measure the performance of links between networks and also connections through to cloud resources, thus, it can measure internet connection performance.

The service requires an agent program to be installed on the monitored network. Thus, in order to see live information about traffic flows across the internet, the systems administrator would need to install the agent on at least two sites. Another method of measuring internet connections with the Network Performance Monitoring unit would be to place an agent on a cloud server and then an in-house host.

The agent will scan all traffic to identify all of the devices connected to the network and this activity enables the monitor to maintain a live topology map of the network and a device inventory. If agents are placed on several sites, the internet links between them will also be integrated into the network topology maps.

All of the data processing of this monitor takes place on the Datadog server — the agent is a data collector that feeds into those processes. The console is resident on the cloud server and customers gain access to it through any standard browser. The network performance screens show live traffic flow data and Datadog also stores statistics so that performance over timer can be analyzed. The analysis features of the Network Performance Monitor enable network managers to plan capacity for expected demand both on private networks and in terms of an internet service agreement.

Datadog charges for the Network Performance monitoring tool by subscription. The company offers a rate per month and a cheaper rate per year.

In both cases, the subscriber pays per host. The utility includes many different sensors. Each sensor is actually a separate monitoring program. These tests give you a live view of internet access speeds for your site.

So, you can see how long it takes members of the public to get to your site anytime during the day. The internet monitoring tool has the Ping function at its heart. So, if your internet service suddenly stops working, you will know right away and be able to take action.

As well as seeing a line graph of access times from three different locations, you will be able to set the system to notify you when the internet service performance drops. These notifications can be delivered by email , SMS , or pager alert. The PRTG internet monitor checks on more than just site availability. You can also use the tool to ensure that all elements of the site are loading properly.

You can also use the tool to check on the real user experience, performing a run-through of the full buyer path from an initial visit to a purchase. This enables you to check that database access is efficient and that your shopping cart software is working properly. The monitoring capabilities of PRTG are not restricted to your own website. You can also check other sites on the internet. Thus, you will be able to compare the response times of your site compared to rival sites.

The PRTG package includes a lot of monitoring utilities. Problems with your website response times might not be caused by your internet service. Server and application performance, and also internal network response times can impact on-site delivery times. With the full PRTG system, you can check for the cause of any internet response time problems and drill through your system to find the exact cause of the fault. Overall PRTG is great for monitoring internet availability and performance because it blends monitors for networks, servers, and applications.

Websites involve every level of the stack and so problems with internet performance can have any of a long list of causes. Paessler PRTG includes features such as stack visualizations that make it clear where the source of a performance problem lies. PRTG is customizable and the customer only pays for those monitors that are activated.

You can get a day free trial with all sensors available. Paessler charges for PRTG in service level bundles. Each charging band is calculated on the number of sensors that you activate.

See also: Best Uptime Monitoring Tools. The hardware device is a box that attaches to your router and becomes part of your home or office network. The firmware of the box is monitored by Outages. The tool is able to monitor remote sites as well as the internet connection on your home site and you can also access a control panel in the Cloud. The aim of this tool is to identify poor performance and outages on your internet connection. It is also able to tell if services on your web server are running slowly or have faults.

The monitoring service extends to remote sites and Cloud services as well as onsite servers. The dashboard presents a bar graph of performance samples. Each sample can be queried for details by hovering the mouse pointer over it. The report identifies where the problem lies — local, internet service, or remote service.

You can even see which hop on a connection is causing problems. You can set the dashboard to send you notifications by email when performance problems occur. You can download the software version of Outages. This gives you the full-feature tool for 14 days. After that period, you can continue to use the standard version of the internet monitor, or choose to upgrade to the paid version for extra features.

You can also access a demo version via the website. Added bonuses are a free DNS service and a security scan. The hardware option comes with a built-in DNS server and a webcam connection.

It has one package for all with very high capabilities. The service will monitor your websites at one-minute intervals and you can cover up to sites with one subscription. As well as ensuring that the connection security is operating properly, NodePing will probe your web server and its services so it can give you precise reasons for poor performance once connection errors are detected. Tests extend to your email service and DNS system.

International SMS messages are not charged for as an extra but are included in the subscription fee. The fee also includes access to diagnostic tools and there is a plan for web hosting companies that lets them provide access to NodePing utilities to their customers. If you already have an AfterDawn. I have not installed it yet, but all reports indicate it is what Im looking for.

Recent headlines Tech year wrapped up: Awful battery life, QR code comeback, global chip shortage,.. Internet Access Controller v3. Free Download. Description Info All versions Reviews. Internet Access Controller can control and restrict Internet and network access to specific software.

Single Master Password controls internet settings. Password protect your internet connection. Enable and disable Internet. Filter internet content by website, ip address, port and program. Automatic settings to restrict Internet access Allow only specific websites or all websites Block web sites Limit internet access by schedule.