$39.99 (subscription)
Trials & Specials
Pros: Synchronize settings between computers, manage settings from any Internet connection (remote management), windows user integration for automatic login, time restrictions, spectacular reporting, simple to use, but can provide very granular customization. Installation was easy, settings can be imported and synchronize across all computers, and no configuration required.
Cons: Poor Internet Game management. Privacy protection services are only available in the Net Nanny 5.5 suite. Download is fairly large (recommend purchasing backup CD if you are a dial-up customer). May require you to disable your firewall. Requires computer restart before settings can take effect.
Summary
With a robust feature set including: remote administration, email notifications, image-safe-search, chat monitoring/blocking, Internet game blocking, time-restrictions and plenty more, Net Nanny 5.5 receives our #1 rating.
Net Nanny 5.5's Internet filter offers simplicity of local or online management, giving us the ability to use it out of the box or quickly create multiple users for each family member. We did notice that the online-games listed were not among the most popular in the U.S. and needs a lot of work. Their enhanced reporting (remotely or locally) allowed us to drill-down to see all web and chat activity with a beautiful interface.
Net Nanny 5.5 uses dynamic filtering in conjunction to list-based technologies, making it far more accurate than any other solution. Net Nanny 5.5 blocked 90% of the objectionable web sites tested and Over-blocked on only 15% of the “safe” web sites tested.
Installation/Setup
Net Nanny 5.5 was very easy to download and install. With a footprint of 15MB it took a few minutes to download on a Broadband connection (May take 10-20 minutes on dial-up). If you have never installed Net Nanny 5.5 you are asked to create an email address, an administrator's password, and a password hint. If you have installed Net Nanny 5.5 on another computer it will import your settings automatically.
Before Installation can complete you are prompted to restart your computer. Upon rebooting your computer Net Nanny 5.5 requires no configuration and is reconfigured to begin filtering automatically in default mode. Also, if you purchase Net Nanny 5.5 Suite you can scan your computer for objectionable material including: images, videos, web sites visited, text files, etc. Or you can purchase ContentCleanup separately if you just want to scan your computer for objectionable material.Management
Net Nanny 5.5 can be managed locally (from your computer) or remotely (from anywhere with an Internet connection). You can manage your settings by clicking the Net Nanny 5.5 icon on your desktop, from your start menu or by clicking on the Net Nanny 5.5 icon in the task bar (beside the clock in the bottom right corner). To manage your settings remotely you can do so by visiting http://manage.netnanny.com
Net Nanny 5.5 gives administrators the ability to create/customize multiple user profiles or if you choose to use default mode you can use the same settings for everyone that uses the computer (One size fits all). Net Nanny 5.5 also gives administrators the ability to: Edit User profiles, Adjust filter settings, manage time controls, disable Internet games, create email notifications, view reports, and much more.Accuracy
Administrators are given the choice to filter on 29 different categories. Each category can be set to Block, Warn, or Allow for each user. Net Nanny 5.5 comes with 7 preconfigured blocked categories including: Pornography, Gambling, Intimate Apparel, Adult/Mature, Drugs/Alcohol, Illegal Activities, and Hate/Violence.
1 comment:
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