Safe Eyes Review

Price
$49.95 (subscription)

Trials & Specials

Free 15-day Trial

Pros: SafeEyes was easy to install and the download was very “lightweight”. Did not require setup/customization, just install and go. Remote administration (manage SafeEyes from any internet connection), customizable profiles, works on the Mac (Macintosh), easy and intuitive, and has all the right features.

Cons: Disabling your firewall can be difficult for inexperienced users. Occasional browser freezing and/or slowness. Closing and reopening the browser seemed to fix it. No Windows user integration, all users must have unique usernames, Reporting/monitoring tools are sub par.

Summary
SafeEyes’s Internet filter was one of the easiest and most user-friendly products we reviewed. With the cross platform capabilities (works on PC and Mac), remote management, time management, and many more, SafeEyes deserves our third place award.

SafeEyes did have a few “hiccups” including compatibility issues, slowness and the occasional browser lockups. It blocked 70% of the objectionable websites tested and Over-blocked on 20% of the “safe” websites tested.

The reporting/monitoring tools are simple but not very robust and need a lot of work. Although it is missing a few critical features it is highly recommended and very intuitive.

Installation/Setup
SafeEyes was very easy to download and install. With a footprint of 2.71MB it took less than a minute to download with a Broadband connection (May take 2-3 minutes on dial-up). Before installation it is recommended that you disable your firewall to avoid compatibility issues.


You are then prompted to enter your username and registration number, or if you need to create one you can easily do so here. Once entered installation will smoothly complete and prompt you to restart your computer.


Management
Upon restarting your computer SafeEyes will prompt you to sign in for Internet access. After signing in you should be filtered with the SafeEyes default settings. You can customize your settings by clicking the SafeEyes icon on your desktop, in the system tray (beside the clock) or in your Start menu.


If you right click on the system tray icon you can: Open Admin tools, Log off, Switch Users, View reports, Access Help, etc… SafeEyes also comes installed with an Internet Explorer toolbar. This unique feature permits you to allow websites, block websites, log-off, do a “Safe Search” and easily access the administrative tools.


Accuracy
Administrators are given the choice to filter on 35 different categories. Each category can be selected to be banned, logged, and/or activate an alert. SafeEyes is set to log all categories by default and to ban: Nudity, Pornography, sex, and tasteless/gross websites.

We tested 2 lists of websites including: adult image searches, MySpace.com accounts, Hate oriented websites, websites that promote hacking, drug use, gambling, adult humor, etc…