Net Nanny 6.0

Unlike innovative but inscrutable USB dongle options, Net Nanny installs transparently from a good, old-fashioned CD-ROM. You’re presented with a clear and structured interface that lets you manage all manner of filtering, from the blocking of websites with inappropriate content to time controls that let you control when the PC can and cannot be used online.
Net Nanny dealt well with all our tests, blocking pornographic sites and pages containing race-hate materials and preventing us from using an instant-messaging application we’d requested to be stopped. As well as blocking sites, Net Nanny keeps tabs on what the user is up to, so that the administrator (the parent) can view a report later. Kids can request an override on a particular site if they think Net Nanny has wrongly blocked it.

Net Nanny’s main weakness is in its time controls – it’s a blanket on or off for all online activities. It would be more useful if you could set certain online applications to be unavailable during specific time periods – while your child is doing homework, for example.