If you’re like me, you probably have a ton of devices that need to be connected to the internet. And if you’re also like me, you probably don’t want to spend your whole day wiring them all together. That’s where network switches come in! We wanted to explain in a simplified way what network switches are, how they work, and whether or not you really need one.
There is not a single piece of equipment that can function without a network in today’s world. You want to be aware of political events, celebrity news, business news, financial news, and economic trends to pool your investment and connect with your team members to brainstorm business ideas; all of this would need the assistance of a robust network.
To use a network, you’ll need a network switch and an understanding of how it works and why you need it. Why bear the weight alone when you can enlist the assistance of someone with knowledge in switching and innovation? Read on to learn what a network switch is and why you should have it.
What Is a Network Switch?
How are people using the internet these days? Most people use the internet through their Wi-Fi router. We rarely see wired connections in homes, but this does not imply that the wired system has been replaced or is no longer in use. Most households do not require a network switch, but it is handy if your router does not have enough Ethernet connections. Most home routers provide three or four Ethernet ports. You need a network switch to connect more devices.
A network switch is a device that connects to your home router to provide additional Ethernet connections. Consider it similar to a USB hub, but for networking. There are certain areas with many connected devices in one place, such as a real estate office’s sales or marketing department, where you can use wires to increase your speeds or reduce wireless disturbance.
Pros of Using Network Switches
Before you decide on whether you need a network switch or not, let’s first check out what value can use a network switch add to your business:
Enables More Device Connections to the Local Network
You obtain extra LAN ports when connecting a network switch to your local network. Each LAN port can accommodate an additional device, increasing the number of devices connected to a single network.
Has a Faster Speed Than a Wireless Network
This is my #1 reason to use a wired connection over WiFi. A network switch may provide speeds of up to 10 Gbps or more. In comparison, the highest potential Wi-Fi speed is roughly 9.6 Gbps, and in fact, you’ll seldom receive speeds beyond 1 Gbps. This means that wired network connections are often significantly quicker than wireless ones.
When you transfer network data via a wireless network, it gets distributed to all linked devices, which causes traffic congestion. Switches are way more intelligent than Wi-Fi in this case. They maintain track of all connected devices’ unique MAC addresses, so it routes most network communication to the intended receiver rather than being exposed to everyone.
Ensures a Steady Internet Connection
Because Wi-Fi transmissions are susceptible to interference, they are not 100% reliable. Signals don’t always navigate their way through barriers and obstacles. Most people use their Wi-Fi connections close to their router; this produces a lot of interference from other networks and other devices. While using a network switch to connect PCs eliminates these concerns, your network speeds will stay consistent.
Network Switches Safeguard Against Cyber Threats
Since their beginning, wireless networks have been hampered by security challenges. The wireless transfer of data opens up additional cyber-attack avenues. Your Wi-Fi network password can be stolen, providing hostile individuals access to sensitive information in the region. Furthermore, you might have someone in your family share passwords with neighbors and friends.
You may use a network switch to link all your computers to eliminate attack risk. An attacker would have to obtain physical access to your premises to hack it for the wired network. Any intruder will need to access your network through a wired cable if you use a switch, which can only become possible through direct access.
You are the only one who can decide the requirement for a network switch. If you own a business and want to stay ahead of the competition by preventing a hacker from accessing your data, a network switch is a way to go.
Furthermore, keep in mind that installing a network switch might be more expensive than using a wireless network because having a cyber-attack-free network for your company comes at a cost. So, using a network switch is a smart option.
Network Switches Are A Solid Investment For Your Home or Business Network
As previously stated, a network switch provides a variety of advantages. However, if you believe that you require this sort of network at your house in addition to a business, you may easily set it up. You can readily analyze the benefits and downsides of employing a network switch. If these advantages offset the high expense of using the network switch strategy, you may be able to save the day by keeping your data safe and your network working smoothly.
If you’re finding that your Windows 11 computer is running a bit slow, don’t worry – there are plenty of easy ways to speed it up again. Windows 11 is the latest addition to Microsoft’s vast library of operating systems. Since it is newly released, it at times lacks some basic speed functionalities. However, that is all set aside comparing the speed of Windows 10 and 11. The latter is comparatively slower, but we may see an increment in new updates. According to Windows Latest, their benchmarked speeds with Windows 10 vs Windows 11 show a pretty sizable drop in read operations and write speeds.
Hopefully, some of this gets rectified with updates, but until then, users are left with a lack of responsiveness and slower speed. However, this really quick Windows 11speed up guide will help you speed up Windows 11 with some very simple steps. Seriously, implementing all of these will take you no more than 10 minutes (even for the most novice user of computers).
How to Speed Up Windows 11?
If you’re like most people, you probably want your computer to be as fast as possible. With Windows 11, there are a number of ways to speed up your machine. We’ll show you some of the best ways to get your Windows 11 computer running at top speed, but before going through different ways to speed up Windows 11, let’s look at some factors that slow down the performance in the first place.
What Could Be Slowing Down Your Windows 11
Low RAM
Having a low virtual memory can heavily affect your Windows. That’s because operating systems automatically start using storage devices as primary memory when RAM runs out. There are two methods to solve this. You can either use RAM cleaner to make room. If that does not work, you might need to upgrade.
Running Out of Space
It is common for a computer to run out of memory. However, it slows down all processes of your Windows.
Drivers Out of Date
If your drivers are outdated, it is best to update them. That’s because hardware and software updates can heavily affect Windows 11.
Here are a handful of super easy, super quick fixes that are guaranteed to speed up your Windows 11. Granted, there are some more advanced tactics you can employ (and maybe we’ll cover those in another post down the road), but these are simple enough for even the most basic of users to understand and execute.
Make Sure Windows is Updated
Don’t roll your eyes! Updating your operating system (your browser too! Oh yeah…and all your other devices and apps) is not only going to speed up your devices, there are probably some valuable security patches as well. PLUS…those notifications do take up processing power. We’d also like to note that the February 25th update (Windows 11 KB5008353) fixed speed issues for SSD users ~ another reason to update regularly!). Follow these really easy steps:
Click on the Windows button and choose Settings.
From the left pane, click on Windows Update.
Now, select Check for Updates.
Windows will look for new updates and automatically install them.
Once installed, restart your PC.
Disable Startup Programs
Another really easy measure to do:
Click the Windows button and choose Settings.
Go to Apps and click Startup.
Disable the switch for unnecessary apps on startup.
Now, click the Start button and open Task Manager.
From the top bar of Task Manager, click on Startup.
Now, right-click and click Disable on any program you don’t want to load on startup.
Disable Visual Effects
If you want your computer to run faster, then disabling visual effects in Windows is a good idea. This will help speed up your machine, especially if it’s an older model. However, if you don’t mind a noticeable slow down and really enjoy the pretty animations, then there’s no harm in leaving them enabled. Ultimately, it’s up to you and what you value more: speed or aesthetics. Here are those steps for disabling visual effects in Windows 11:
Press the Windows key, and type view advanced to select View Advanced System Settings.
Select Advanced, and click on Settings.
Now, check the mark on Adjust for Best Performance option.
Under Custom, checkmark on Show Thumbnails instead of icons and Smooth Edges of screen fonts.
Lastly, click on Apply and OK to save the changes.
I really like this Windows 11 speedup hack. Storage sense is a great way to speed up your computer by freeing up space on your hard drive. It’ll automatically delete temporary files and old versions of files that you don’t need anymore, so it’s a great way to keep your computer running fast and smooth. Plus, it’s really easy to use. Just open up storage sense and select the drive you want to clean up, and Storage sense will take care of the rest! Here’s how to enable this awesome Windows 11 speed up feature:
Press the Windows button and choose Settings from the list.
Go to System, and select Storage.
Turn on Storage Sense with the toggle button.
A Need For More Windows Speed!
As mentioned above, implementing these steps will take you maybe 20 minutes at the most and you’ll get that time back from a quicker Windows experience in about a month or two. Following these steps, you can easily speed up Windows 11. You can try all these methods to get the best results. You will see a significant increase in your Windows 11 performance after this. We hope you’ve found these simple Windows 11 speed-up hacks helpful. In all seriousness, by following just a few of them, you can enjoy a much faster experience when using your computer. If you do all of them, you’ll definitely see and feel a speed difference with Windows 11.
What we are witnessing from a digital warfare perspective between the Anonymous Collective and Russia is something unprecedented. We haven’t seen anything like this in the history of conflicts. It is a multi-dimensional assault on Russia and as we’ve seen them fall short of military objectives and goals, it is safe to bet that Anonymous and the collective’s approach and results have had an impact in this conflict.
Furthermore, it is also putting other world powers in a precipitous position because how are they to respond? If they tout the efforts of Anonymous are they endorsing cyber warfare? Are they endorsing Anonymous? Are they setting themselves up for an invitation to experience similar threats in the future if they get involved in a military conflict? The Anonymous Collective is impacting this Russia-Ukraine war. One could argue the results are saving lives for the Ukrainians. On the flip side, one could argue that is also causing more deaths and troop casualties on the part of Russia. All of this is fascinating to see unfold. And we’re paying close attention to what has happened in that regard.
Before we get to the details of Anonymous’ cyber attacks on Russia, who are they? Here’s an Anonymous 101 crash course. Anonymous is an internet group of cyber activists and hackers that started as a “collective” in the early 2000s. Their mission is to wage cyberwar against oppression and corruption by targeting institutions, organizations, and governments. A popular symbol of those wanting to be part of this group (or who are) is signified by wearing a Guy Fawkes mask (they do this in public and on videos).
Let’s break down how it all started. On February 24th, Russia invaded Ukraine. Many members of the international community and worldwide organizations immediately condemned Russia for these military actions. Some even went as far as to implement sanctions against Russia. As of now, these sanctions are piling up and severely impacting Russia’s economy and financial structure.
But what Russia didn’t expect was Anonymous to get involved. And what they’ve managed to do has undoubtedly affected Russia’s efforts in Ukraine. On February 24th, the Anonymous Collective officially declared a “cyber war against the Russian Government.” From there, a slew of cyber attacks penetrated Russia’s government and military including several government websites being taken down, military intel being leaked, Russian propaganda sites being taken down, and more.
It didn’t stop there either. Over the next few days, like Rocky unleashing multiple uppercuts to Ivan Drago’s chin, Anonymous continued its digital assault: more government websites taken down, Russian Ministry of Defense database leaked, military communications intercepted, and even Putin’s personal luxury yacht worth nearly $100 million was hacked to make it appear it has crashed into Snake Island. We’ve counted nearly 15 major cyberattacks as of the time of writing this article that Anonymous has successfully employed against Russia. In the context of hacking and cyber attacks, that is impressive. There are probably more that we don’t know about. Below is an infographic run down (and a downloadable PDF) of the timeline of events between Anonymous vs Russia.
How Could These Cyber Attacks Affect Russia’s Military Objectives?
These hacks into Russian websites and military databases are not insignificant either. They have affected this conflict. Here’s how these cyberattacks could potentially be impacting the Russia-Ukrainian conflict.
It Fuels Russian Dissent At Home
Anonymous Collective has infiltrated Russian news so the Russian people are fed raw, unfiltered, propaganda-free news coverage of the bloodshed and havoc their leader has unleashed on the Ukraine people. This is probably one reason we’re seeing Russians take to the streets in protest of their country’s actions and their leader’s brutal strategy.
Russia Military At Risk
Hacking military communications, servers, and intelligence puts the Russian military at a huge risk. It allows the Ukrainian military forces as well as armed civilians to know when and where the attacks are going to happen.
Perception Is Key
One thing we know is perception matters to the Russians, especially Putin. The perception right now with the conflict is that Putin has become unhinged, his efforts have been severely set back, there is unrest at home, he hasn’t accomplished the objectives in the timeframe he wanted, and the Russian economy is in a downward spiral. As it stands now, more Russian troops have died in this war than Ukrainian casualties. Approximately 5,300 Russian troops have been killed vs the reported 240 (at least) Ukrainians. Media outlets home and abroad have already dubbed this war a loss for Russia. Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and Bloomberg have all gone on to say, a loss is all but inevitable at this point.
We are in new territory with this cyber warfare. Realistically, Anonymous is a faceless threat. They have no borders. They have no assets. They have no communication center or airport to target with physical weapons of war. How do Putin and Russia retaliate? Who is Russia supposed to retaliate against? Where are they to concentrate efforts? What military action and strategy does Russia use moving forward? That’s what makes this Russia-Ukraine conflict an incredible event in history. Along with sanctions from other world powers coupled with an incessant barrage of hacks and intel breaches, Russia is literally fighting multiple wars at once. One in the physical world. Another in the digital. And both are making a major impact on history. One can only imagine the frustration on the side of Putin and the Russians because of the torment and harm these cyberattacks have caused. And one has to wonder if this is a new wrinkle in military conflicts in the 21st century and beyond.
This past week, the U.S. Government issued a warning about possible cyberattacks from Russia as tensions between that country and Ukraine continue to escalate. Russia is notorious for performing cyber attacks throughout the world. In fact, Russia has some of the best-known hackers in the world! Notice I said, “known”. A good hacker everyone knows about, a GREAT hacker no one knows about. With my experience with Homeland Security, let me just say, we have some GREAT unknown hackers on our team. It’s a new-age military tactic, which can be very effective. We want to briefly walk you through what a cyberattack is and if you should worry about a cyberattack happening, and what you can do to protect yourself from a cyberattack.
What Is A Cyberattack?
Cyber attacks work by exploiting vulnerabilities in computer networks or individual computer systems. Hackers can use various methods to gain access to these systems, including viruses, worms, and Trojans. Once they have access, they can steal sensitive data or damage the system’s software or hardware. You can see why a successful cyberattack can prove useful in a military situation. Cyber attacks are a growing threat to businesses and individuals alike. Even governments are at major risk.
Yes, you should worry about a cyber attack! Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly common and can cause a lot of damage. They can destroy data, disrupt business operations, access personal data, access financial records, and even put people’s safety at risk. Businesses need to be especially careful, as they are a prime target for cyber attacks. But individuals are also at risk as well and should take steps to protect themselves online.
The U.S. most likely will not be the target of a cyber attack from Russia, but it could set off a chain of events that could potentially increase the risk of a cyberattack on your data. Let us paint a couple of scenarios in which this could likely happen. First, cyberattacks aren’t always performed in a controlled fashion. They can grow out of control and affect other areas. Suppose Russia launches one on Ukraine. There is no guarantee those attacks will stay In Ukraine. Bordering networks could potentially be at risk. If you live in the U.S., this scenario is most likely not going to happen. But…we’re seeing the U.S. get involved with sanctions that will put economic pressure on Russia, so it would not be a surprise to anyone if Russia retaliated in a non-violent manner in the form of a cyberattack.
There are outside forces at work in the cyber world as well that governments have almost NO control over. For example, the hacking collective Anonymous just this week announced a “cyberwar” against Russia and Putin. There have been reports that they have been slightly successful as some of the propaganda arms of the Russian media have experienced outages and been taken down. Anonymous is no joke. But here’s the thing, Russian counterparts can do the same thing. In fact, in a digital retaliation move, a Russian ransomware group threatened any country and group that targets Moscow. This ransomware gang is responsible for some hall-of-fame-level cyberattacks too. They nearly crippled the Ireland health system in May 2021. This dangerous group of cyber thugs is very capable of launching a cyberattack on the U.S., especially considering that President Joe Biden has already been presented with a plan on how to carry out a massive cyberattack against Russia.
Furthermore, who knows the level of crazy we could see coming out of a desperate Russia. Most likely those attacks are going to be in areas that would affect the U.S. economy: large companies, government departments and agencies, and financial institutions. Even though most cyber security experts are saying we have a low risk of an attack, I can’t think of a better time than now to take immediate action to protect yourself from a cyberattack. These are all reasons why you need to take special precautions now.
How Do I Protect Myself From A Cyberattack?
Okay…so hopefully you are not freaked out about what’s going on in the world from what we mentioned above. It’s okay to be concerned and cautious. We don’t mean to scare or entice fear either, but we are passionate about you being protected from a cyber attack. There are a lot of people with emergency food storage, bug-out bags, and all of that stuff. Quite frankly…protecting yourself from a cyberattack is more practical because you are more likely to experience digital attacks than having complete infrastructures in the country shut down. That’s a fact.
So…what are you supposed to do? Here are several things you need to do right now to protect yourself from a cyberattack:
The best way to protect yourself against cyberattacks is to keep your computer systems up-to-date with the latest security patches.
Be uber careful about opening emails or attachments from unknown sources. As of now, if I’m not expecting an email from a sender, I’m going to be very cautious about opening it. In fact, if I don’t know you…I’m not opening that email.
Same thing with phone calls and text messages from unknown numbers. If you’re not on my contact list, it’s going to be hard to contact me for the next little bit.
You should also change your passwords and use very strong passwords. Avoid the “Password1234” laziness type ones as well.
Use anti-virus software to help protect your networks and devices.
Update your browsers. If you have a browser installed on your device and you don’t ever use it, uninstall it.
Get a VPN as they are known to protect you from most cyberattacks, especially ones targeting your IP address. I’d go with Firewalla’s Purple as it’s easy to set up, easy to use, and effective.
Be super careful about what links and websites you click on and what files, extensions, and applications you download.
Update your router’s firmware. If you have a TV, update your TV’s software.
Your phone is also a major weak spot. Where applicable with apps (banking and shopping especially), give your security a boost and enable two-factor authentication.
Take Action Now To Protect Yourself And Your Data From A Cyberattack!
Are you taking the necessary steps to protect yourself from a cyberattack? A cyberattack can happen to anyone and it’s important to be prepared. A cyberattack can be devastating. Can really mess up your life. Your personal information, your company’s data, your financial security, and even the nation’s infrastructure can be compromised in a cyberattack. If you take the necessary precautions now, you can help protect yourself from a potentially devastating attack. Remember, cybercriminals are opportunists and flippin’ smart. They will go after the easiest targets possible. The best way to protect yourself is to have good cybersecurity hygiene. Follow what we’ve outlined above. This includes using strong passwords, updating software regularly, and being aware of phishing schemes. You should also back up your data frequently so you will have copies if your computer is ever hacked. Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility and we all need to do our part to stay safe. Have a plan of attack to protect yourself from an attack.
Just last week, Google announced a surprising and draconian measure for all Legacy free G Suite users: start paying for their Google accounts or you’re going to lose your data (files, images, folders, purchases…yeah…all of it). Panic set in for those who were under this umbrella (mostly those who initially created these types of accounts from 2006 to 2012 and wanted to use a custom domain for their email rather than the free @gmail.com were going to be affected) and deservedly so. Luckily since that announcement about these kinds of accounts, Google has backtracked a little bit and is going to give these accounts the option to migrate data to a free account.
But according to their support page: “The G Suite legacy free edition will no longer be available starting May 1, 2022. Starting May 1, Google will seamlessly transition you to Google Workspace, which you can use at no cost until July 1, 2022. We recommend you upgrade now to a Google Workspace subscription that meets your needs.” As you can see, we still don’t know what will happen after July 1st.
There was a lot of confusion and frustration on the interwebs once this announcement was made because the threat (or even the idea) of losing all of your data stored to your Google account is quite the feeling. There were rumors that users would lose all their data. There were rumors that a data migration wasn’t an option UNLESS you migrated to a paid Google account (I don’t think Google realized how polarizing this new policy was going to be). So we did some research on what practical trick we could do to possibly save all that information from one of those accounts being threatened. Insert Google Takeout.
Download All Of Your Data With Google Takeout
We all know Google stores a LOT of our data. Did you know you can download most of that? It’s pretty cool. You can use Google Takeout to do this. You can export photos, log files, emails, documents, business messages, contacts, user reports, and on, and on, and on. We’re talking terabytes of data on your patterns and behavior. But in this scenario, I only cared about my Google docs. You know…the good stuff you store in Google Drive that you just don’t want to lose.
The export process was actually super easy. Just clicked on that Google Takeout link and was taken to the settings page where I could select between 44 different data locations where Google is storing information. The other genius thing about Google Takeout is you can download/export these files in multiple formats (game-changer)!
Four Easy Steps To Exporting All Of Your Google Drive Data
Again…the process was really easy. Because I had about 30 GB of data, it took a little bit of time to download, but the process was simple. The steps below are just for exporting Google Drive files that you own and have been stored on your My Drive and Computers (this will not export files that have been shared with you from another account).
Step 1: Find Google Drive
Once you’ve landed on the Google Takeout page, you’ll need to select the data you want to include. I first “deselected” everything, then scrolled down to “Drive” (they’re in alphabetical order) and clicked on its box.
Step 2: Decide On Your Export Format
There are multiple formats you can choose depending on file type. Just click on “Multiple Formats”. If you want Documents exported in PDF that is an option. If you just want them in DOCX format (for Microsoft Word), you can choose that as well for example. You can also add advanced settings to include more details and select with Google Drive folders to perform the entire export on. Scroll down and click the Next Step button.
Step 3: Delivery Method
There are all kinds of delivery methods for this export: send a download link (which I preferred for a backup measure), add to Drive (which you can use to add to another Drive account), add to Dropbox, and a handful of others. Once you decide on that, hit “Create Export”.
Step 4: And wait
Just kidding, kinda. Depending on what you created determines what happens next. I chose a download link and it arrived in a handful of minutes. But that time will depend mostly on how much information you have in your account and which option you chose to export. Just a Google Drive export shouldn’t take that long. However, if you download terabytes of personal data…well…that’s a different story.
Should You Export Your Google Drive Data…
…even if the Legacy Google Account issue doesn’t affect you? Yes! You just never know when you could potentially lose access to your Google Account. They have done a great job of providing recovery emails and security enhancements to make sure your data is extremely safe, but it is a good practice to export your Google Drive data at least once a year. Just follow the steps above and move that data to a safe, external hard drive so you have an extra backup of your files.
We’re going to show you how you can use a DNS content filter called Open DNS to make sure you can filter out the kind of content you deem inappropriate for your home and network. Again, not every home has the same benchmarks and standards for the type of media and content that comes through their network, which is another reason why we like content filters through a DNS.
What DNS Filtering?
First off, what is DNS? The Domain Name System (DNS) is like the phonebook for internet users. We navigate to websites through domain names, such as TMZ or Google. However, web browsers interact with IP Addresses instead. Essentially the DNS translates these numerical codes into human-readable formats so you don’t need to memorize an address that can become outdated over time. Without it, we literally would be lost!
Furthermore, DNS filtering can keep your computer safe from malware and other threats by blocking access to websites that have been determined as harmful or hosting malicious content. This way, the user will basically never receive any file or code which could potentially infect one system with a virus! Depending on the service, setting up a DNS filter is relatively easy (more on that below). We highly recommend a DNS content filter because even though someone could circumvent access to bad content and media, they still won’t be able to do it through your network.
How Can Kids ByPass A DNS Filter?
One way someone can bypass a DNS filter is through the use of a VPN. We’ve talked about VPNs a couple of times. A VPN will take the computer or device and put it on a different virtual network. This new network most likely wouldn’t have the DNS filters set up for those certain websites you wanted to block, essentially rendering your DNS filter on your network useless.
Another clever trick (and maybe not so clever) kids can do to get around a DNS filter is by typing in the IP address directly. For example, if I know that ESPN.com is supposed to be at 45.63. 254.129. I could type those numbers in and that website is going to pop up. And this brings up another interesting topic in and of itself about access to VPNs in your home.
How To Setup Open DNS For Content Filtering
One of our favorite DNS content filters is called OpenDNS. This service is free for home users, which is just awesome. Below are the steps to get you going on this free DNS content filter services (exact instruction may change over time, but the idea is still the same:
From here, go to the “Learn More” button on the Consumer side.
Once you’re in the consumer section, go to “Open DNS Home” and click “Sign Up”. A little side-note here on free vs paid versions. There is a paid version of OpenDNS which is around $20 a year. It gives you Usage stats and an “Optional Allow-list Mode”, which blocks everything except for the things that you have specifically wanted to allow.
Go ahead and sign up by entering all the signup information (it’s required…but hey…it’s free).
You will be directed to a page after signup that will help you set up Open DNS (Set Up OpenDNS On Your Device). When you get to this page you will see the name servers are two IP addresses. This is what you are going to add to your Wi-Fi route. These will be the external DNS servers that you would enter in your Wi-Fi router configuration.
After you set up your account, you will be directed to this page to help you set up your Wi-Fi router. These are the name servers for OpenDNS and will always be the name servers no matter what your account is. Because of that, you’ll want to write these down (or save them in Notepad and email them to you). You will need to enter them into the appropriate location on your Wi-Fi router or your modem.
You’ll want to click on “Home Routers” under “Choose Your Device” to get detailed instructions on different types of routers and modems. If your Wi-Fi router or modem is not listed here (and chances are that it might not be…there are thousands of routers), you’ll want to contact your wi-fi router or modem company on how to set a manual DNS on their device.
Further Customizations Through The OpenDNS Dashboard
Once you get your settings and router (or modem) configured properly, click “Test Your Settings”. You will see the OpenDNS dashboard and will be able to see all the stats and logs for your network. It’s kinda cool if you like to geek out on that stuff. You can also change the settings for your particular network as well, which is another nice added benefit of a free DNS content filter. When diving into the Settings (click on “Web Content Filtering”), you can do custom settings and block all of the categories that you want to be blocked. There are a lot of options to customize: gambling, pornography, alcohol, dating, nudity, sexuality, games, ads, weapons, and on and on. We love the custom setting. But if you’re not into dialing down to the specifics, you can choose between High, Moderate, or Low, which all have specific pre-built category filters set in place for you.
The DNS content filter is now set up and ready to operate. It’s not a perfect solution (a little disclaimer) and there are workarounds that someone can do to circumvent the filter, but you’re getting just another added level of protection on what kind of media and content is streaming through your family’s screens. And we like that.
