Internet access software reviews

Surfie is compatible with both Android and iOS cellphones and tablets, plus it has a Windows computer version. It comes with 18 filter categories that make it easy to block related websites under each category, including pornography, violence and online gaming. On top of web filters, Surfie lets you control when your child has internet access and how long they can be online, even on cellphones.

One of the best features of Surfie is its keyword monitor that alerts you if someone sends your child a test, email or instant message with words or phrases that tend to be red flags.

It also works in reverse to monitor what your child sends, prohibiting them from using your tagged keyword and from sharing personal information online. All email, instant messages and text transcripts are recorded for you to read. If social media is your biggest concern and we suspect it is for most , then you have two great options. Net Nanny is good, and Bark also has a great range of features for keeping tabs on your kids across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

It's perfect for keeping track of the conversations your kids are having, and with who. It not only monitors the obvious trigger words, but also has an AI-powered learning system that detects upcoming threats and topics that kids shouldn't be exposed to. It also monitors behavior patterns, to prevent your kids from slipping too deep down rabbit holes, which is a brilliant feature in the current social media climate.

There are loads of other features like alerts, weekly reports, and the ability to prevent certain new apps from being downloaded to phones. The downsides are that it is expensive, and Bark isn't the best at deciding what's important and what isn't, so you'll find yourself with a lot of alerts to check through. For Mac computers we highly recommend ContentBarrier by Intego. This internet filtering software is specifically designed for Mac computers and includes preset filter categories that make it easier to block harmful content.

ContentBarrier X9 also has time controls so you can ensure your kids are focused on homework, chores or bedtime instead of playing online. You can create separate accounts for each of your children with one program and set different filters for each depending on their age and maturity.

We are parents and know the importance of protecting children from online misinformation, dangerous content, cyberbullies, and too much screen time.

Ideally, it should kick in automatically every time you connect through the VPN to ensure you are protected at all times. PIA gives you the freedom to select the level of encryption you think is ideal for your devices. The default setting is bit encryption. This is okay; you are safe, but if you were to come under attack from a smart, determined hacker they can get past your defenses.

You have the option to step this up to bit, which gives you complete protection, but be prepared for your speeds to slow down not by much, but you will notice. It also lets you choose what type of encryption you would like for data authentication and handshake. They are in 52 locations across the globe. The more servers a VPN has, the better; it means that users don't have to jostle for bandwidth, which allows for faster connections.

PIA, as mentioned, is second only to Nord VPN when it comes to server numbers, which shows that it is a large, stable company that is likely to exist well into the future. The servers are well spread out. Most are in Europe and North America which have the highest number of users.

The rest are in Asia, Central and South America. The company had a server in South Africa, but they have since closed it down. They have 4 servers in the United Arab Emirates, and 8 in Israel. Location matters because in many parts of the world governments have signed international agreements to compel data from organizations should it be deemed necessary.

If a VPN company is in the wrong part of the world it may be only a matter of time before its data is compelled and shared with all other governments that are part of 5, 9 and 14 Eyes alliances. The UK is a signatory to all major data collection agreements, so if the company is compelled to provide information to the government it has no choice but to comply.

However, remember we talked about how PIA doesn't log data? This means that even if they are issued with a court order or subpoena they have no information to give. Bottom line: yes, the company is not in an ideal location, but they have put policies and measures in place to ensure that user data can never fall into the wrong hands.

Netflix and torrenting are 2 major reasons why people are investing in VPNs today. They want to be able to enjoy content without restrictions. If you are interested in gaining access to Netflix, PIA will be of help but only if you connect through certain servers.

Trending from CNET. Download Now. Developer's Description By Computer Aid. Control Internet Access can be used for: - Helping parents keep their children focussed on their homework, without the extra distractions on the internet. You check whats been happening on the computer Full Specifications.

What's new in version 1. Date Added September 6, Version 1. Operating Systems. Additional Requirements None. Total Downloads It's easy to switch to Edge from Chrome, and you can do so in a matter of seconds.

Google Chrome has reigned supreme in the world of web browsers for some time now, but it has since slipped to the second spot in our list. Chrome features an extensive library of extensions to help you customize your browser experience and has a sleek, minimalist style that carries all the information and functionality you need without getting in the way or looking ugly.

That means, for example, that your smartphone will remember the bookmarks you saved on your laptop. It has become a little resource-hungry though, devouring your system RAM if you have too many web pages open at once. The only thing letting Firefox down at the moment is the lack of extensions when compared to Chrome and Edge, which share the same vast library. Download Vivaldi and you've got a quick, versatile web browser with some excellent built-in features.

While it doesn't technically do anything that you can't do with Chrome or Edge and a bunch of extensions, Vivaldi bakes a wide range of features into a single browser, and is all the better for it. Among the boons in Vivaldi are the options to post to Instagram from a desktop computer or laptop, the ability to auto-fill cookie pop-ups so they never appear , and the ability to take full-page screenshots of web pages with a single button press. This is just scratching the surface of everything that Vivaldi offers, and it comes with a huge number of customization options.

It's quick, too, and it doesn't have sinister data collection practices either. The only real downside is that it can be tougher to use if you're not technically-minded, and you won't use a decent suite of the features it offers. Safari is the default browser that comes preinstalled on Apple devices, including both MacOS laptops and home computers, along with its smartphones in the iPhone range. Opera feels similar to Google Chrome because it uses the same base program. But Opera is unique because it features a sidebar where you can pin links to your favorite websites, sort of like a bookmark, or shortcuts to email and chat windows.

You can adjust the settings to hide the sidebar and use more traditional menus and toolbars like other internet browser programs. Opera is decently fast, about on par with Firefox and Chrome when it comes to initial startup, site navigation and page loading. The URL bar doubles as a search bar, and it has stacking, which means you can drag and drop open tabs in the order you want them.

Maxthon has some unique features, most notably its drag-and-drop content feature. This allows you to grab any image or content on any website and drop into a personal message or email message to share or send, eliminating completely the need to clip, copy or save content.

Maxthon also includes parental controls to block specific content based on security levels and site ratings. However, you can adjust the settings to stop the autofill of personal information.

It includes typical browser tools like tabbed browsing, session restore and a password manager. Its pop-up blocker is automatically enabled from the moment it is installed, which is becoming more typical of all internet browsers, and it has a privacy browser to keep your browser history from being tracked while online.

Avast is quick at starting up and navigating between pages. And compared to more popular browsers, Avast loaded more quickly. There is an early access Mac version, but as this isn't yet fully-fledged we wouldn't recommend using it yet. Avant can be used as either a standalone browser or as an add-on to Internet Explorer, giving IE users updated tools and functions no longer supported by Microsoft.

This internet browser has session restore automatically enabled, which means your tabs and activities are saved each time you close the browser and will be there the next time it is opened.