I'll try it so you don't have to

Installed a new Netgear N750 router tonight.  You may ask yourself, why do you need another router, you already have a wireless router (actually more than that if you count the ones in a box that I don't use anymore and can't seem to throw away) and a 1 Gb switch, you don't need the ports so why would you go through the aggravation of putting another device on the home network and making the two routers work together along with the DSL modem.  The reason is that I just can't help myself, I require mental pain and lost sleep to feel whole and satisfied.

Actually, the real world reason for the lost sleep is that I wanted to provide another level of security to my home network and implement some parental controls. The kids are getting more internet savvy and the availability of questionable content continues to multiply as well.  I did a bunch of research, I am looking for something that is easy to implement and manage, keeps logs of internet access and prevents as much malicious activity as possible and it came down to two options.  The first option is what I installed tonight, which is a combination hardware and internet based solution with the integration of Netgear and OpenDNS on a Netgear N750, cost of $149.99 from Amazon.  The N750 is one of Netgears higher-end models for home, but the functionality is available on most of their newer models.  I like that I don't have to install an intrusive client on each computer, smart phone or other access device on the network, anything that connects is automatically protected by the router.  There is a very lightweight client that can be installed on a single computer that will update OpenDNS as my dynamic IP address changes (if it changes).  What I don't like is that the protection does not follow the device outside of the home network, not a big deal while the childrens are still young and under my complete control (muhaahaahaa), but at some point I will have to address that too.

The other option was an internet based only solution that requires a client on every device in order to provide protection.  I found a couple of providers, but I think the solution provided by netnanny.com seems to be the most complete.  The overall protection level is very high, even giving parents access to their kids social media (Facebook) accounts and it follows the device no matter where it is connected, at home or at the local free wi-fi hotspot.  I don't like the cost, $50/year for 3 devices plus $25/year for each additional device.  So for my house it would be about $100 annually for this protection which seemed a little over the top.  Depending on how it goes with my current solution NetNanny may become a more interesting option, or when the kids are older and more independent, but for now I'm gonna pass.

So there it is, a high level overview.  If you want more details contact me so I can tell you to do your own darn research.