Introduction

The LANCOM Content Filter enables you to filter certain content from your network, so preventing access to Internet pages with content that is illegal or offensive. It also enables you to stop private surfing on specific sites during working hours. This not only increases staff productivity and network security but also ensures that the full bandwidth is available exclusively for your business activities.

The LANCOM Content Filter is an intelligent content filter that works dynamically. It contacts a rating server that evaluates Internet sites reliably and accurately in accordance with the categories that you select.

The LANCOM Content Filter operates by checking the IP addresses behind the URLs that are entered. For any given domain it is possible to differentiate according to the path, meaning that specific areas of a URL may be rated differently.

Anmerkung: It is not possible for users to avoid the LANCOM Content Filter website rating simply by entering the website's IP address into their browsers. The LANCOM Content Filter checks unencrypted (HTTP) and also encrypted Web pages (HTTPS).

The LANCOM Content Filter license you purchase is valid for a certain number of users and for a specific period (for one or three years). You will be informed of the expiry of your license in good time. The number of current users is monitored in the device, with the users being identified by their IP address. You can configure what should happen when the number of licensed users is exceeded: Access can either be denied or an unchecked connection can be made.

Anmerkung: You can test the LANCOM Content Filter on any router that supports this function. All you have to do is to activate a 30-day demo license for each device. Demo licenses are generated directly with LANconfig. Click on the device with the right-hand mouse key and select the context menu entry Activate Software Option. In the dialog that follows, click on the button Register demo license. You will automatically be connected to the website for the LANCOM registration server. Simply select the required demo license and you can register your device.

All settings relating to categories are stored in category profiles. You select from predefined main and sub-categories in the LANCOM Content Filter: 59 categories are divided into 14 subject groups such as “Pornography, Nudity", "Shopping" or "Illegal Activities". You can activate or deactivate each of the categories that these groups contain. Sub-categories for “Pornography/Nudity” are, for example, “Pornography/Erotic/Sex” and “Swimwear/Lingerie”.

When configuring these categories, administrators have an additional option of activating an override. When the override option is active, users may still access the forbidden site for a particular period of time by clicking on a corresponding button, but the administrator will be notified of this by e-mail, SYSLOG, or SNMP trap.

The category profile, whitelist and blacklist can be used to create a content filter profile that you can assign to particular users by means of the firewall. For example you can create a profile called “Employees_department_A” and assign this to all of the computers in that department.

When you install the LANCOM Content Filter, basic default settings are created automatically. These only need to be activated for the initial start. You can subsequently customize the behavior of the LANCOM Content Filter to match your own requirements.