Filtering Levels

Discussions about Internet service providers (ISPs), the Meetinghouse Firewall, wired and wireless networking, usage, management, and support of Meetinghouse Internet
bartj
Church Employee
Church Employee
Posts: 115
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 4:00 pm

Re: Filtering Levels

#21

Post by bartj »

Hagothsen wrote:In preliminary testing, I've found that ancestry.com and skype.com can both be accessed in strict mode, but without their CSS. I suspect they're actually blocked and its just cache HTML. The Facebook, YouTube and Skype apps work in strict mode. When I get time I'll do a more exhaustive test.
Ancestry should be working better now. Thank you for the feedback. We are still reviewing Skype on the strict policy.
JamesAnderson
Senior Member
Posts: 773
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:03 pm

Re: Filtering Levels

#22

Post by JamesAnderson »

Have been made aware of another issue which may account for some of the persistent bandwidth problems.

There are 'VPN' apps people use to get around filtering anywhere. If they get on a network wifi that blocks what they want to use they switch to the VPN, then use that to bypass filters yet they still remain on the network that blocked the site they were trying to use. So, for example, they wanted to watch a Youtube video. Since Youtube is blocked, they whip out the VPN app on their phone and view it anyway and still use the Church network, thus rendering what we are trying to do as moot. These VPN apps were created to circumvent filtering, and my fear is it is going to be whack-a-mole to shut those apps out.
User avatar
Mikerowaved
Community Moderators
Posts: 4734
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 12:56 am
Location: Layton, UT

Re: Filtering Levels

#23

Post by Mikerowaved »

JamesAnderson wrote:These VPN apps were created to circumvent filtering, and my fear is it is going to be whack-a-mole to shut those apps out.
Yep. The church is well aware of them and have already shut some of the popular ones down. The last time I tested various free VPN apps, I sent the church a pretty good list what was still working. They closed the top couple, but ignored the rest. That was with the old firewall. I haven't tried with the new one.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
JamesAnderson
Senior Member
Posts: 773
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:03 pm

Re: Filtering Levels

#24

Post by JamesAnderson »

We had problems until we rewired the building with more current cabling, you need to have Cat 5 or better. Also run speed tests near the WAP points, typically those away from the router. We did all that and have not had problems, and we now get 4 bars in the RS room where we only got two or three before.

Opening Gospel Library for the first time on a Sunday often initiates content update delivery, I usually do more general updates at home but my ward has an 830am start time so that is sometimes forgotten.

I am surprised though that they have not done more to shut down the VPNs, those are usually filtered under Proxy Avoidance, but there must be another category that Zscaler calls those. One more things about the VPN apps, some have nefarious intentions and so when they find the delivery line is blocked, they find another place to run things the filters have not caught up to yet so one is often stymied in trying to fully block those
WA6IJD
New Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu May 03, 2018 1:08 pm

Re: Filtering Levels

#25

Post by WA6IJD »

Instead of filtering by topic or subject, why not use a table and add domains to it. Seems the way to go. What do other people think?

Thank You
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34417
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: Filtering Levels

#26

Post by russellhltn »

WA6IJD wrote:Instead of filtering by topic or subject, why not use a table and add domains to it. Seems the way to go. What do other people think?
That's only practical if you intend to whitelist a small number of websites (such as only church-owned ones). Such a whitelist would likely be more restrictive than any of the current filtering levels.

Attempting to keep a list of "bad" sites (which numbers in the millions) is something best left to the filtering companies who have the expertise and systems for processing such things.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
JamesAnderson
Senior Member
Posts: 773
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:03 pm

Re: Filtering Levels

#27

Post by JamesAnderson »

The best filtering company database by far is that run by Symantec, after acquiring Blue Coat that got even better, what they have even includes the stuff Cerberian had as first Blue Coat bought them and then Symantec bought Blue Coat.

With 20 years of data, virtually everything gets a rating fairly fast, and they also should have almost all VPN sites as Proxy Avoidance or P2P and several more. as far as keeping porn sites out, it is the absolute best, have never blundered into an uncategorized one or otherwise so I have never even had accidental exposure, I use the free K9 software they still offer for home use
Hagothsen
Member
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:30 pm
Location: Henderson, NV USA

Re: Filtering Levels

#28

Post by Hagothsen »

WA6IJD wrote:Instead of filtering by topic or subject, why not use a table and add domains to it. Seems the way to go. What do other people think?

Thank You
That would be known as ‘whitelisting’. I’ve already been shot down over the idea.
bartj
Church Employee
Church Employee
Posts: 115
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 4:00 pm

Re: Filtering Levels

#29

Post by bartj »

A whitelist concept was tested and was found to be unmanageable and impractical for meetinghouses because it is too restrictive. Just as an example, completing family history in a meetinghouse using a whitelist approach would become difficult if not impossible. There is no way we could whitelist every domain needed for family history, and reviewing all the "please unblock" requests that would come in worldwide would overwhelm our limited resources. Our intent was to provide more restrictive options that could continue to be improved as we receive feedback from the field about sites to block and unblock.
Post Reply

Return to “Meetinghouse Internet”