Entered CNET Catalog: 10/16/2001
SKU: NN499-00
Manufacturer: Net Nanny Ltd. (subsidiary of Trove Investment Corp.)
Manufacturer description
Net Nanny software protects children from the dangers of the Internet. It can prevent information from going out into the Internet, such as your address, your phone number, or other personal and sensitive data, and keep it from falling into the wrong hands. This will stop pedophiles and other criminals from taking advantage of unsuspecting family members.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/11/2001
Flexible filtering
Warning signs
Afraid your little ones will share inappropriate information with strangers online? Don't be. With Net Nanny, it's possible to prevent your browser, chat software, or e-mail client from transmitting personal data. (Alas, Net Nanny, like its competition, won't filter instant messengers such as ICQ.) To set up the personal information block, just fill out a few onscreen forms with the forbidden names, addresses, credit card numbers, names of schools or workplaces, and more. No other filtering software makes it so easy to block this type of information.
Image-conscious surfing
The downside? Net Nanny can't tell the difference between a nudie picture or a baby picture, so it blocks all images without discretion. Your kids also won't be able to view the pics at legitimate sites and may struggle to make sense out of a page on Vice President #### Cheney. And even after you program the Nanny to block certain naughty words, it doesn't automatically block variations on a word; so bleep might be blocked, but bleeps, bleeper, and bleeping are not. You can add these variants to the word list, but it's a thankless, time-consuming chore.
Creative blocks
Although none of the filtering products we've seen really wowed us, Net Nanny's our top pick. It's customizable and easy to use, albeit too lenient in filtering Web sites. Unless you need CyberSitter's superstrict filters, Net Nanny's your gal.
You can set up and configure Net Nanny in moments. Simply choose an icon (they look like Keith Haring drawings) to create identities for every member of your household. You decide which sites, newsgroups, and IRC chat rooms to block for each user. Select sites from the Nanny's default list of blocked sites or create a custom list yourself. Next, click the Schedule Access tab to limit the amount of time Junior spends surfing. Now, Net Nanny's all set to start protecting your kids.
When Junior does encounter a restricted site, Net Nanny responds in one of several ways: it blocks access to the site, shuts down the browser, or allows the page to load, but pops up a standard or customized warning. Unlike CyberSitter, Net Nanny lets you turn blocking off while still keeping a log of your children's online activities, including transcripts of any chats. As with the other programs, you can schedule Net Nanny to regularly update its list of forbidden URLs, but Nanny is the only filter that shows you which sites are on its list, then lets you check off the ones you want your kids to access.
What about sites that don't post objectionable words, but display "Nude XXX Celebrity Pix"? You can set Net Nanny to blank out GIF and JPEG images (primary Web image formats), so even if your 15-year-old made it to sex-with-reptiles.com (not a real site, by the way), he wouldn't find much to look at. (Your Web browser lets you hide images, but there's no way to keep someone from undoing your settings.) You can also program Net Nanny to let Web pages and e-mail messages through but wipe out certain words, replacing them with #####.
Unfortunately, even with all these security features, the Nanny is easily the most permissive filter we tested. In our tests, on its default setting, the software blocked just 3 of 30 sites we deemed objectionable--a mere 10 percent. Porn, cults, guns, bestiality--Nanny's default settings let most of these sites through without batting an eyelash. But to be fair, all three programs we reviewed permitted some porn and gun sites, and CyberSitter also allowed cults. You can manually customize Net Nanny to block these questionable sites, but you must enter each URL one by one--there's no way to block all sites that use a word you object to. On a positive note, the Nanny didn't block any of the legitimate sites we tested, and it was the only filter to allow access to Peacefire.com, a site highly critical of filtering tools. 
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3
User Rating: 
3/10
Not Worth The Money
Pros: Great Features If It Works
Cons: Almost non-existent customer support
Even if you see some support it is always too little and too late!
They need to change their support policy, or else they will lose market share for a product that obviously has great potential!
I tried but finally decided I can not continue working with a product that gives error messages every single minute telling one to contact customer support, does not uninstall and reinstall correctly and above all its support desk is way too slow in resolving a very serious problem!
User Rating: 
1/10
Awful Product, not compatible with Explorer
Pros: Screens bad content when it's not blowing up IE
Cons: Not compatible with Internet Explorer
User Rating: 1/10
Would be great if it blocked porn.
Pros: Has some of the features that other products do.
Cons: It underblocks more than it actually blocks.
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Net Nanny 4.0 specifications
- General
- Category Security applications
- Subcategory Security - intrusion and vulnerability detection , Security - VPN software , Security - data encryption
- Version 4.0
- Language(s) English
- License pricing Standard
- Localization English
- Software
- License Type Complete package
- License Qty 1 user
- License Pricing Standard
- Platform Windows
- Distribution Media CD-ROM
- Package Type Retail
- System Requirements
- OS Required Microsoft Windows 98 , Microsoft Windows 95
- Peripheral / Interface Devices CD-ROM
