FortiGuard Web Filtering Review

It’s safe to say the internet is a diverse and widespread place. There are all kinds of content and websites that can be visited, and it doesn’t really matter what you’re looking for; you’re sure to find something.

However, while for many of us this provides us with a wealth of information and knowledge, as well as entertainment resources and endless inspiration for living our lives, there’s also a lot of dangers that more of us should be aware of.

Most notably, if you have children, there’s no doubt there’s a ton of content and websites out there that you should probably restrict access to, ranging from pornography websites and gambling websites to violent and aggressive content that’s completely unsuitable for their age range.

FortiGuard is a web filtering service designed to alleviate these dangers and minimize exposure to these threats, but how good is it at doing what it does, and is it the web filtering service that’s right for you?

Today, we detail everything you need to know.

The Features of FortiGuard Web Filtering

FortiGuard is renowned for its many features and functions, and the developers have obviously tried to squeeze as much functionality as possible into their software while attempting to give you the best experience. Here are some of the features you’ll have access to;

Certified Filtering Service

FortiGuard Web Filtering is one of the only web filtering services that is certified by VBWeb as being one of the most secure and effective platforms. This was renounced by Virus Bulletin as providing an efficient service that helps in all aspects of web filtering that you may need.

Actively Prevents Malicious Software

During tests, FortiGuard was capable of preventing up to 97.7% of all malicious software downloads and stopped over 83.5% of all malware served. This is one of the best in the industry and is ideal when it comes to keeping your computer networks safe and secure.

Complete Policy Controlled Filtering

Using the integrated features of FortiGuard, you’ll be able to set up your own policies and profiles to block certain types of content and filter certain genres of websites using preset filters. You have complete control over these settings, so you can enjoy a completely custom experience.

Current Defense Reporting and Monitoring

It’s all well and good knowing a service is helping you, but it’s even better if you know what your web filter free solution is doing and how it’s working. This is why FortiGuard provides you with full-time digital reporting on what the service is up to and what’s happening to your network.

The Pros & Cons of FortiGuard Web Filtering

While FortiGuard Web Filtering has set out to be one of the best of what it does, as with any software solution, there are pros and cons to consider. This is so important so you can be sure when choosing your own web filtering service, you’re choosing the one that’s right for you.

With that in mind, let’s explore the pros and cons of the FortiGuard solution, ensuring you’re able to make your choice.

Pros

• FortiGuard has an extensive range of features (as we spoke about above) to help you protect and filtering online content to ensure you have the best experience online.
• The ability to set up profiles for individual users or computers or networks is incredibly handy if you’re running a business where people need different permissions, or even if you want to allow certain content through for certain family members at home.
• FortiGuard offers a fantastic customer service team where you ask anything you need to know, and they’ll be able to help you out with anything you need, whether that’s technical support or figuring out how to use the software.

Cons

• The statistics and data in the reporting section are not as accurate or as detailed as some people would like, and there are key areas, such as bandwidth, that are missing.
• With every update, there are a lot of changes made because the frequency is few and far between. This means that every update requires a bit of a learning curve to see how to use features, as well as implementing anything new into your new updates.
• There’s no LAN or WAN network support.
• The sales team is not the best, and there are numerous reports when purchasing the right software and models that the team was not aware of licensing terms and information, or whether the software was compatible with certain setups.

An Alternative to FortiGuard - FamiSafe

As you can see, FortiGuard Web Filtering has a lot going for it, but there’s a problem, and it’s not that this isn’t a web filter free solution. Over the years, FortiGuard has been adopted mainly by businesses, which means the developers have aimed towards this kind of market.

With this in mind, if you’re looking to filter online content at home with your family in a quick and easy way, this might not be the best solution, especially since so many people at home will prefer to use their mobile devices, rather than desktop computers. However, there’s an easy alternative that fills the gap.

FamiSafe.

FamiSafe is renowned for being one of the most powerful and innovative parental control applications on the market, and thanks to the built-in web filtering features, it makes a great choice when you’re trying to filter online content at home with your loved ones.

There are plenty of features here to keep you busy, and more than enough functionality to ensure you have the best web content filtering experience. There’s also plenty of other features that can bring new benefits to your life.

Here’s a list of web filter free features to give you an insight into what’s available;

• Complete Web Filtering

The main feature of FamiSafe is the ability to filter through online content in whatever way best suits you. This can be done by filtering through genres of website, such as certain industry types or social media platforms, or by individually blocking content based on a URL.

• Integrated App Usage Monitoring and Blocking

Using FamiSafe, you’ll be able to see exactly how your loved ones are using the apps installed onto their devices and how long for. You can take action by blocking access to this app indefinitely, or by setting a block up on a timed basis.

• Smart Scheduling

Using Smart Scheduling, you’ll be able to see exactly how long your loved ones are using their devices for in total, and then set up a custom schedule that blocks access to the entire device for as long or as little as you like.

• Real-Time Location Tracking (with Geofencing)

One of the more interesting features of FamiSafe is the ability to track the real-time location of a person based on the GPS information of their smartphone. There’s even a geo-fencing feature where you can set up virtual boundaries on a map which, if crossed, will send a notification to your phone telling you so.

A Comparison of the Two Web Filter Free Solutions

Going to back to the web filter free aspect of both solutions, you’re probably wondering which one is best for you. With FortiGuard Web Filtering, there are plenty of web filtering features that are indefinitely helpful and can help protect you, your business or your family from unsuitable content online.

However, for the everyday user, this software can be complicated to set up and use, and it could be too expensive for someone who’s looking for something simple; especially in a family situation.

On the other hand, FamiSafe is a simple and effective web filtering solution that makes it easy for anyone to enjoy the benefits of a professional service without having to worry about the price or trying to figure out how everything works.

If you’re a business looking for an accurate and highly detailed service, then FortiGuard could be ideal and exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re in need of something on a smaller scale, FamiSafe could be the best option for you.

How to Install FamiSafe

As you can see, if you’re looking for a quick and easy solution to help filter your online content, FamiSafe is definitely one of the best ways to proceed. What’s more, if you want to start enjoying the benefits that FamiSafe has to offer, getting up and running takes no time at all.

Here’s how;

Step #1

Make your way over to the FamiSafe website and sign up for an account using your email address and creating a secure password. Now download the FamiSafe app to both your phone and the other phone you want to filter content on.

Step #2

Open the app on both devices and sign into the app using the details from Step #1. Now identify each phone correctly using the Parent and Child tags. The parent phone will be the one where you can control everything. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the rest of the installation process, depending on the operating system of your device. When complete, you can give the device back to other person.

Step #3

Start using FamiSafe by opening the app on your device. This will take you to the dashboard. To start filtering online content, open the Web Filter feature and simply select the type of content you want to filter. Alternatively, you can block access to individual websites.

Conclusion

It’s easy to see that there are plenty of options out there when it comes to filtering online content, no matter what device people are using, or what kind of content you want to block. Simply choose the one that’s right for you and enjoy all the benefits these solutions provide.