Article ID:5382
Objective
Web filtering is a feature on your router that can enhance an already secured network and promote productivity in the workplace by screening websites according to a score on a Web Reputation Index, adding keywords or domain names to a blacklist, and by server IP address.
An administrator or a company may have existing guidelines that discuss general network security, the Internet of things, and rules they want to implement on a network yet find an exception to the rules when it comes to a particular department. The administrator can create scheduled rules and bind them to exception lists granting access to specific websites during a certain time of the day or granting access to all websites to a specific user or users while the rest of the users on the network have denied access.
This article aims to show you how to configure Web Filtering on the RV34x Series Routers.
Applicable Devices
- RV34x Series
Software Version
- 1.0.00.33
Configure Web Filtering
Step 1. Log in to the web-based utility and choose Security > Web Filtering.
Step 2. In the Web Filtering area, click On to enable Web Filtering. This is disabled by default.
Step 3. If Content Filtering is enabled on your router, a notification will appear to inform you that Content Filtering has been disabled and that the two features cannot be enabled simultaneously. Click Apply to proceed with the configuration.
Step 4. Click Apply.
Step 5. In the Web Filtering Policies table, click on the Add button to create a web filtering policy.
Step 6. In the Policy Name field, enter a specific and unique name to identify the policy. The Policy Name can be any alphanumeric characters as long as it does not contain spaces.
Note: In this example, Weekdays is used as the Policy Name.
Step 7. Enter a short description for the policy in the Description field.
Note: In this example, Default-High is used as the description.
Step 8. Check the Enable check box to enable this policy.
Step 9. Click Edit category to define, manage, and apply filters to the policy.
You will be taken to the Web Filtering-Add/Edit Category page.
Step 10. In the Filtering Level column, click a radio button to quickly define the filtering extent that would best fit the network policies. The options are High, Moderate, Low, and Custom. Click on any of the filtering levels below to know the specific pre-defined sub-categories filtered to each of their enabled Web Content Category. Pre-defined filters cannot be altered any further and are greyed out.
- Low — This is the default option. Security is enabled with this option.
- Moderate — Adult/Mature Content, Illegal/Questionable, and Security are enabled with this option.
- High — Adult/Mature Content, Business/Investment, Illegal/Questionable, IT Resources, and Security are enabled with this option.
- Custom — No defaults are set to allow user-defined filters.
Note: For this example, a high filtering level is chosen.
Step 11. (Optional) To view all Web Content sub-categories, click Expand.
The sub-categories under each Web Content Category are as follows:
|
Filtering Level
|
Web Content | Sub-categories |
|---|---|---|
| High | Adult/Mature Content | Adult and Pornography, Sex Education, Gambling, Swimsuits and Intimate Apparel, Nudity |
| Business/Investment | Web Advertisements | |
| Illegal/Questionable | Cult and Occult, Abused Drugs, Marijuana, Weapons, Questionable, Hate and Racism, Violence, Cheating, Gross, Alcohol, and Tobacco | |
| IT Resources | File Hosting / Storage, Web-based email | |
| Security | Dead Sites (db Ops only), Hacking, Keyloggers and Monitoring, Malware Sites, Phishing and Other Frauds, Proxy Avoid and Anonymizers, Spyware and Adware, Bot Nets, SPAM URLs, Open HTTP Proxies | |
| Moderate | Adult/Mature Content | Adult and Pornography, Gambling, Swimsuits and Intimate Apparel, Nudity |
|
Illegal/Questionable
|
Abused Drugs, Marijuana, Questionable, Hate and Racism, Gross | |
|
Security
|
Dead Sites (db Ops only), Keyloggers and Monitoring, Malware Sites, Phishing and Other Frauds, Proxy Avoid and Anonymizers, Spyware and Adware, Bot Nets, SPAM URLs, Open HTTP Proxies | |
| Low |
Security
|
Dead Sites (db Ops only), Malware Sites, Phishing and Other Frauds, Proxy Avoid and Anonymizers, Spyware and Adware, Bot Nets, SPAM URLs, Open HTTP Proxies |
| Custom |
None
|
None
|
Step 12. (Optional) To collapse the branched out categories, click Collapse.
Step 13. (Optional) To return to the default categories, click Restore to Default Categories.
Step 14. Click Apply to save the configuration and to return to the Filter page to continue the setup.
Note: In the Application List Table, the corresponding sub-categories based on the chosen filtering level will populate the table.
Step 15. From the Device Type drop-down list, select the source/destination of the packets to be filtered. Only one option may be chosen at a time. The options are:
- ANY — Choose this to apply the policy to any device.
- Camera — Choose this to apply the policy to cameras (such as IP security cameras).
- Computer — Choose this to apply the policy to computers.
- Ebook — Choose this to apply the policy to Ebooks.
- Game_Console — Choose this to apply the policy to Gaming Consoles.
- IP_Camera — Choose this to apply the policy to IP Cameras.
- Media_Player — Choose this to apply the policy to Media Players.
- Mobile — Choose this to apply the policy to mobile devices.
- Smart_Phone — Choose this to apply the policy to smart phones.
- TV — Choose this to apply the policy to televisions with Wi-Fi capabilities.
- Tablet — Choose this to apply the policy to tablet devices.
- VoIP_Gateway — Choose this to apply the policy to Voice over Internet Protocol devices.
Note: For this example, ANY is used.
Step 16. From the OS Type drop-down list, choose an Operating System (OS) to which the policy should be applicable. Only one may be chosen at a time. The options are:
- ANY — Applies the policy to any type of OS. This is the default.
- Android — Applies the policy to Android OS only.
- BlackBerry — Applies the policy to Blackberry OS only.
- Linux — Applies the policy to Linux OS only.
- Mac_OS_X — Applies the policy to Mac OS only.
- Other — Applies the policy to an OS that is not listed.
- Windows — Applies the policy to the Windows OS.
- iOS — Applies the policy to iOS OS only.
Note: For this example, Any is chosen.
Step 17. Check the Web Reputation check box to enable filtering based on a web reputation index.
Note: Content will be filtered according to the notoriety of a website or URL based on a web reputation index. If the score falls below 40, the website will be blocked. To read more about the web reputation technology, click here for more details.
Step 18. Choose an IP group from the Applied on IP group drop-down list. The options may vary depending on the IP groups that have been previously configured. The default is Any.
Step 19. (Optional) Click the Edit Exception List button. You will be taken to the Web Filtering-Add/Edit Exceptions List page.
Step 20. (Optional) Choose the type of exception list you want to create to either allow, deny, or exclude in the filtering process. The options are:
- White List — If the incoming URL is included in the White List, the URL is allowed. If not, check the web category.
- Black List — If the incoming URL is included in the Blacklist, the URL is not allowed.
- Exclusion List —Specify an IP address or range to exclude from this policy.
Note: If the reputation index value of a URL is not lower than 40, then it is safe and will be allowed access.
Step 21. To create an entry, click the Add button that corresponds to the type of exception list you chose in Step 20.
Note: For this example, an entry for the Black List is created.
Step 22. From the Type drop-down list, select whether you want data to be blocked according to a keyword, or through a domain name.
Note: For this example, Domain Name is chosen.
Step 23. Enter the domain name in the Value field that should be blocked.
Note: For this example, www.facebook.com is used.
Step 24. Click Apply.
Step 25. Click on Back to return and continue the configuration.
Step 26. From the Schedule drop-down list, select a schedule which the policy should be set. The options may vary according to previously defined schedules. To configure a schedule, go to System Configuration > Schedules or you may click here for more details.
Note: For this example, Always On is chosen.
Step 27. Click OK to apply the settings.
Step 28. (Optional) To save the configuration permanently, go to the Copy/Save Configuration page or click the 
icon at the upper portion of the page.
Step 29. (Optional) To verify that a website or URL has been filtered or blocked, launch a web browser or open a new tab in your browser. Enter the domain name you have blacklisted or have filtered to be blocked or denied.
Note: In this example, it would be www.facebook.com.
You should now have successfully configured web filtering on your RV34x Router.