As technology continues to improve one thing is certain, the Internet will soon make it’s way into every area of our lives. We bank online, shop online, work online, and even date online.

The Internet is growing exponentially. New content pops up every second and, with “high speed” Internet service becoming a staple in most homes, that content is more readily and rapidly available than ever before.

While this is great news it also comes with a few caveats… for every kid friendly page we see on the internet there are probably a hundred pages most parents would rather their kids never find.

It’s no secret; kids are curious. If you put a group of adolescent boys alone in a room with a computer it won’t take too terribly long before a Google search for the word “boobies” is entered. So what can parents do to keep their kids from viewing content that is not age appropriate? Parent’s can’t watch and monitor their kids every second of the day. Parents need an “always on” solution that will help filter the content their kids see. Fortunately there is a solution to this, and best of all it’s free.

OpenDNS is a free service that acts as an “always on” content filtering system. With OpenDNS you set up a free account and then configure the type of content you’d like to allow or disallow. You can filter by category or even specific web pages (ladies you can even keep your husband off those “questionable” sites… but don’t say we mentioned it!).

On a very basic level here’s how it works…. Computers use a DNS server to change a name to a numeric value. So when you open up the web page yahoo.com a DNS server translates “yahoo.com” to its numeric IP address (or 209.191.93.53). Since yahoo.com is a heck of a lot easier to remember than 209.191.93.53 these DNS servers are pretty handy things to have.

All Internet service providers (ie.. Cox, Qwest, Charter, Comcast to name a few) also provide DNS servers for their customers to use. Basically when you use OpenDNS you simply use their DNS servers instead of the ones given to you by your ISP.

So if you have concerns about where or what your kids are looking at on the web check out OpenDNS.

As “computer guys” one of the more frustrating things that we deal with is having a simple problem to fix but not having the resources to do it. I am of course referring to those often forgotten installation CDs. I can’t begin to count the number of times I have been faced with a computer problem that required some piece of software to be re-installed and the disk for said software was nowhere to be found.


As a friendly service reminder and as a tip to save you time and money when computer service is needed; please save everything you can when you buy a computer. Every PC manufacturer will include some sort of system restore discs. These discs will contain things like your operating system (Windows), software drivers for the hardware in your PC, and any pre-installed applications. In addition to the installation discs it is equally important to keep the CD keys. Without these keys the CD’s are nothing more than shiny coasters.


A common misconception is that programs like Microsoft Word and Excel are just “included” when someone buys a new computer. This is of course not the case. These applications are often pre-installed by the manufacturer but they are not a “standard” part of Windows. If you buy a PC that has Word or Excel on it, the manufacturer will send you the discs for these programs along with a CD key. If you lose this disc or CD key you’ve just lost your ability to re-install these programs should the need arise. What is worse is that programs like Word or Excel can cost hundreds of dollars.


The number of discs and amount of paperwork that come with a computer is relatively minimal and doesn’t take up much space. Take it all, stick it in a large envelope and put it somewhere you can find when you need it. You’ll be glad you did and your computer guy will thank you for it.