Getting the Most Out of Net Nanny Software

Read these tips to get a quick summary of the ways you can use Net Nanny's features to protect your child on the Web.

Review the Activity Logs regularly

Open Settings >> Activity Logs >> Activity Details.
Choose to have reports emailed to you.
Use information in the logs to know what you need to talk about with your children.

Set up individual Net Nanny accounts for you and your children. Time Management and Monitoring is most effective when you're able to see which user was logged in when a violation occurred: you, your spouse or one of your children. Note several things:

When you set up user accounts for family members, make sure to make the "Anybody" account very restrictive (e.g., set the default blocking level to 4). If the "Anybody" account blocks all Web access, children will WANT to log in so that they can access the Internet.
You can define a different level of blocking and filtering as well as a distinct time schedule for each user.
You can set up an account for yourself that is not very restrictive, e.g. Blocking Level 1. Just make sure that you log out when you finish using the Web.

Use the Time Management feature to ensure your children don't spend too much time on the Web. While the Web can be a great educational tool, it can also become all-consuming, distracting your child from other important activities. Net Nanny's time-management feature allows you to choose a time limit per day, as well as allowing or blocking access at particular times of the day.
Set up Net Nanny to block the transmission of personal information. Due to a myriad of threats, from online predators to Internet financial scams, it is very dangerous to share personal information online for children and adults. Take a few minutes to set your personal information preferences in the Settings menu. This will allow Net Nanny to block the inadvertent transmission of your personal information in email or via the Web. You can block the transmission of information such as phone numbers and addresses (which a predator could potentially use to find your child), and credit card numbers and bank accounts (so this information doesn't get into the wrong hands). Net Nanny securely saves this sensitive personal information on your PC, allowing access to it only through your password-controlled settings menu.
Block access to applications that you don't want your child to use. You can choose to block any combination of file trading, instant messenger and game applications, using the Applications tab in each user's profile. If you're concerned about your children downloading or sharing copyrighted music, chatting with strangers or playing online games, this is an easy way to stop worrying.