WebScout

WebScout is a simple to configure, HTTP and SOCKS 5 proxy that can share, monitor and filter Internet access for a variety of web browsers and Internet applications.

The intuitive user interface makes it simple to create access rules controlling what activity is allowed and which should be blocked. You can simply deny access to a blocked site or provide your own custom error message informing the user about your Acceptable Usage Policy.

Rules can be created to allow or block access based on the workstation, username, time of access, domain name, directory or filename. For example, you can block access to yahoo.com/games, all EXE files, or permit access during lunch hours only.

Besides blocking access, you can also speed throttle certain requests to a slower speed so that they do not congest your network. For example, you can speed throttle MP3, EXE and ZIP file downloads to a maximum of 10 KB/s per user.

WebScout includes a usage counter which records how much bandwidth and time each user or workstations has spent on the Internet on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Usage limits can be applied to users so that when a user exceeds their quota, their Internet access is restricted.

The new SOCKS 5 proxy makes it possible to monitor and restrict usage in a wider range of Internet programs, such as FTP, e-mail, P2P file-sharing programs, IRC and IM chat programs. Advertisements and adult content can be filtered using the built-in filters. All Internet activity can be logged into a text file, or you can choose to log only blocked requests or disable the log altogether.

The latest version also adds Active Directory and NT domain authentication, so users can use their existing Windows logon password to also access to the Internet. The programs settings can be password-protected so that no other users can make unauthorized changes. WebScout runs invisibly in the background as a Windows service.

Here are some key features of "WebScout":

￭ Shares your Internet connection. ￭ Records a log file of Internet activity (web sites visited). ￭ Block access based on the URL, time or username. ￭ Speed throttle connections to prevent network congestion. ￭ Restrict users bandwidth and time spent on the Internet. ￭ Built-in advertisement and adult content filters. ￭ Supports Active Directory and NT domain authentication. ￭ Runs as a Windows service, and settings can be password-protected

Limitations:

￭ 30 days trial period ￭ Nag screen ￭ Limited to serving 10 workstations ￭ Quota usage report cannot be exported