Craig Crossman photo Craig Crossman
National Newspaper Computer Columnist

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"DISCONNECT AND PROTECT" GIVES PARENTS ULTIMATE POWERBest Net Guard

So what are your kids doing on the computer right now? Are they staying up half the night playing online games and chatting with strangers? Are they driving you nuts because they just won't get off the Internet even though you've told them a thousand times to do so? Wouldn't it be great if you could just somehow press a magic button from anywhere in the house and their Internet connections would be instantly severed? What a cool idea and a great feeling you'll get! Just press a little button and feel secure in knowing that their computers are no longer connected to the Internet. It¹s the ultimate in parental power and control. And yes, it's a reality called Best NetGuard.

Best NetGuard is a brand new product that takes the most direct approach to Internet management. Oh sure there's all kinds of monitoring software that will show you where your kids are surfing, when they're going there and what they're doing once they've landed. But sometimes I wonder about all the time it takes to monitor their activities. I'm not saying that monitoring products aren't a valuable tool in the fight against Internet addiction. In fact, Internet monitoring and control products can be an effective way to help regulate the amount of time as well as restrict the places to which your kids can go. But you have to first install them and then set them up, all of which takes quite a bit of effort. Now of course your kids are certainly worth all of that effort but sometimes it's the really simple solution that can be a better answer.

The type of control you need to implement usually depends on your situation.  It's been my experience that no single solution will always be the best choice, especially with something as complex as Internet security, monitoring and control. Best NetGuard really is an elegantly simple, direct approach. It's easy to install, gives you complete control, is inexpensive and when used judiciously, it can be very effective in helping to curtail too much Internet use.

Basically, the mantra of Best NetGuard is "Disconnect and Protect" and that's exactly what it does. Best NetGuard lets you instantly sever the Internet connection of one or all of your computers from anywhere in the house. Consisting of a tiny remote control that easily fits on any keychain, Best NetGuard looks a lot like one of those remotes you use to lock and unlock your car.

The other part of the Best NetGuard system is the tamper-proof locking clip that's affixed to a short Ethernet cable assembly. This works by first cutting off the little plastic locking tab you would normally depress to remove the Ethernet plug from a socket into which it plugs. Then you slide in the provided MOD-LOC clip into the jack on top of the modular plug until it snaps in place. Once that's done, the only way to remove the Ethernet plug would be to cut the MOD-LOC tab and of course, any parent would be able to see that immediately with only a cursory inspection.

Once installed, operation couldn't be more simple. There are just two buttons on the little remote control. Press the red ON button to activate the device and the OFF button to stop it. The Best NetGuard has a range of around 75 feet which should be more than ample for most households.

So there it is. When you want your kids offline, just reach into your pocket and press the little red button. The wails of anguish emanating from their rooms will most certainly confirm that your Best NetGuard is fully operational. Just think about how good you'll feel knowing that they're not up all night playing on the Internet or chatting with would-be predators.
And when they come home from school, just press the little OFF button so they can get their homework done and go online at a decent hour of the day.  But when the lights go dim and the late night approaches, just stay there in your recliner and press that little red button once more. Is that whining sound coming from your kid's room? Guess your Best NetGuard is working perfectly once again.

Best NetGuard sells for $49.95 and is available at:

www.bestnetguard.com/calp.html


 


Craig Crossman is a McClatchy-Tribune newspaper columnist writing about computers and technology. He also hosts the nation's longest running nationally syndicated radio talk show on computers and technology, Computer America, heard on both the Business TalkRadio Network® and the Lifestyle TalkRadio Network®, weeknights at 10PM Eastern time.  Visit his website at http://www.computeramerica.com

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