Resources for Organizations

Comprehensive guidance for community administrators to implement filtered networks and support members in digital safety.

Setting up a filtered network for your community?

Your Role in Community Digital Safety

As a community organization, you play a vital role in creating safe digital environments for your members and supporting families in their internet safety journey. Whether managing a synagogue, school, community center, or study hall, implementing appropriate filtering and providing guidance can make a significant difference.

This page provides practical resources for setting up filtered networks, managing shared computer spaces, and supporting your members with their home internet safety needs.

Setting Up Filtered Public WiFi

Providing filtered WiFi for your community is one of the most impactful steps you can take

Basic: DNS Filtering

Cost: Free to $10/month

Difficulty: Easy

Best for: Small communities, limited budget

Configure your router to use filtering DNS servers like OpenDNS, CleanBrowsing, or NextDNS. Provides network-wide filtering with minimal setup.

Intermediate: Hardware Solution

Cost: $200-$500 one-time

Difficulty: Moderate

Best for: Medium-sized communities

Dedicated filtering appliance (like Firewalla or Untangle) between your modem and network. Provides more control and reporting.

Advanced: Enterprise Solution

Cost: $50-200/month

Difficulty: Advanced (may need IT support)

Best for: Large institutions, schools

Professional content filtering service (like Cisco Umbrella or Lightspeed Systems). Includes detailed reporting, multiple WiFi networks, and support.

Benefits of Filtered Community WiFi

• Protects community members using your facility's internet
• Creates a safe environment for children and families
• Demonstrates your community's commitment to digital safety
• Reduces liability concerns
• Supports families who may not have filtering at home

Recommendation: Start with DNS filtering for immediate protection, then consider upgrading as your needs grow.

Managing Computer Labs and Libraries

Shared computer spaces require additional considerations beyond network filtering

Physical Setup

Visibility: Position monitors so staff can see screens
Privacy balance: Maintain supervision without surveillance
Signage: Post clear acceptable use policies
Time limits: Use booking systems to manage access fairly

Computer Configuration

Use guest/restricted accounts that reset between sessions (Deep Freeze)
Disable USB ports if possible to prevent bypass tools
Set browsers to clear history and cache on exit
Configure local filtering software in addition to network filtering
Disable system administrator access for regular users

Policy Development

Create a clear acceptable use policy
Specify that filtering is in place and bypass attempts are prohibited
Define consequences for policy violations
Post policies visibly near computers
Require acknowledgment of policies (signature or checkbox)

Supporting Families

Beyond providing filtered infrastructure, you can support families in their home internet safety efforts

Education and Awareness

• Host workshops or information sessions for parents
• Distribute guides and resources (you can link to or print materials from this site)
• Invite experts to speak about digital safety
• Create a resource library with recommended tools and guides

Community Support

• Establish a committee or point person for digital safety questions
• Offer tech support hours for families implementing filtering
• Create a peer support network where families can share experiences
• Recognize and celebrate families taking proactive steps

Youth Engagement

• Teach age-appropriate digital literacy and safety
• Create opportunities for supervised, constructive technology use
• Develop mentorship programs where older youth help younger ones
• Discuss digital challenges openly in age-appropriate forums

Balancing Access with Protection

One of the biggest challenges is maintaining appropriate access while providing protection:

Whitelist Approach

For environments with young children or high-security needs, allow only approved websites. More restrictive but requires ongoing maintenance of allowed sites.

Blacklist Approach

Block known problematic categories and sites while allowing general access. Less restrictive but requires good filtering technology.

Tiered Access

Offer different WiFi networks or computer settings for different groups:

Children's network: Heavily filtered, whitelist approach
General network: Moderately filtered, blacklist approach
Study/research network: Lighter filtering for adult study (optional)

Important: Consult with your organization's leadership to ensure your filtering approach aligns with your community's values and standards.

Ready to implement filtering for your community?

Explore our detailed setup guides and technical documentation to get started.

View Setup Guides

Policy Templates