"NxFilter is a DNS filtering server that is capable of filtering Internet traffic based on domain names and content categories. In addition, it can use DNS packet inspection to protect your network from malware and botnet activity.

NxFilter is installed on a single PC, where it acts as a DNS proxy server. In order to route your Internet traffic through NxFilter, you will need to change the DNS settings on all machines that you want to protect to use the IP address of the NxFilter instance (instead of your regular DNS servers).

Each machine that uses the NxFilter server in their DNS will be automatically protected based on your global or user based settings. You can configure the filtering options from a browser based interface (Default password: admin) that also provides statistical charts and detailed reports.

NxFilter supports multiple content policies can automatically apply a certain policy to a specific user. You can also create content categories that allow you to group multiple domains into a category that can be blocked or quota limited. NxFilter can also be integrated with AD/LDAP .

The easiest way to block content by category is to download a blocklist from ULRBLocklist.com (see documentation), which allows you to quickly add dozens of pre-configured categories with almost 2 million websites."

https://www.snapfiles.com/get/nxfilter.html

"As of v4.6.0.8 of NxFilter, we included an embedded JRE into its Windows packages. When you install it using Windows installer, you don't need to install Java or JRE."

https://tutorial.nxfilter.org/a-system-requirements.php

Home Page
https://nxfilter.org/p4/

Changelog
https://www.nxfilter.org/changelog/nxfilter.txt

On Fri, 12 Apr 2024 04:28:24 -0500, Allan Higdon wrote:
> "NxFilter is a DNS filtering server that is capable of filtering Internet traffic based on domain names and content categories. In addition, it can use DNS packet inspection to protect your network from malware and botnet activity.
>
> NxFilter is installed on a single PC, where it acts as a DNS proxy server. In order to route your Internet traffic through NxFilter, you will need to change the DNS settings on all machines that you want to protect to use the IP address of the NxFilter instance (instead of your regular DNS servers).
>
> Each machine that uses the NxFilter server in their DNS will be automatically protected based on your global or user based settings. You can configure the filtering options from a browser based interface (Default password: admin) that also provides statistical charts and detailed reports.
>
> NxFilter supports multiple content policies can automatically apply a certain policy to a specific user. You can also create content categories that allow you to group multiple domains into a category that can be blocked or quota limited. NxFilter can also be integrated with AD/LDAP .
>
> The easiest way to block content by category is to download a blocklist from ULRBLocklist.com (see documentation), which allows you to quickly add dozens of pre-configured categories with almost 2 million websites."
>
> https://www.snapfiles.com/get/nxfilter.html
>
> "As of v4.6.0.8 of NxFilter, we included an embedded JRE into its Windows packages. When you install it using Windows installer, you don't need to install Java or JRE."
>
> https://tutorial.nxfilter.org/a-system-requirements.php
>
> Home Page
> https://nxfilter.org/p4/
>
> Changelog
> https://www.nxfilter.org/changelog/nxfilter.txt

For an alternative which don't use bloated framework, there's Arylic DNS
proxy.

Caveats: (reasons why you shouldn't use Acrylic; bad news first)

- No visually pleasing GUI.

- No user account based security/profile for accessing the DNS proxy.

- No AD/LDAP support.

- Windows OS only.

Highlights:

- Remote connection support DNS-over-HTTP (DoH) for privacy, and SOCKS5 for
cascading to a remote proxy. Remote proxy usage e.g. use the system DNS
setting in remote computer (which is installed with SOCKS proxy).

- Support up to ten! Yes, 10 remote DNS servers or remote proxies, combined.

- Support IP whitelist for DNS clients.

- Add additional layer of DNS cache with cache exclusion support (also
accepts wildcards). If Windows built in DNS Cache service is not disabled.

- Full logging support. Who connect to the proxy, what is being requested,
selected remote server to redirect the request, and response from the remote
server.

- And of course, DNS filtering (otherwise Acrylic won't be suggested in the
first place) aside from DNS hardcoding. Acrylic include its own HOSTS file
which support wildcards and regular expression, and inclusion of other HOSTS
files; as an additional layer of the system's HOSTS file instant name
lookup.

- Includes a service version of the program. i.e. can be run as a service,
and not just a background application.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/acrylic/