by Don Engstrom

As high speed DSL and cable connections become more commonplace, folks with more than one computer will be looking for ways to share those connections. Vicom, a developer of software based connectivity solutions, offers a solution that not only splits your connection but offers content filtering via MicroSystems' Cyber Patrol.

Installation/Setup: If you already have an active internet account, via modem, ISDN, DSL etc. setting up SurfDoubler+ is fairly straight forward. There is a "wizard" style application that pulls up and uses your existing TCP/IP settings. All you really need to do is specify your method of connecting to your ISP, via modem or Ethernet most likely. For security reasons you will also be prompted for your password so have this handy. I found the instructions provided by the wizard a little unclear in places, but sticking with the default choices is probably a safe bet. Once you have entered the required information, SurfDoubler+ will build the ports required to connect your computer and "client" machines to the internet. SurfDoubler+ uses a process called Network Address Translation (NAT for short) to convert the IP addresses of your client machines to the IP address (static or dynamic) assigned by your ISP. Data traveling to and from your client machines appears as though it originated from your main IP address. This process is entirely transparent. Client machines can either have their own static IP address (within the range specified by SurfDoubler) or have an IP address assigned by your host machine using DHCP. I opted for this latter arrangement as it meant less configuring effort on the client side.

Performance: I only ran into one snag while running SurfDoubler+ with my 56k modem. Trying to load pages or check e-mail before establishing a connection generated error messages in Netscape and Claris Emailer respectively. Apparently SurfDoubler+ was not quite fast enough at establishing a connection for these two programs. Other than that I was quite impressed with the transparent operation of the program. If you are splitting a modem connection between two computers don't expect to stream that Star Wars trailer at full speed. Since day to day web surfing is (hopefully) a combination of downloading pages and reading their content, sharing a connection shouldn't slow either computer down much. Those of you lucky enough to have DSL or another form of high speed access probably won't even notice when others are sharing your connection.

Filtering: Or, my journey to the internet's dark underbelly... The plus in SurfDoubler+ indicates that it offers filtering and other controls, presumably for concerned parents. The "CyberNOT" filtering system uses the Cyber Patrol database to allow exclusion of pages based on any of 13 criteria. The database, which is updated on a weekly basis, is a hefty download. For my tests I opted to block everything except search engines which I would use in my quest for dirt. Heading over to Metacrawler I typed in "sex education." Clicking on the top link got me through to a governmental clearing house of sex ed resources. Most, but not all, of the remaining links on the Metacrawler list were barred. Typing in obvious domain names like naked.com or sex.com also resulted in a message saying the page was barred by the system administrator. On the opposite end of the spectrum I was barred from accessing my own personal web page, which I assure you has no objectionable content! I was also barred from looking up a schedule of classes my local ISP was offering. The above experiences reinforced my opinion that content filtering schemes are inherently flawed. No system can catch every inappropriate page and legitimate pages often get caught in the crossfire. You can permit or exclude pages and sites on an individual basis but that can be a lot of work. In my mind nothing beats direct supervision and teaching your kids to surf responsibly and do their own "content filtering." Renewing your CyberNOT subscription after the initial free 6 months will run $29.95 for a 6 month subscription or $49.95 for a year.

Time Limits: One feature also exclusive to the plus version of SurfDoubler that seems quite handy is the time control. I didn't have a chance to test this before my demo period expired but the idea is simple enough. Days of the week are broken into 48 half hour periods. Clicking on a time slot turns it green allowing access. You can also set a time limit within the access period for even greater flexibility.

Conclusions: We are long time users and fans of Vicom's original SurfDoubler here at MacReviewZone. SurfDoubler Plus, like its older sibling, works quietly in the background splitting your connection and it does it seamlessly. Unfortunately the major feature of the plus version, content filtering, falls victim to problems common in many filtering programs. CyberNOT is over zealous in some cases while letting "inappropriate" content slip through in others. At $49.95 per year, the cost of safe surfing adds up. I would recommend going with Vicom's original SurfDoubler (which costs $20 less) and playing an active role in your kids' online time.

Product: SurfDoubler Plus

Company: Vicom

MSRP: $74 (includes 6 month CyberNOT subscription)

Rating: (5 possible)

Requirements: - 68040 Processor or better - System 7.5.3 or later - Open Transport 1.1.1 or later - 5MB Available RAM - 3MB Disk space