Sentry Total Family Protection for Windows

Jumping through the preinstall registration hurdles may turn off some users, but those extra steps demonstrate this user-monitoring utility's attention to detail.

Sentry Total Family Protection is a client-server based application for filtering and monitoring PC use--ostensibly to protect children and other family members from visiting inappropriate sites or making inappropriate connections through IM and other methods. All settings and logs are accessible through the developer's Web-based control panel. The application's link requires you to register before you even download the executable, and installation is a multistep process involving a system reboot, so many users may get exasperated before the application is even viable on their systems. But once the utility is up and running, configuring its settings and using its features are very easy to master, for its online interface is designed with clarity and easy navigation in mind.

Sentry performed very well in our tests. We liked how simple it was to set up the profiles for system users and the real-time details provided in system-use logs, which were categorized among applications, browsers, and IM packages. Setting up black lists and managing access for users was also easy to accomplish, and we liked the simplicity offered for switching to and from stealth mode. Scheduling and restricting use time also was easy to manage. In all facets of our tests, the application responded quickly and satisfactorily.

The trial limit is rather brief, but the monthly charge is reasonable. This monitoring software will appeal to anyone wanting a simple, easy-to-use filtering system to protect their children from the web's less savory elements.