Astaro - Parental Control for Wii

Company: Sophos
Version: na
Devices supported: Gaming Console
Price *: 50.00 €
Language of interface: dutch, english, french, german, spanish
Test date: SIP Bench III, 1st test cycle, Summer 2013

*Prices might change according to the latest company offers

EFFECTIVENESS

According Nintendo's support Astaro is discontinued and no longer maintained. Unfortunately there is no hint on the website about this!

Effectiveness could not be tested due to the inavailablity of the Astaro server.

USABILITY

Installation of the tool: Web filtering for the console's internet access is possible with help of the external application ""Astaro"". Installation of the application works nearly automatically; therefore the installation hasn't been tested with regard to usability. "

Configuration of the tool: Astaro for Wii provides barely any options for configuration; therefore the configuration of the settings for youth protection on the consoles themselves was included in the test: Especially using Wii together with Astaro is incomprehensible. Context sensitive explanations are missing. Finding the Astaro service and learning how to use it, is very difficult. The configuration with regard to web filtering is very poor and provides barely any options. "

Usage of the tool: There is barely any usage concerning Wii's youth protection tool. The alert message is not worded with respect to children's capability of understanding. The product provides no options to react when a web site has been blocked. There is no reporting of URL filtering. Filtering mechanism is not working and the product has been discontinued but there is no note about this nether in the installation process nor in the usage.

Usability of the installation process: n/a
Usability of the configuration process: 1.4
Usability of the usage of the product: 0.5

Overall score for usability: 1.1 out of 4 points

FUNCTIONALITY

The filtering function does not work! In the most cases you get "no Connection to Server". According Nintendo's support Astaro is discontinued and no longer maintained. Unfortunately there is no hint on the website about this!

Parental control functionalities provided by the external tool Astaro:

Web filtering: Nintendo has included a bookmark in the Wii Browser which links to the Astaro Wii Content Filtering Portal. This external, not free of charge tool provides web filtering features. Astaro Wii Content Filtering makes use of a proxy which filters web sites requested to the Internet channel.

Parental control functionalities device embedded:
The console is provided with a family security functionality which allows the parent to determine the settings both for the OFFLINE and the ONLINE features. Here are presented only the online features managed by the embedded tool. The parent can restrict the CHILD/TEENAGER uses of the console via the settings of a four-digit PIN.

Internet access: It is possible to block the access to the internet channel if desired.

Online communication:

Online communication and user created content: The parents can control messages communication of the Wii console in online games where open communication is available, as well as controls the exchange of user created content in compatible games and channels.

Content download or purchase:
Purchase and download activity: The parent can control the use of Wii Points, which are used to acquire downloads from the Wii shop channel. If this setting is on, users will be required to enter the 4-digit PIN in order to use Wii Points to download items from the Wii shop channel.

Other

News channel: The ADMIN can control access to the news channel. If this setting is on, users will be required to enter the 4-digit PIN in order to enter the channel.

SECURITY

Security could not be tested due to the inavailablity of the Astaro server.

DETAILED FUNCTIONALITY

Area of need	Functionality	Specific issues	Assessment
Management	Management of User profiles	Create several profiles	No
	Remote Management	Manage on various devices	No
	Monitoring	Remote access to monitoring	No
Filtering Customisation	Topics	Customisation of Filtering Topics	No
	URLs White List	Restrict Browsing to White List	No
		Default White List	No
		Modification OR Creation	No
	URLs Black List	Creation of User's own Black List	No
Keywords	Keywords	Default Black List	No
		Default White List	No
		Creation of a User's Black List	No
		Creation of a User's White List	No
Time	Time Limit Settings	Set a specific time frame or web access duration	No
Blocking Message	Type	Ask for unblocking by parents	No
Blocking Message	Type	Redirect to safe resources	No
Usage Restriction	Web	Block Access	Yes
	Web	Monitor Access	No
	Safe search	Availability	No
	Social Networks	Block Access	No
	Social Networks	Monitor Usage	No
	Personal data Provision	Block	No
	Streaming	Block Access	No
	Streaming	Monitor Access	No
	P2P	Block the application	No
	P2P	Monitor Downloads	No
	Skype	Block chat	No
		Block video chat	No
		Monitor	No
		Prevent new Contact	No
	Windows Life Messenger	Block chat	No
		Block video chat	No
		Monitor	No
		Prevent new Contact	No
	Email	Block email client and/or webmail access	No

DETAILED USABILITY FINDINGS

	Yes / No
I: installation in 3 steps or less	Yes
I: choice of installation for beginners or advanced users	n/a

C: different degrees of strength for the filtering	Yes
C: different content criteria for the filtering	No
C: option to transfer filter configurations between target users	n/a
C: option to transfer filter configurations between devices	No
C: overall comprehensible configuration	No
C: overall conformity with user expectations	No
C: overall easy to learn	No

U: alert message in a child friendly language	No
U: option to customise the reaction in case of blocking	No
U: overall easily operable and comprehensible reporting	n/a

DETAILED SECURITY FINDINGS

The Tool prevents the user from by-passing the filter by:	Yes / No
Using the IP address instead of the URL	n/a
Using an alternative browser	n/a
Changing time and date settings*	n/a
Disabling or uninstalling the software without a password*	n/a
Closing the filtering tool trough the Task Manager	n/a
Using a proxy instead of a direct connection to the Internet	n/a
Accessing the web-pages through the Google Cache	n/a
Reaching a website through translation sites	n/a
Renaming a blocked application	n/a
Using Safe Mode	n/a
Filtering Content personalised by user	n/a
Filtering Content evolving through time	n/a
Filtering Multimedia content	n/a
Filtering outbound content	n/a