url-filter

Creates a new URL filter (Web filter) and enters its configuration mode. URL filtering is a licensed feature. When applied to a WiNG device the license allows you to enable URL filtering on the device, create and apply a URL filter defining the banned and/or allowed URLs. When enabled, the URL filter is applied to all user-initiated URL requests to determine if the requested URL is banned or allowed. Only if allowed is the user‘s request (in the form of a HTTP request packet) forwarded to the Web server.

URL filters can be applied at any of the following points: the user‘s application (browser/email reader), the network‘s gateway, at the Internet service provider (ISP) end, and also on a Web portal. For wireless clients, the WLAN infrastructure is the best place to implement these filters.

A URL filter is a set of whitelist and/or blacklist rules. The whitelist allows access only to those Websites and URLs specified in it. All other Websites and URLs, apart from those specified in the whitelist, are banned. On the other hand, the blacklist bans all Websites and URLs specified in it. All other Websites and URLs, apart from those specified in the blacklist, are allowed.

To simplify URL filter configuration, Websites have been classified into pre-defined category-types and categories. The system provides 12 category-types and 64 categories. To further simplify configuration, these 12 category-types have been grouped into five (5) pre-defined levels. (See Usage Guidelines section for the list of category-types, categories, and levels). The actual classification of URLs (on the basis of the pre-defined factors mentioned above) is done by the classification server. A local database also helps by caching URL records for a user-defined time period. The classification server host is specified in the Web filter policy. The Web filter policy also defines the URL database parameters. For more information, see web-filter-policy .

The WiNG software also allows you to create URL lists. Each URL list contains a list of user-defined URLs. Use the URL list in a URL filter (whitelist or blacklist rule) to identify the URLs to ban or allow. For example, a URL list named SocialNetworking is created listing the following three sites: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. When applied to a URL filter‘s blacklist these three sites are banned. Where as, when applied to a whitelist only these three sites are allowed. For more information on configuring a URL list, see url-list.

Note

Note

URL filtering is a licensed feature. Procure and install the license in the device configuration mode. For more information, see license (device config mode).

Supported on the following devices:

Syntax

url-filter <URL-FILTER-NAME>

Parameters

url-filter <URL-FILTER-NAME>
<URL-FILTER-NAME> Creates a new URL filter and enters its configuration mode. Specify the URL filter name. If a filter with the specified name does not exist, it is created.

Usage Guidelines

Sl No. Category Type Category
1 Adult Content Alcohol & Tobacco, Dating & Personals, Gambling, Nudity, Pornography/Sexually Explicit, Sex Education, Weapons
2 Business Web-based Email
3 Communication Chat, Instant Messaging
4 Entertainment Streaming Media & Downloads
5 File Sharing and Backup Download Sites
6 Gaming Games
7 News Sports and General Arts, Business, Computer & Technology, Education, Entertainment, Fashion & Beauty, Finance, Forum & Newsgroups, General, Government, Greeting Card, Health & Medicine, Information Security, Job Search, Leisure & Recreation, Network Errors, News, Non-Profits & NGO, Personal Sites, Politics, Private IP Addresses, Real Estates, Religion, Restaurants & Dinning, Search Engine & Portals, Shopping, Sports, Transportation, Translators, Travel
8 Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Peer to Peer
9 Questionable/Unethical Child Abuse Images, Cults, Hacking, Hate & Intolerance, Illegal Drug, Illegal Sharing, Illegal Software, School Cheating, Tasteless, Violence
10 Security Risk Advertisement & Pop-ups, Anonymizers, Botnets, Compromised, Criminal Activity, Malware, Parked Domains, Phishing & Fraud, Spam Sites
11 Social and Photo Sharing Social Networking
12 Software Update N/A
Sl No. Level Description
1 Basic Blocks sites/URL categorized as Security Risk
2 Low Blocks sites/URL categorized as Adult Content + Basic
3 Medium Blocks sites/URL categorized as File Sharing and Backup, P2P, Questionable / Unethical + Low
4 Medium High Blocks sites/URL categorized as Gaming + Medium
5 High Blocks sites/URL categorized as Communication, Entertainment, Social and Photo Sharing + Medium High

Examples

nx9500-6C8809(config-url-filter-test)#?
URL Filter Mode commands:
  blacklist    Block access to URL
  blockpage    Configure blocking page parameters
  description  Url filter description
  no           Negate a command or set its defaults
  whitelist    Allow access to URL

  clrscr       Clears the display screen
  commit       Commit all changes made in this session
  do           Run commands from Exec mode
  end          End current mode and change to EXEC mode
  exit         End current mode and down to previous mode
  help         Description of the interactive help system
  revert       Revert changes
  service      Service Commands
  show         Show running system information
  write        Write running configuration to memory or terminal

nx9500-6C8809(config-url-filter-test)#

Related Commands

no Removes an existing URL filter policy