In this article

This article outlines how to set Filtering Policies for different times of day/week with Filtering Schedules. 

A common reason to use this tool is to set work/non-work hour filters for users that rely on personal devices to complete work. This is an optional setting that isn't necessary when applying the same policy throughout the whole day/week. 

Filtering Schedules Notes

• Filtering schedules must have a minimum duration of 15 minutes and can only start and end in 15-minute intervals (:00/:15/:30/:45)
• If a domain’s TTL exceeds the transition point of the next policy, the TTL is automatically reduced to the transition point minus 1 second
• Scheduled policies are applied based on the timezone configured in the DNSFilter dashboard, not the local time of the Roaming Client. If a device travels to a different timezone, the scheduled filtering will still follow the original policy time
• Organizations using time-based filtering should be aware that Roaming Clients do not adjust filtering schedules based on their local timezone, which may lead to unexpected policy behavior when devices move across time zones

This video was produced in 2018.
The look and feel of our app has changed, but the function of the tool remains the same.

Set a Filtering Schedule

Step One: Create two Filtering Policies

Filtering Schedules require two policies: one for the extra settings—e.g. work hours—and another for basic settings—e.g. non-work hours. 

1. From the DNSFilter dashboard, navigate to Policies and select Filtering
2. Select Add Policy
3. Enter a Policy Name e.g. Work Hours 
4. Configure the policy by tabbing through Categories, Threats, etc.
5. Select Save Policy
   
   1. The first policy is now ready
6. Select Filtering again 
7. Select Add Policy
8. Enter a Policy Name e.g. Non-Work Hours
9. Configure the policy by tabbing through Categories, Threats, etc. 
10. Select Save Policy

Use these policies to add the filtering schedule. 

Step Two: Add the Filtering Schedule

1. From the DNSFilter dashboard, navigate to Policies and select Filtering Schedules
2. Choose your timezone from the drop down menu. Match to the local time or the filtering policy will not apply correctly once scheduled
3. Enter a Filtering Schedule Name e.g. Work Week
4. Click and drag on the calendar to assign the policy time or select All-Day Policy for full off policy schedules
   
   

   Example

   9 AM - 5 PM Monday through Friday = Work Hours
   5 PM - 9 AM Monday through Friday = Non-Work Hours
   All-Day Policy Saturday and Sunday = Non-Work Hours
   
   
5. Select the Policy from the drop down menu 
6. Select Confirm
   🚨 Important: Fill in the entire calendar. Any time left blank will result in no policy coverage during that time and the network will be completely open to threats.
7. Select Save

The filtering schedule is ready to add to the network Site.

Step Three: Update the Site

1. From the DNSFilter dashboard, navigate to Deployments and select Sites
2. Select the Site for the filtering schedule
3. Under Policy/Schedule, select the Filtering Schedule Name (a calendar icon displays next to the policy)
4. Select Update

The scheduled filtering policy is now applied to the Site. It can take up to 30 minutes for the policy to take effect.