Abstract: A method of configuring an appliance to be a plug-and-play network filter includes the steps of configuring an appliance to alter the flow of network traffic when the appliance is connected to a network. The appliance is configured to change the address resolution protocol ARP so that it assumes the role of a router by issuing an ARP packet. The appliance is configured to establish itself between the router and end user terminals. The appliance is configured to respond to any ARP Request on the Gateway IP address. The appliance is configured to monitor Internet traffic, and filter certain predefined types of Internet traffic. The appliance is configured to transparently proxy web packets on TCP with destination port 80.