A Time Gate Packet Filter (TGPF) for controlling data flow and Internet Access in a small environment. The TGPF is self-contained, simple to use, does not require IT expertise, and requires no software installation. The TGPF utilizes multi-phase filtering to control network access based on: types of sites, specific sites, types of services that can be accessed, source and destination, time of day, and day of week.