topic Re: How to block youtube on router? in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

How to block youtube on router?

Pioter — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 17:04:34 GMT

Is any way I can block youtube on router ?
Nothing in games and programs to block. Any ideas ?

Re: How to block youtube on router?

Mav — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 17:07:48 GMT

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): This thread is now in the appropriate board.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

Gel — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 20:33:38 GMT

If you stated model of router others may be able to comment;

My Netgear D6100 certainly has option, as detailed below:

http://www.netgear.com/lpc

Re: How to block youtube on router?

Pioter — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:32:07 GMT

I've have got sagem plusnet one hub

Re: How to block youtube on router?

7up — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 23:57:05 GMT

Although the PN Hub One does allow you to have control over devices to the internet (access control) it does not (oddly) allow you to block a website by its domain.

The access control is rather basic - it allows you to control what time a certain device can use the internet but that's it.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

Alex — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 00:45:03 GMT

Depends on the client.

A rather rudimentary approach is to put a customised hosts file on the client PC's.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

7up — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 02:52:10 GMT

Yeah but you can't do that on an android mobile!

We don't know enough about the ops setup and reason for wanting to block YT. If it's a young technically minded kiddy in the house then overriding a hosts file would be a breeze. Thats why it needs to be blocked at the router.

It could be done with a mini-itx box between the router and the rest of the network but it's a complex walk through to help someone do that and rather costly. It would be easier just to get another router which supports url blocking.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

DaveyH — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 03:48:40 GMT

@7up wrote:

Yeah but you can't do that on an android mobile!

We don't know enough about the ops setup and reason for wanting to block YT. If it's a young technically minded kiddy in the house then overriding a hosts file would be a breeze. Thats why it needs to be blocked at the router.

If they're technically competent enough to override a hosts file, then they''re also competent enough to get around any router blocks...

It could be done with a mini-itx box between the router and the rest of the network but it's a complex walk through to help someone do that and rather costly. It would be easier just to get another router which supports url blocking.

You could do it cheaply and easily with a Raspberry Pi and Pi-hole

Re: How to block youtube on router?

Alex — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 09:01:25 GMT

Yes that's true, it can be easily worked around. I don't see the point in blocking personally.

I think my sysadmin friend would have the traffic going through a default gateway which does the blocking, but that doesn't stop someone from just using 4G.

I personally am worried about when my niece starts school in a year or so time and starts using the internet. Yes I want her to meet people and don't want to be too draconian. But how do I tell whether anyone she speaks to on-line is genuine?

I know of a few people at work who they've caught. One was an adult male they caught pretending to be a 6 year old girl.

I will leave it there, but to be subtle that is not right and less subtle that is [-Censored-]ed up.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

7up — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:19:19 GMT

@Davey a raspberry pi has one physical network socket so while it can offer dhcp and routing abilities it is only complimentary and not forced.

Using a mini itx box with two network interfaces would allow it to be physically located between the router and the rest of the network allowing it to forcefully block certain requests via the software router.

Now tell me how you expect to do that on a RPi with just one network interface?

Re: How to block youtube on router?

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:31:47 GMT

An RPi will support multiple NICs using something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NPJP33M/ As I use one here to control my RPi Cluster Controller. But as they still share the common USB bus throughput is not as good as it would be with dedicated Ethernet.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

7up — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:36:47 GMT

@Alex your colleagues sound disturbing! Something not right with people these days and it does worry me that there seems to be so many freaky people out there.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

7up — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:43:20 GMT

For the reasons you state Mook that's why I didn't bother suggesting the RPi myself although the tiny size is preferable compared to a larger mini itx based device. But even then Linux is a total mystery to many and quite a daunting challenge.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 12:55:00 GMT

I have to agree with you @7up, a multi NIC unit would be by far the best option for a dedicated unit but building your own firewall is not for everyone. However, if @Pioter has an NAS box like a QNAP or Synology then they could run their own internal DNS and black hole YT at source, but that is just as easily defeated by the user setting their own DNS to the likes of 8.8.4.4 etc.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

7up — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 13:05:28 GMT

Just block outgoing requests to port 53 on the firewall!

As for building a firewall I'd rather use a pre made one from a reputable security vendor than try to write and build one myself.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 13:52:57 GMT

You could do that but then you would need a full blown DNS implementation to resolve all other external addresses, such as the BBC, Here, etc.

Re: How to block youtube on router?

VileReynard — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:05:58 GMT

What's to stop any kid/adult obtaining access to youtube via a free proxy server?

Re: How to block youtube on router?

7up — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:01:51 GMT

I've never got youtube to work via a proxy but yeah in theory it's possible but then you just block the proxy too.