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Parental Controls

KevinA
Rising Star
Posts: 159
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎07-02-2013

Parental Controls

Ive tried many parental Controls in my time from norton DNS and Microsoft Family Filter, but none of these now meet my needs with android and games consoles accessing the internet, I want to block a list of sites across my whole network except for my main pc. This seems near impossible without developing other unintended faults. Adding any site to the routers parental controls makes the router useless for fibre speeds. Anybody any idea's?
11 REPLIES 11
w23
Pro
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Registered: ‎08-01-2008

Re: Parental Controls

Open DNS may help: http://www.opendns.com/home-solutions/parental-controls/
Use the free home version but set up an account and you can choose what's blocked (by category), if I remember correctly you can also blacklist or whiteleist individual sites.
You then set the open DNS addresses in your router (but you can set different DNS directly in your main PC).
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KevinA
Rising Star
Posts: 159
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎07-02-2013

Re: Parental Controls

Thank you, open DNS has kinda solved the problem.. Although having a dynamic IP means it'll need updating every now and then.. Shame the router provided can't do what its suppose to.
npr
Pro
Posts: 1,898
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Registered: ‎21-01-2013

Re: Parental Controls

You'll find the configuration details here to get the technicolor router to update opendns with your dynamic IP address.
http://npr.me.uk/telnet.html#updateddns
danger11
Grafter
Posts: 110
Registered: ‎23-02-2010

Re: Parental Controls

Rather than try to block things perhaps you should advise users on the network not to access this content. Filters are very easy to bypass. Some can be bypassed by simply using https instead of http. thats why david camerons anti-porn political censorship filter will fail.
LewinsMum
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎14-09-2017

Re: Parental Controls

Well there's no sense in asking an addict not to feed his addiction when he has access to it right there


@danger11 wrote:
Rather than try to block things perhaps you should advise users on the network not to access this content. Filters are very easy to bypass. Some can be bypassed by simply using https instead of http. thats why david camerons anti-porn political censorship filter will fail.

 

LewinsMum
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎14-09-2017

Re: Parental Controls

Hello, can anyone advise me, please? My husband is the one who normally deals with the wi-fi etc but I'm getting involved because he isn't able to solve this particular problem, so I am starting here with very little knowledge. We have a problem with our son spending too long on the computer. Along with other strategies, we need to remove internet access between 7 and 10 pm. I contacted Plusnet and they weren't able to advise me how this is done. Clearly its possible, because other families have it. Using an app will probably be a waste of time because my son always finds a way to bypass it. 

 

So, we need to have internet off from 7 till 10 pm and securely off.

LewinsMum
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎14-09-2017

Re: Parental Controls

I don't want to ban certain sites, just all sites at certain times. Do I need a special type of router or other hardware? Plusnet have already told me they can not help me with this.

Mav
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Parental Controls


@LewinsMum wrote:

So, we need to have internet off from 7 till 10 pm and securely off.


Just an idea but why not unplug the router and remove the mains cord?

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Alex
Community Veteran
Posts: 5,500
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Parental Controls

The problem I found when experienced blocking on internet connections, is it is never an exact science.

Same with spam filters, they can improve on things - but it won't stop everything coming through. I even noticed threads on this today.

I am going to have this problem with Niece who's just turned 3 in a few years time when she starts using the internet. I'm not sure what to do to be honest. On the one hand I want her to meet people, but there is the problem of knowing if it is genuine.

Then you have the false positives and what do you class an a adult site? Yes there are obvious examples, but it could be a forum with people swearing etc. or hardly any moderation (like ADSL Guide/Thinkbroadband).

I met people through internet games. Met someone recently who I had seen in 8 years, she was in London and meet up for a drink recently. Sadly no filter is available to determine where people are who they say they are. I'm sure many are, but sadly they are ones who are not.

My ex-boss said they fired someone at work (male, obviously of adult age), who they found pretending to be a 6 year old girl on a chat room. That is definitely not right (I would use a more sweary version of that remark but I better not Police).

Anyway sorry for the ramble, just my thoughts.

LewinsMum
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎14-09-2017

Re: Parental Controls

Thank you, I think that wouldn't be good. First, my husband says its a bad idea for technical reasons to unplug it - I don't know...
The main reason though, is that it would be the same as it is at the moment. 5 minute warning, followed by me coming into the study, and threatening to unplug the computer unless he shuts it down. "No, no, wait, WAIT, I have to save the game / finish watching this / say 'bye' / etc. Then sometimes, he has a meltdown and sometimes not.
Cagney1994
Rising Star
Posts: 402
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Registered: ‎28-07-2013

Re: Parental Controls


@LewinsMum wrote:

 

So, we need to have internet off from 7 till 10 pm and securely off.


If you can get hold of a previous PN router, namely the TG582n one, there'll be an option within the interface to limit internet connectivity between the times you mentioned.

 

It'll look something like this:

 

PN toolbox.png

But you must make sure that that particular router has the 10.2.2.B release. I know other TG582n routers won't have the option of limiting times and days if they've got another software release.