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Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

oobiedoobie
Dabbler
Posts: 12
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Registered: ‎15-12-2014

Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

Hi, new user here - checked the forum for similar answers.
I set up the Technicolor router to have scheduled wifi access twice a day but I come home from work and find my son gets around this by simply turning the router off and then on again and pressing the wifi button.
I've used the admin controls to set scheduled access but this seems a waste of time as it keeps resetting once he's turned it off.
Surely there must be a better way to do this than simply taking the router to work with me?
52 REPLIES 52
chenks76
All Star
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Registered: ‎24-10-2013

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

can't you use your parenting skills to tell your son to simply not do it?
do you have not authority over your son?
you should note that the act of turning the router off and on all the time will adversely affect your line and DLM will kick in thinking there is a fault.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

You need an additional hardware "wireless access point" (WAP) with a separate SSID just for your son.
You can buy second hand WAPs for £10 to £20 on eBay.
Most WAPs have time schedule capability, where you can choose to limit when the WIFi is enabled, or leave the WiFi on and simply restrict internet access by limiting 'http' activity to certain times.
As your son already has access to your router's SSID, then use the existing SSID for the WAP, and change the router SSID to something different just for YOUR WiFi access - so he can't connect via the router.
He will soon learn that switching off your router no longer works.
If your son is already this sneaky, then perhaps you need to hide the new WAP out of sight - perhaps in the attic.

Unfortunately this is only the beginning, as you will discover as time goes on, trying the enforce parental controls, limiting access to porn sites or illegal download services, preventing use of proxy servers, and generally compromising your home network security, can be an ongoing battle that you are probably going to lose.
Ultimately 'chenks76' is right, teaching your son to behave appropriately is the better solution, although having the technical methods of enforcement is also necessary if only to reduce temptation.
Anotherone
Champion
Posts: 19,107
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

You can telnet into the 582n and issue some commands that cannot be over-ridden (except by a factory reset). Do you use the wireless yourself? You can setup a seperate network for your son to access on the 582n, but I'm not sure purleigh's idea will solve the problem as simply switching the 582n off and on will "open it up" again without incorporating the the relevant commands.
Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

Your description of the technical problem rather suggests that the automatic time setting in the router might not be correctly configured / operating.
This could be due to having set the wrong time zone or the PlusNET firewall settings inhibiting access to sntp.
In the short term change the wifi password and do not give it to your son until he learns parents are in charge!

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Anotherone
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Posts: 19,107
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

Don't forget the time sync is not in place immediately after boot - not sure what the immediate solution to that is other than changing the delay via telnet commands.
Townman
Superuser
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Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

Anotherone,
That is a really good point, which CRT might pass onto products to ask of TG.  What is the configuration issue being exposed here - the non-volatility across reboots of the wifi parental controls or a boot up timing issue?
When the router boots, wifi comes up before the internet connection and thus the time in the router is 00h00.  Does the wifi consequently allow connections regardless of the parental restrictions?  When the router gets a time synch, does it review the parental restrictions and apply them as applicable for the "current" time?
This looks like an interesting test case for consideration by the products team.
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Anotherone
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Posts: 19,107
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

As I said to purleigh, I haven't had time (nor will I until much later) had time to think this through properly.
oobiedoobie
Dabbler
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Registered: ‎15-12-2014

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

Thanks to everyone who replied - Looking into all the well thought out replies.
As for this comment -
Quote
can't you use your parenting skills to tell your son to simply not do it?
do you have not authority over your son?

You just know someone had to be the smart Alec in response to a technical question.
Anotherone
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Posts: 19,107
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

Smart Alec or not, the consequences of your son's action was a valid point.
If you post the TG582n Full DSL stats we might be able to comment what sort of impact that may have.
We are also waiting for some expert advice from one of the Products team.
chenks76
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Registered: ‎24-10-2013

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

Quote from: oobiedoobie
You just know someone had to be the smart Alec in response to a technical question.

not smart alec at all.
it's really quite a simple solution - during the prohibited hours remove any device from your child that can connect to WIFI.
problem immediately solved.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

This is how to parenting ! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1ujzRidmU  Cheesy
Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

BRILLIANT!
Sadly though some EU rights sicko group will call that child abuse rather than good parenting.  It is though the right approach; if having abused the facility once, on the next occasion remove the facility from the child - period!  Parents need to show they are in charge.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

oobiedoobie
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Registered: ‎15-12-2014

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

OK, just to clarify the whole "parenting ability thing.."
My son has lived with his mother 13 years since he was 2 and recently came to me after she threw him out. While there, he was given anything he asked for - courtesy my CSA payments while I struggled on - and was allowed internet and playstation time up to 6 hours a day.
I restrict him to 1 hour per day and I have cut this down as he is preparing for his GCSE's. He's a good kid but finding my rules hard - he can't however return home to his mum as she was beating him as well as treating him to whatever goodies he wanted. It's like having a foster kid as we hardly know each other after she broke contact between us 4 years ago for him to suddenly be asked to leave his home and come to me.
So - having established that in the 3 months he's lived with me, his wifi time is reduced to a max 1 hour a day and he has zero playstation / xbox time anymore: can I ask again - why are the admin controls on the Plusnet technicolor router so easily bypassed and can anyone enlighten me on how to keep the settings that I seem to be resetting on a daily basis?
I turn the router off for 20 hours in 24 daily - it's not left on but when it is, I want to restrict my son's access to 1 hour and no more. As I stated at the start - he simply turned the router on and off and the wifi was back on. It happened twice and I would like this not to happen again when I am away and the wifi is off.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Scheduled WiFi Access Parental control easily bypassed

Quote from: oobiedoobie
how to keep the settings that I seem to be resetting on a daily basis?

Can you expand on what that phrase means ?
I know my question seems pedantic, but it has been pointed out to me that the Technicolor router has a further problem, which might invalidate my suggestion in "Reply #2", but is dependent on precisely what settings you are "resetting on a daily basis".
Also -
What wireless devices does your son have access to that need time restricting ?
Do YOU need wireless access at any time ?,  and if so, are you sharing any devices with your son ?