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safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

jccmoon
Hooked
Posts: 5
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎25-09-2008

safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

Hi. I am at my wits end. Ive been with plusnet nearly 20 years (well V21, then force9 then plusnet through industry consolidation)
Safeguard worked. Then we found my 11 year old watching hard core porn.
His browsing history shows it was the second time - the first time, and that he got there by accident (he googled "pokemon cards", and clicked through to hardcore sites with pokemon in the video title).
But safeguard was on, and it had been working - but this was no longer the case
After 3 months trying to get it fixed, the technical team say this cannot be fixed.
This is because the plusnet router now had DNS (primary 212.159.6.10; secondary 212.159.6.9).
They need to be  213.120.234.42 and 213.120.234.38. BUT these are not changeable by the consumer or by plusnet.  Technical help (email sign offs from [CSA Removed], [CSA Removed], [CSA Removed], [CSA Removed] by the emails) say this is not fixable.

So I installed a separate filter on the 11 year olds computer. But I cannot do the 4 phones, 5 laptops, 2 ipads, ipod and dfinately cant do visitor wireless enabled devices that visit the house. (im not super IT savvy).   We know we cannot and should not protect the children for ever but some prolongation of childhood seems sensible.

So in desperation, 11 days ago, I renewed the contract for 18 months with cooling off period with plusnet in the hope the new router would work. It does not. The new router has the same DNS addresses as the old one.

In 3 days (expiry of 14 day trial), after 20 years, I have no choice but to leave plusnet.

I feel loyal after 20 years to plusnet. They have been reliable through 5 house moves.

Can anyone please advice?
And how do I know whether the next ISP will be any better?

james

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): CSA names removed as per Forum rules.

8 REPLIES 8
Pete11
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 897
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Registered: ‎17-02-2017

Re: safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

I'm not sure about this but there is a prog called Net Nanny, It's a parental control prog and can block websites like that. A search on Google will be a good starting point.

A float tip is pleasing in its appearance and even more pleasing in its disappearance.
Growing old is inevitable...But growing up is optional.
Gel
Aspiring Champion
Posts: 2,332
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Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

jab1
Legend
Posts: 16,817
Thanks: 5,339
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Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

I don't know which router you have, or why tech. support have said you cannot change the DNS settings, but a quick google gives plenty of guidance on how to do it.

Hope I'm not trying to teach granny how to suck eggs, btw.Smiley

John
Browni
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 2,673
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Registered: ‎02-03-2016

Re: safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

You can't change the DNS settings on a Plusnet Hub One.
jab1
Legend
Posts: 16,817
Thanks: 5,339
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Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

That I didn't know, @Browni - just another reason for me to not have one, then.

I wonder which genius decided to restrict that, along with crippling any facilities for performance monitoring? PlusNet, and anyone else who uses that router configured that way are, in my opinion, going down a very slippery slope.

John
jccmoon
Hooked
Posts: 5
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎25-09-2008

Re: safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

Hi, yes - my router (both of them  - I bought a second one) is called a plusnet hub one.
I have put a program called k9 on the laptop of the 11 year old (seems to work) - but really I want plusnet to escalate this and fix it for the whole internet in my family.
Thanks everyone - do the plusnet IT inhouse people monitor and reply? 
My last post here was 2008, so im not exactly a regular. 
Maybe they work office hours.

james

MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 8,896
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Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

Sorry to hear you're having issues with Safeguard.

Out of curiosity if you try to go a website that should be blocked directly does Safeguard block it?

Based on the information you've given it appears that Google search results are the cause of the problem.

As explained here Google use their own caches which means the content is then classified as Google rather than its original source.

The only way to get around this would be to follow the steps other posters have advised or blocking all search engines and allowing child-friendly ones such as www.swiggle.org.uk or www.kids-search.com.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
jccmoon
Hooked
Posts: 5
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎25-09-2008

Re: safeguard failure despite all technical help - no choice but to leave?

Dear Matthew, thanks for you repy. No - the safeguard is not blocking anything at all. It only blocks, im told if your router is set to those DNS settings. Mine is not and cannot be as it is plusnet hub one. Ive seen the problems on the other posts of google searches or images on searches not blocked.  the actual websites safeguard says are blocked are not blocked.
This appears to be a known problem
147032674 5th april: "This is an ongoing issue at the moment which we are looking in to. We have added your issue with out networks team to look in to further. We will update you as soon as possible on this." (sorry cant show you who sent this - those names get redacted

best, James

best, james