Safeguard not working at all

[#1]

Safeguard is switched on, several categories are selected including porn.
If I switch it off and on again I receive an email to say it has changed. The history lists any changes.
I've restarted the router, I've left it switched off over night.
I've waited many hours for changes to take effect.
Despite all this I can still access pornhub via WiFi

[#2]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Broadband to Everything Else

[#3]

Have you checked the DNS in router and your wifi device?
If the wifi device doesn’t pick up its DNS settings from the router it won't work.

[#4]

Safeguard was working for me for the past 3 years then suddenly it is not working at all for me as well. tried restarting the router, turning on and off the safeguard, DNS of wifi is pointing to the router which has the auto-allocated DNS from Plusnet.   Does anyone else experience this problem or could advise?

[#5]

Same here, was working fine, but now not working.
Changed during w/c 22/01/24

DNS settings

213.120.234.42
213.120.234.38

P

[#6]

I have the same DNS.

[#7]

In my case this happened because I'd started using a VPN, if I switch the VPN off briefly then safeguard works.

[#8]

Some feedback from Plusnet would be good. This is still a problem for me.

P

[#9]

Called PlusNet and am told there is nothing they can do. Suggested me to use parental control on the device instead 😞

[#10]

@joez - Hi, can I check what device you have tried it on, the trouble is that quite a lot of programs specifically others like to mess with the connection such as using their own DNS services, a VPN without knowing and also proxies but this will render our safeguard useless.

Can you try another device, a fresh one where you haven't installed anything so we can be sure that there aren't any rogue programs changing the network settings without you knowing?

Also, are you using our router?

Also, do you have any other network tech like Powerline Adapters or a Mesh? They have their own DHCP server that can use another DNS address.

[#11]

Hi James,

Windows PC with direct cable connection to Plusnet router.

See attachments.
The MOST IMPORTANT CLUES, surely, are that :-

1. Safeguard was working for a long time but stopped last week.
2. And users have started to come here for a resolution.

Plusnet have changed something.


P

[#12]

It took a while to get acknowledged and fixed previously

https://community.plus.net/t5/Everything-else/Safeguard-won-t-stay-enabled/td-p/1747164/page/11

[#13]

@Percy2 

Unless I'm seeing this wrong, on 1.jpg the IPv4 address is showing as 192.168.1.2

Now IIRC this should be in the range of 192.168.1.64 to 192.168.1.253, but I'm not 100% sure as I've not recently had to sort other persons devices out.

It's entirely up to you, but what I'd be trying is:

• Power down that device, disconnect the Ethernet cable. Reboot and then reinsert the Ethernet and see if this changes to .64 or anywhere up to .253 - but this could be a waste of time
• Rather than rebooting the Hub/router, physically turn it off at the mains, wait 5 mins (have a brew or a drink of your choice) and then switch it back on. If you have a dynamic IP address (which unless you paid and asked for a static IP) then this should change.

It's been almost 4 years, but likely more like 5+, since I've offered advice on sorting this dreaded Safeguard 'hiccup' out. Some users of this service/product could not get it working despite the best efforts of PN trying - although back then this was due to their internal problems with this service/product. Also I would have expected many users whom have noticed its no longer blocking sites to have come on here - maybe they don't know or maybe it's just the recent reports?

I don't think its a good idea to go back in and out of turning it off and on via the setting as this could potentially create more issues.

I can also see you have an up time of around 1 day. Although I've suggested power cycling (<- posh for switching off and on) the router it wouldn't be advisable to do this too often as this could mess with your internet speed.

If I remember anything else I'll pop it up.

[#14]

Unless I'm seeing this wrong, on 1.jpg the IPv4 address is showing as 192.168.1.2

Now IIRC this should be in the range of 192.168.1.64 to 192.168.1.253, but I'm not 100% sure as I've not recently had to sort other persons devices out.

@DS well spotted that man person!. 3.jpg confirms the DHCP range. If the PC has got 192.168.1.2 it must have been statically assigned in which case it wont have got the DNS servers via DHCP,  so it may well not be using the router as a DNS server (which is what it would normally get via DHCP) and thus not using the Safeguard DNS.

[#15]

I'm a boy, a real boy!

(nose grows and touches the laptop screen)

edit Just to clarify my above doubt in the post above, I hobbled away from doing this sort of stuff from the middle to late 2019. I went  on to offering advice and guidance on vehicle related issues and house related issues. However once my brain moves in one direction it empties itself and I have to really dig deep.

It's not that I'm stoopid or owt like that <nose punches a hole through the screen, oopsie>