cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

andreww
Newbie
Posts: 1
Registered: ‎17-09-2007

Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

Hi.
My daughter should be doing her homework upstairs.  But she's not.  It's driving her mother to distraction...
I'm using a Netgear DG834G.  XP SP 2.  She's cabled in on Ethernet (wireless unreliable, so father scales sheer walls and crawls through attics with cable between teeth...)
I don't want to pay a fortune for some Enterprise edition of something that I don't need 98% of.  (Like MS Office... Wink
Please help my girl pass her exams.... Undecided
Look, I'm sorry, but moving the machine down here is not an option.  I just want this odious product unavailable for certain hours of the day.  The router does an admirable job of blocking msn and bebo etc, but i understand that WLM operates in a different way...
I attach a jpg of the list of services I'm able to block via the router, what would be very helpful is an indication as to which of these I can reasonably block that wouldn't compromise normal web browsing, but would reduce the availability of WLM....
Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.  Thanks.
Andrew
13 REPLIES 13
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

I have the same router.
You can block any ports - not just those shown.
You define a new service (Services entry?) and specify whether it's UDP/TCP inbound or outbound.
You will probably need to duplicate inbound and outbound.
Then specify the entry in the Firewall as BLOCK.
If you are feeling kind about this it is possible to specify a schedule e.g. allowed in at weekends.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

God
Grafter
Posts: 1,112
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

I read (but haven't tried or checked it) that the following ports are used: Messenger server: port 1493, 1542, 1863, 1963, 80 TCP and 443 TCP
If that works then you also need to block http://webmessenger.msn.com/ which will be the next port of call, after that they usually have a pal that tells them how to use proxy servers, enjoy  Roll_eyes
puddy
Grafter
Posts: 1,571
Registered: ‎10-06-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

if she's on cable from the router to her bed room why not just pull the cable out the back of the router?

puddy
ps if you have wired the lan cable in to a wall/BT socket you can buy a device to lock the front of the box so she cannot plug the lan cable back in if you have pulled the cable out
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

This is next to impossible to block from your router because it can use standard port 80 and 443 if alternative access ports are not available and blocking them will mean you can't access the web.
If she does not need the PC for homework then the only option I see is disconnect the cable as suggested.
chillypenguin
Grafter
Posts: 4,729
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

In the latest firmware versions for this router Netgear have included an option to block IM.
http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/DG834Gv3.asp
I have no idea if it work with Windows Live.
Chilly
Update; Just checked, it kicked me off but I was able to sign back in.
MikeWhitehead
Grafter
Posts: 748
Registered: ‎19-08-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

How about making her account a restricted account, and uninstall Live messenger? With it being a restricted account the only way she can install it again is if you do it for her.
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

He only wants it restricted at certain times.
MikeWhitehead
Grafter
Posts: 748
Registered: ‎19-08-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

Ah sorry I never read that. Chillys suggestion looks like an option (if it constantly kicks off WLM), or if she doesn't need the Internet to do her studying, doesn't that model come with a Schedule feature? I can't think off hand if it allows you to schedule specific users or not though, I've only very briefly used this router before.
Sorry I haven't been much help!
paulh
Rising Star
Posts: 1,283
Thanks: 10
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

Better get an Ellacoya ...
chillypenguin
Grafter
Posts: 4,729
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

"constantly kicks off WLM"
It only kicked me off once, when I enabled it, the I was able to sign back in.
So `chocolate teapot`
Chilly
MikeWhitehead
Grafter
Posts: 748
Registered: ‎19-08-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

Would be a bit of a mess around, but you could make her PC connect to the Internet via yours using ICS, then disable Internet Connection Sharing manually on your machine when you don't want her on the Internet (we still don't know if she needs the Internet for studying or not).
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

Have a look at the FireFox addon "LeechBlock"
You specify a list of web sites (with wild cards).
It's only meant to have weak security in the sense that you can only access these web sites if you know a password. This means that you will need to manually intervene each time she logs on and is to be granted access to rubbish sites.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

LiamM
Grafter
Posts: 5,636
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: Blocking Live Messenger through router... ?

Quote from: PJ
I blocked a number of ports and URLS- each time it kicked me off and each time I was able to sign on again.
Resiliant is one word for it.

That's because the netgear disables internet access whilst it reloads the firewall settings - hence MSN disconnects.  It's not the actual settings that are doing it.