Blocking Websites

[SE14man]

How do i block certain sites on this computer.

I would like to be able to block a site with internet explorer and mozilla firefox so it can't be accessed at all from here.

Cheers people!

[thecoalman]

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

[SE14man]

im not having a problem with spyware mate.

I dont want myspace.com to be accessed on this machine at all

how would i do this?

cheers.

[thecoalman]

Pretend the title says "Blocking unwanted websites with a hosts file". Then read the third sentence.

[redwudz]

You can use a IP blocker program like ProtoWall or Peerguardian. They intercept incoming and outgoing packets and block by IP address. They work best with long lists of addresses to block. Or if you have a hardware router, you can block selected addresses with it. This is the best method if you just have a few addresses to block and you don't mind typing them in.

You can do it with Windows also, but it may be easy to circumvent just by plugging a laptop or other computer into the system.

There are also lots of other software programs made to keep kids off of certain sites, like NetNanny, just do a Google search for 'IP blockers' or 'address blocker' programs.

[SE14man]

can ya give me a bit of help only if u want to tho..

im really crap at this..

[SE14man]

i need a block to block it and block anyone from being able 2 enable the block back to how it was.

[SE14man]

Ah yeah i am behind a router...

What should i do?

[guns1inger]

Does everyone use the same account on your machine, or have admin level access ? If so, you will find it difficult to stop them. Anything you put in their way they will be able to undo. If only you have admin rights, and the rest have limited accounts then you have many options.

[SE14man]

only one acocunt luckily on here!

[mats.hogberg]

Just add "127.0.0.1 www.myspace.com" (without the quotes) in your HOSTS file (c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc) and www.myspace.com will be inaccessible.
A more bullet proof way, would be to add a filter in your router to block access to unwanted sites/IP - most routers have this kind of filter functionality.

/Mats

[zoobie]

parents are starting to block youTube, too

[jagabo]

Changing the hosts file blocks the site by name but you can still enter an IP address (assuming you know it) to access a site. It also won't block variations of the name. So putting www.myspace.com to your hosts file won't block myspace.com or vids.myspace.com unless you add all those variations yourself.

[lantern]

You could try software such as http://www.k9webprotection.com. It is what I have started using on my kids computers. I haven't run into any problems with it yet. It can block a "standard" list of sites or you can put in custom addresses.

I also use access restrictions in the router, but there are problems with that. It is a Linksys WRT54GS and will only follow one set of access restrictions at a time. So, you are limited with the number of sites and keywords you can block.

[BJ_M]

i just teach my kids what is right and wrong and let them take it from there ...

[mats.hogberg]

i just teach my kids what is right and wrong

There is that... But it takes so much time and effort - much easier to just tie 'em down.

/Mats

[lordsmurf]

Use HOSTS SECURE software. It does the HOSTS file for you. You can manually add more too, not too hard at all.

[jagabo]

Use HOSTS SECURE software. It does the HOSTS file for you. You can manually add more too, not too hard at all.

And any smart kid will go to a DNS lookup site (or call one of their friends), get the IP address, and enter that directly.

[lordsmurf]

I don't know any kids that smart. If they were, they'd just remove the HOSTS entry.

[thecoalman]

Use HOSTS SECURE software. It does the HOSTS file for you. You can manually add more too, not too hard at all.

And any smart kid will go to a DNS lookup site (or call one of their friends), get the IP address, and enter that directly.

So you block them from the every DNS lookup service known to man and take away their phone privileges. Wrap them in a plastic bubble like bubble boy on Seinfeld and you're all set. :P

I looked at the source code for the main page on myspace.com and all the links use the full URL's using the domain name, accessing it from the the IP address still uses the domain name. They would have to renter the ip address for each link, basically the site navigation from the webpage would be broken. It certainly wouldn't stop them from viewing anything but would certainly slow them down.

Using the router as suggested by Mats would probably be the best as that would be (or should be) password protected.

[Bronx]

I blocked the same web site through my router. What type of router do you have?

I own a D-link DI-524 wireless router.

[dun4cheap]

I know with my linksys router I can restrict connections to certain domains such as youtube.com. It is simple to do. You can restrict all of your computers or certain ones.

[Soopafresh]

Make the kids milk the cows and churn butter. Teach them what an evil thing that series of tubes called the "Internets" really is.

[Soopafresh]

The tone of the poster and his rather blunt remarks indicates his problem is much larger than than blocking Myspace with a Hosts file. Not trying to be rude, but that's how it is.

[SE14man]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to everyone.
Just woke up.

I wouldl ike to do this thingo n my router.
I have a D-Link DSL-504T.

How do i do it?

Cheers!

[thecoalman]

You have to acess it from a web browser try this http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1

If not look it up in the documentation,.

You'll find the page for blocking sites, everything should be self explanatory.

[BJ_M]

http://shadow.sentry.org/~trev/dsl50x.html all manuals based on which version you have

[SE14man]

Thanks so much for that guys.
I think i have sorted it now.
I was very close to bursting into tears!

Thanks again

[SE14man]

I have completely messed this up now lol.

I have put those entriesi n the host file.
127.0.0.0.0 or whatever it was and then the site names.

that worked fine.

I then downloaded an encryption program to encrypt that host file so no one could make changes to it but now it's gone and hidden it somewhere which seems to have undone what i entered into it.

Now myspace works again!
Can i encrypt that file and make myspace still not work?

Thanks so much sorry about all this.

[jagabo]

The OS can't read the hosts file now.