Advice for software

Polkev

I need to block facebook on my computer. I want to control usage of facebook for my child and a good application could use. Any suggestions?

noshankus

If the kid is a teen on a computer, they'll find a way!

If you have a broadband router, most will allow you to specify a blacklist for websites. The best would be to do it at that level, otherwise your kid will just get another computer/phone and access it that way, or just find someway to get around it.

chin_grin

Add a line in your HOSTS file.

127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com

Or install a filtering service like K9 or OpenDNS and add it to the black list.

K9 - http://www1.k9webprotection.com/

(Recommend) OpenDNS - http://www.opendns.com/

Both are free.

The HOSTS file is located in system32\drivers\etc\ You right click and open it with notepad and add the line I wrote above. Save and try to get in to Facebook. If you wanted added security you could password protect the file so that no one else can make changes to it.

EDIT: Also you can set OpenDNS to work only at a machine (block one PC) or the router (all machines connected) level. It'll give you that option when you install.

JonathanAnon

K9 is excellent. I loaded it on a home PC for a friend, and she can allow Facebook for a set period of time (say an hour) if she doesnt want the kids staying up all night on the PC.. And they must approach her to "unlock" Facebook for that hour.

noshankus

Seems K9 is fairly easy to circumvent:

http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en&q=hack+k9&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

If the kid is adept at computers, they will have no problem. It really all depends on the age of the kid and the likelihood they will attempt to get around the restriction.

chin_grin

noshankus wrote: »

Seems K9 is fairly easy to circumvent:

http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en&q=hack+k9&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

If the kid is adept at computers, they will have no problem. It really all depends on the age of the kid and the likelihood they will attempt to get around the restriction.

Really? By posting a link to a google search of "hack k9" will put the OP's mind at ease?

Well then what if you could add the search term to k9's blacklist? Thereby pre-empting any "hacking" going on?

T0mmyM

Norton DNS, which is a free service, now includes web filtering, so you can filter websites by catagories or enter specific websites you want to block.

http://nortondns.com/

Again though, you have to download the client onto your pc and is easy to disable :rolleyes: Maybe there is a different way to implement it to make it harder to circumvent.

noshankus

chin_grin wrote: »

Really? By posting a link to a google search of "hack k9" will put the OP's mind at ease?

I looked at the first few results and all showed (including youtube videos) very easy ways to do it. Rather than link to one, I decided to show how much information there is out there for it. A simple search in this case highlights the issue more than a single link which could've been one in a thousand hits.

chin_grin wrote: »

Well then what if you could add the search term to k9's blacklist? Thereby pre-empting any "hacking" going on?

Using that logic, you'd end up blocking nearly everything as you keep adding different search patterns. Simply searching on a different computer would show the results and consequent workarounds anyway, thereby making it pointless. The issue is not with what to block, but how to block it. Router access is restricted by username/password generally with a log. Here you can block *facebook.com*. No way to workaround unless you decide to try and hack the router authentication which is much more difficult than a kid searching for the most obvious search on Google for the software and finding many ways. Both ways still require getting into the router.

OpenDNS however, which I didn't find any easy way to circumvent seems like a much better choice than k9.

Not to mention, I did state that it depends on the kids age and how likely they are to try and get around the restriction.

kippy

noshankus wrote: »

I looked at the first few results and all showed (including youtube videos) very easy ways to do it. Rather than link to one, I decided to show how much information there is out there for it. A simple search in this case highlights the issue more than a single link which could've been one in a thousand hits.

In all fairness, as someone has mentioned it really does depend on the age and ability of the kids involved.
ALL methods discussed here so far can be circumvented in some way, shape or form with the correct knowledge.

You've essentially gotta pick one of the apps (have used K9 and recommended it to many) and couple that with a bit of physical monitoring of that they are doing.

There are a few more ways you could do it coupled with setting up limited accounts on the PC would prove effective, but again, can all be bypassed.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Internet-Explorer-Content-Advisor-frequently-asked-questions

dejan

Try this one: block facebook.

chin_grin

Well then considering the previous posts I'd say the only options are OpenDNS (free version) or adding it to the HOSTS file and password protecting that with the most convoluted password you can come up with!

Here's how to.

http://www.logicaltips.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=506

biko

Hosts file is best imo, unless the kid is very good at computers it'll take a long time for him to figure that one out.
We'll probably see a thread from him next week "All sites are working, except facebook, why???"

yoyo

Set the kid to have a limited user account, that way he/she cant edit the HOST file/install proxy applications easily, also K9 is actually very good, played around with it on a VM, certainly not simple to bypass, proxies will work, so block proxies in the K9 settings

Nick

T0mmyM

T0mmyM wrote: »

Norton DNS, which is a free service, now includes web filtering, so you can filter websites by catagories or enter specific websites you want to block.

http://nortondns.com/

Again though, you have to download the client onto your pc and is easy to disable :rolleyes: Maybe there is a different way to implement it to make it harder to circumvent.

Apologies, actualy under a limited user account it cannot be disabled without Admin password.