I need to restrict all internet access on my pc dependant whose logged on but want to be able to activate it again and provide access to sites that only i have approved.

I know you can get software but is there anything free out there that will do the above, im using win2k

USING Internet Explorer ?? --have a look at content blocking on the help menu on IE .I'm using XP, but with IE6 - probably much the same .Might be worth looking at that.

Also got BT Yahoo online protection ( which is suppossed to be same as Norton 2006) - in it there's parential control option.

You don't really say why you need this? When my son and his friends were younger, I had IE settings higher, a firewall set higher and I set up host files to permit (or not) specific sites - for all of which I had the password so could reset for my use. There is nanny software available, though the best costs a small number of

If you have a small select number of sites you want to block, there is a clunky way to do this. If you edit your hosts. file (%windir%\system32\drivers\etc), you can add the site(s) and prefix them with "127.0.0.1 ". This would cause those sites to be resolved to localhost, and will not work. There are also lists of dodgy sites you can copy/paste off the Internet somewhere. Maybe you could add them all in the hosts file. This is really a clunky way though. IMO, you should do it properly and spend a bit of money. I use Cybersitter on my kids PC's which is backed by a Linux proxy server running dansguardian. Whilst all this is free (the Linux stuff that is), you need the extra hardware and the knowhow to set it up. Personally, if I were doing this to protect my kids from the scank on the net, I would spend the money. Feel free to try my suggestion though if you just want something simple. Regarding different people logging on, I guess a simple batch file to swap the active file over would suffice. Let us know .

Before I get flamed, let me just remind people - I know this a "clunky" method, but in some situations it would suffice.

Gary

You don't really say why you need this? When my son and his friends were younger, I had IE settings higher, a firewall set higher and I set up host files to permit (or not) specific sites - for all of which I had the password so could reset for my use. There is nanny software available, though the best costs a small number of

It is tricky. One's own computer can be "got" just by putting in a known name with the wrong suffiix (e.g. ". com" rather than ".co.uk"). Some unscrupulous peeps have registered not only all possible variations (e.g. .gov), but also sites which arrive from mis-spellings, since typically many people mis-spell or transpose letters in the site name itself. Such can be bad sites, and typically are likely to have trojan (back door infiltration to your computer.) How one protects from those, I don't know.

My own experience is that kids go through a phase of looking up naughty words. It's more likely that harm will be done to your computer (from trojans or highjacking) than to the kids themselves who'll learn that from their mates' computers who might have freedom of internet access anyway. Sites are bandied around teen forums, so they'll see them one way or another. Truth is, either you give them access (with your computer well protected) or you don't give access at all. Being too restrictive shows distrust. If you show you trust them to use your computer, it can be a better way forward.

My views are that they'll learn about such things anyway, and it's easier for some kids to learn from their mates. Not many kids will ask their mums and dads about porn-type things, even though they might show less discomfort re "birds and bees" things.

In your case, why not ask your social worker how to allow safe internet access? There's enough effort going into trying to prevent harm to children. If they can't tell you, how on earth are you supposed to know?

My son tells me that in their school, they block off everything that could conceivably be considered as non-educational. They will presumably have tailor-made systems. Why not ask Social Services how schools do it?

Again, just thinking out loud.

Regards

Mo

PS Re kettle cords - you can buy curly ones like a spring

Are you using a router to connect up t't tinternet?

If so a lot like Linksys etc offer parental controls on the router, if you have got a router and there's no parental control then you could look for a firmware upgrade to see if that would enable it.

that would be an easy (ish) way of doing it ..

one of the things is internet access, i have to secure the internet so kids cant surf for anything inappropriate, i use quite a bit of p2p though and didnt really want to impact on that and to be honest theres a tad bit of material on the pc thats unsuitable for kids(not porn) violant video games like gta and oblivion etc,

Seriously my friend, for something as important as this, I would get the proper package. As mentioned, I use Cybersitter which is going to cost you less than 20 quid (see here CYBERsitter Official Website - #1 Internet Filter - Download Now!). I have tried many others and this one won hands down. What's better is that unlike a lot of the others, it's a one time payment - no subscriptions.

Routers, etc. will help, but these guys write this to specifically do what you are after. Have a think about it, and check out the link.

Regards

Gary

P.S. I passed another exam today - yay :balloons:

Totally off topic: Congrats Belcher

Mo

Totally off topic: Congrats Belcher

Mo

Cheers mate It was the CompTIA Linux+ BTW

Cheers mate It was the CompTIA Linux+ BTW

There is a trend here I did my Exchange 2007 TS exam yesterday morning, then the Exchange 2007 design exam in the afternoon ........ keeeeeeerching

Back on topic, I had a chat with a teacher friend who has small children (so all this to come for her own) who says that advice given to parents is for smaller children that it is better to control (sit with them) and for medium-aged children, it is always better that the computer be in the living room where adults will be floating around, rather than a computer being in their bedroom. This has been well publicised, but not mentioned in this thread yet.

As you'll probably know, I've been through and moved on from this as access now is by late teens. I asked, "Maybe one should just deny access?" She replied, pretty much as expected, that these days, access is needed for research for school work. Certainly true for mine from about age 12 onwards - possibly even younger now. 'Tis true they have access at school, but half of a day's school work is actually home work now, so internet access is pretty much a requirement.

My bottom line really is that if you are prepared to put the love and care needed to bring up a child, then you'll know how best to cope with managing the internet.

Best regards

Mo

i am kind of thinking that restriction unless being monitored is the best policy.

cheers

FWIW I used to write programs on Excel and test them to the nth degree. Yet a particular colleague would somehow manage to find a flaw or crash the darn thing instantly. He was brilliant, cos I could then debug and off we went :rice: Perhaps get someone to play devil's advocate on your system once you have your settings in place?

The odd thing is that this guy wasn't looking for flaws (he was my mentor for DIY projects, particularly artistic plastering, columns, he used plaster of Paris and I learned loads from him), he just had a knack for hitting wrong keys which brought up some peculiarities. When asked to try to find flaws, he was less successful. It's the flukes wot do it. Perhaps get someone else to see if they can find flukes?

Best

Mo

When we provide our online students with laptops we use a product called iProtect from Parental Control and Internet Filtering Software

This allows us to set up a list of programs that may access the internet on a permitted (still checked) or trusted (always allowed) system. That means we can ensure our lessons always get through but limit other things.

As with most software of this sort it can filter on words and you can add words you want. For various reasons we have to block a lot of the social networking sites so bebo is in the bad words list (far to many proxy sites!).

One of the other good bits about this software is that it will alert us to what is going on by e-mailing us. If appropriate a screenshot is included.

The students we work with do include some in care and foster homes. If you want more details drop me a PM, although I'll not be online for a few days.