Parental Control

[rockhoptec]

I got a question for anyone who has dealt with this, hopefully someone has a solution.

I have a customer who is trying to stop their 14 year old son from porn, peer to peer and social networking sites. The PC they brought in is infected like no tomorrow. They installed a parental control software and he is able to get around it, of course they do not know how he does it what a surprise.

What I am wondering is instead of using a software control, I was thinking in lines with something of using the router (maybe flash with dd-wrt) and also using openDNS. What do you think? or do you have another hardware solution that could work.

Thanks for any responses.

 

[14049752]

OpenDNS is probably a good solution. Maybe even combine it with some kind of software parental control thing, so that he has a sort of decoy to try to get around before figuring out that it's on the router.
Something like Kaspersky Internet Security has parental controls on accounts, and can't be turned off without a password.

 

[LunchBox]

I personally use OpenDNS and its great. It is just as good as paid apps that can do the same.

You have pre-set settings that do up to blocking pretty much everything. One thing that this will block which is the most important is surfing by proxy. You can be very granular with it too. (well almost very granular)

You have to use their DNS IP and if you have a dynamic IP then you have to download and install a small app that tells their servers that needs to be blocked. It will even create reports for you (this is not as good though as something you can payfor)

What I would do is run the app as a service. Because the regular one can be turned off.

 

[14049752]

What I would do is run the app as a service. Because the regular one can be turned off.

If you set it up on your router, you don't need the app at all.

 

[LunchBox]

If you set it up on your router, you don't need the app at all.

I wished that my router would do that. The only thing that router can do is (its built in) to log into DynDNS.org

What routers that the options to login to anything like opendns.org?

When I say my router I mean a netgear.

 

[seedubya]

What model netgear is it? If you wanted to change a Linksys wrt54gl, flashed to dd-wrt would do the job. You could also try a router that will let you set the DNS server addresses directly in the interface. That will depend to some degree upon your connection type also.

 

[LunchBox]

It a Netgear WGT624v3

I am able to add the DNS to the router. But adding the DNS but itself it is not enough because to block anything it needs to be tied to an account. At least that is how I understand it. My ip is dynamic, but if it was static then I would not need the app because opendns would always know what my IP is.

 

[14049752]

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/OpenDNS

 

[LunchBox]

Now I see. I had to read it a new time because I was like how the heck the dns-o-matic know my IP. Now I see that I have to flash my router to add the capability of adding the logon info for DNS-O-Matic.

I will have to test it in a different router. I dont want kill my router because it if dies I will go freaking crazy if I can play my xbox

 

[14049752]

wrt54g is vulnerable to botnets on the router.

Isn't that only if people keep the default passwords? I heard about that a while ago, but has it gotten worse?

 

[purple_minion]

Yeah there was one with something about default passwords. I also think there was something with the firmware too. Not 100% sure though, it's rather late, and the end to a rather long week lol

Yeah I posted that one. It was default passwords and wan side open ssh/telnet ports into the router/modem.

 

[purple_minion]

Also OT, what ever happened to good old fashioned grounding or simply taking away the computer. If they are caught looking at porn or sharing files, take it away. Problem solved. If they complain that they need the computer for school work, tough, stay after school then and use their computers. Implement a simple policy and start off no computer for a week or whatever and work upwards. Everyone knows the "cousin" who "knows" computers... get them to take a peek inside or even hire your local technician, I'm sure they would take a look for cheap. Treat it like the car or cell phone or whatever, they disobey the rules then they lose those privileges. Lock down the computer with BIOS passwords, encrypted OS, limited user accounts, etc. Sure the parents might not know how, but I'll bet they can find someone who does. Worst case you superglue all the usb ports closed, remove cd drives, etc to stop live cd booting, install nanny software, use opendns as mentioned, etc.