I receive frequent questions asking me how to limit internet access at home. Whether it’s a spouse who uses the computer frequently, kids who are on the internet an incessant amount of time, or families wanting to create family time; the internet can take precedence in people’s lives. I’ve chosen this week’s article to offer some solutions to an all too common issue I hear repeatedly.
Sometimes simply telling the other person to limit their use isn’t enough. Maybe you’ve tried talking to your loved one or kids and have received the cold shoulder. Within minutes they’re right back sitting behind the computer. It can be terribly addicting to see the latest joke Bob put on Facebook, the hot deals people are giving away on Craigslist, or even how the Red Sox are doing on MLB.com. I’m going to outline a few ways to limit access.
Maybe the easiest way of limiting access is to simply unplug the router or modem and hide the cord. This is pretty much the most un-technical means of preventing access directly at the core. There’s no technical knowledge necessary. Let’s face it, the router or modem is the basis by which all internet access must pass.
Another not-so-technical way of limiting access is to password protect the computer. This will work in situations where the computer has one user ID. With multiple user ID’s it may be that logging in with administrator privileges, deleting the offender’s account and installing a new account with a password is the way around this. I am a firm believer that parents should know all of their children’s passwords.
I have talked before about OpenDNS.org, a free ‘big brother’ utility. With OpenDNS it is fairly easy to setup access restrictions for the whole house. The person setting up the account would need access to the router and a basic knowledge of how to setup the router. If you don’t know how to do this, directions are on the OpenDNS website. Once setup, the administrator (you) has a means of limiting websites, access times, and monitoring activities within the house.
My favorite method is at the tops on the technical ladder. High quality routers with a hardware firewall installed offer a simple approach to handling access restrictions. The router I use can block access to specific websites from specific computers. So, if I want to block Johnny’s access to Facebook it’s a fairly straightforward routine. I pick his computer address and black list Facebook.com. In fact, I can block Facebook.com for specific times; let’s say from 3:00PM to 7:00PM – during homework time.
Perhaps the hardest and least technical method of handling this is to simply talk to your family and set some ground rules. In our house with six computers and a couple laptops it’s a daunting task to keep little Johnny off certain websites at certain times. Let’s face it, if Johnny’s computer is blocked, Susie’s may not be. When I moved in with my fiancée and her three kids we decided to place the computers in the living room so we could easily monitor internet activity and pull the kids from the computers.
Alison, my fiancee, had the hardest time with me. I found myself logging onto the net late at night to check Facebook, MySpace, MLB, and Craigslist to see all of the things listed above. I was doing it out of sheer boredom and to escape the headaches of my day. Alison finally sat me down and told me it was bothering her that I would spend hours on the net. It wasn’t until I really thought about it that I realized it was stupid to spend hours on the net – doing absolutely nothing.
Tip of the week: Memory upgrades can keep you from having to replace a slow computer.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can e-mail him at remoquin@gmail.com or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)