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Teenagers

help me block the internet from my tech savvy teens !

50 replies

wakemeupnow · 25/09/2013 19:56

Im looking for a way to limit my kids overall daily time on the internet.

Im not looking to block certain social networking sites, or to block keywords (that is easy to do anyway), or to prevent them going on the internet between certain times. I want them to manage their daily allowance. So a per-user time limit, whichever device they are using; xbox, smartphone, pc, ipad.

it seems that a password to access the internet is the best way. Impossible to add software to all those different devices (and any new ones their friends bring in!). They are very savvy and would easily work out ways to use proxy to bypass most software solutions anyway.

If anyone has found a solution to this please let me know.

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ssd · 25/09/2013 19:57

me too!

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louby44 · 25/09/2013 20:55

I don't think you can! It's too specific.

My brother is very IT savvy I will ask him.

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wakemeupnow · 26/09/2013 05:38

Thanks Louby It seems crazy that its so difficult, There's so much parental control stuff out there. All I need is someway of setting the router so individual named people can each, with their own password ,have an allotted amount of time each day without setting the hours.

There's a device called iboss which claims to do this but all the reviews say its shit.

Policing these kids is driving more than a bit crazy !

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sashh · 26/09/2013 06:49

I'm not in a position to need this but I'm thinking hotels must have something. You know you book into a room and ask for internet access they give you a password.

Are you using wifi? Is there anything to stop them logging on to the neighbours or the local McDonalds?

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bigTillyMint · 26/09/2013 07:02

We have talktalk and DH has set it to turn off social networking at 9.30pm and to block certain other sites, but that's not really what you want as it affects all the computers.

Am watching for any useful information!

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Deathbyladybirds · 26/09/2013 07:05

Change the wireless password and don't pay for data on their mobiles

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livinginwonderland · 26/09/2013 07:38

Hmm, I know you can for businesses (ie. hotels) but I don't think there's a way of doing it at home.

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wakemeupnow · 26/09/2013 11:31

Luckily there is no neighbour they can log onto and there's even no mobile signal where we live (thank god) but if I turn off wifi then I can't go online hypocrite

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theredhen · 26/09/2013 12:12

My by router allows me to turn off the wifi on certain devices at certain times.

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wakemeupnow · 26/09/2013 12:25

Red hen that sounds good. What make is the router please ... just searched up "by" but nothing came up !

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NoComet · 26/09/2013 12:29

Why bother? The more you nag the more they will spend time bypassing your restrictions.

DD2(12) wandered in the other night while I was on a thread about this sort of thing.

Her comment was " because I have a lap top in my room and can go in it and chill when I like, I don't mind coming down for tea or you saying trampoline and fresh air".

This was said without discussion and without prompting.
I was quite gob smacked she'd obviously bothered to think about it.

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NigellasGuest · 26/09/2013 12:43

I am able to block access to the internet from specific devices at set times. It's called Access Control. If you have BT internet you will have it.

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wakemeupnow · 26/09/2013 12:47

Starball how I wish they could police themselves... I have been hoping that they would set their own limits ....but the internet just offers up soooo many distractions.

Even when my Dc hang out together , or have friends' round, their time is spent focussed round a screen. If I didn't tell them to stop I don't think they ever would , other than brief forages into the kitchen for snacks!

When it's limited they go outside, read books , hang out together, do their homework etc. They enjoy themselves but given the choice they'd rather be talking crap on ask fm.

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wakemeupnow · 26/09/2013 12:50

Nigella It's the set times I can't be dealing with. I'm looking to give them a set amount of time per day to be used as and when they want.

Setting times just isn't practical day to day. I don't want to be constantly reprogramming

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bdbfan · 26/09/2013 12:52

Can you change the wifi password?

I saw a funny pic on fb the other day, it was a note a parent had left for their kids:

Want today's wifi password?
Walk the dog
Load dishwasher
Pack away washing

I laughedGrin

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wakemeupnow · 26/09/2013 12:54

bdbfan Grin

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toriap2 · 26/09/2013 12:55

Hi you can depending on which router you have. We have it so dds tablet goes off at 9 but all other devices stay on. We have a sky router if that helps

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theredhen · 26/09/2013 13:02

Sorry "by" was a typo. It's a bt router. Home hub 2 I believe.

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friday16 · 27/09/2013 00:26

I'm looking to give them a set amount of time per day to be used as and when they want.

You won't be able to do that with standard domestic equipment. Sorry. If you were willing to pay someone with fairly deep skills, then you could lash a solution up with an old PC, Linux and hostapd, but I think the level of control you are wanting would involve a fair amount of work even given that kit of parts. It might be a nice little business to produce something like you are asking for and package it in a small box.

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NoComet · 27/09/2013 00:39

I'm not saying DD2 totally limits herself, nor is she. She's just saying she doesn't fight being remained there are other things in life, because she can go back to her computer. She also can't sit still forever, her legs head for the trampoline come sun, rain or snow.

DD1 can sit still, but not necessarily at a screen as she reads, draws and does bits of craft. It takes me on one arm and DD2 on the other to get her on the trampoline. OK she's a not very sporty 15 year old and DD2 does gymnastics. So we are a bit mean.

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wakemeupnow · 27/09/2013 06:59

friday16 Thanks for your help. It surprises me that it's so difficult.

I wonder how they do it in cafes ?... In some they give you a code and that gives you a limmited time....

I wish I was more tech savvy , maybe there's a business opportunity there... I should probably ask my kids , they would come up with a solution and then hack it

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NotsoSmugNow · 27/09/2013 07:33

I've got a UsemyNet router in my cafe that provides 'code-based' access to the wifi; you can restrict it based on time, the amount up- or down-loaded etc etc.

But it controls it by device, not by user - if one of my customers wanted to log in with two different devices they'd have two different 'logins' with a set allowance on each, if you get what I mean?

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friday16 · 27/09/2013 07:55

I wonder how they do it in cafes ?... In some they give you a code and that gives you a limited time....

Yes, provided you've you've got a fully featured web-browser to enter the code or use to perform a login. With that assumption a reasonably competent nerd could probably help you do it: you'd need to replace the firmware on your router with DD-WRT, or spend fifty quid on a cheap router to use alongside your existing one and put DD-WRT on that. That's what's called a "captive portal": the first time you visit a webpage you're dumped to an authentication page, you type in a code, and then all the magic happens elsewhere to limit your time, bandwidth, etc. You'd sign up for a service like a Community Hotspot and it'd all be good.

This only works if every session is book-ended with a web-browsing session (to handle "login" and "logout"). If you are willing to have everyone "login" and "logout" using the web browser on their device (and that might open up additional problems, because the browsers on-board games consoles don't have parental control software) then as you say, what you've got is essentially a cafe hotspot (slightly more complex as you actually want per-user authentication, rather than vouchers, but that is supported by the software I've pointed you to).

But I suspect that such a solution wouldn't last more than a few weeks. It's inevitable that people would forget to log out (called away for tea, or whatever) and that would result in allocations being burnt up. The need to have either a keyboard plugged in or mess about with on-screen keyboards would mean that people would use simple passwords, and they would become known to other people in the house. Having to "log off" and "log on" would be very, very irritating. You'd have to "whitelist" other devices on your network that can't or shouldn't do authentication (TV, Internet Radio, your own iPhones, whatever).

I confess, when I replied last night I didn't realise that every modern games console has a reasonable web browser in it. My teenagers don't have consoles at all, because I'm member of the Amish community I think they are vile, so won't have them in the house. So I was assuming you'd have a reasonable number of devices around which you would want to time limit, but which couldn't do per-user login via a browser. Your incredulity prompted me to look in more detail, so I will alter my answer:

If you have a web-browser available in each device your children use, and you are willing to permit them to use it (which might bypass parental controls elsewhere) and enforce a policy of login/logout around each gaming session, then although you'd need a nerd, some nerve and some time spent bedding the solution in, it's possible to do it for probably around fifty quid.

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wakemeupnow · 27/09/2013 08:01

Thanks smug that could be the answer.. friday16 gave me a really interesting link but it's just too complicated for me Confused

I just searched up UsemyNet and it looks fairly simple to use... I need to replace my router anyway... I will look into it a bit more.

with 3dc this issue is not going to go away .... ho hum...

I really appreciate all the help everyone has given here. I'm sure i'm not alone in being fed up with being the Screen Gestapo !

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wakemeupnow · 27/09/2013 08:04

Wow.. Thanks so for the detailed post friday... handing your post over to my DH .. he's much more nerdy than me Wink

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