Make Tech Easier

“Can I block site XYZ at the house?”

SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL IDEAS, posted March 2020

The iPad Guy has had several parents ask if such-and-such a site can blocked at home for the iPads.

That is indeed doable, but only on the network at the house. It is not something the school can do for you.

You need a wireless router that includes a feature that is usually called “parental controls” or similar. [Here’s an Amazon Link]. Usually the network cable that comes from the wall plugs into a cable modem [or other box provided by your service provider], and then the wireless router plugs into the network jack on that box.

You’ll have some configuring to do – the routers all work somewhat differently. I suggest doing a Web Search for your router model plus “how setup parental controls”. [LIKE THIS, for example].

As an example, here is a detailed document that steps you through setting up Parental Controls on a TP-Link Archer router:  https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1155/

Some families would find it useful – especially if there is a home business involved – to have TWO wireless networks available – one for family, one for business, for example. Some wireless routers have that capability – some others can have a “guest” network that you can password protect that could be used for that purpose as well.

A last word about costs:

These kind of features are NOT found on the less expensive routers. You will probably pay over $100 for that feature set.

…and please use a good quality surge protector on the router – NOT a $10 one. You are protecting a critical part of your network, so it is worth spending more to make sure the thing KEEPS working!

Here is another option:

1.
Another options is to use OpenDNS [ https://signup.opendns.com/homefree/ ] on your network. Start with the free account, and then upgrade to the paid one if necessary.
Here is why this looks promising:
  • With over 50 customizable filtering categories, OpenDNS Web content filtering keeps parents in control of what websites children visit at home.
  • OpenDNS blocks phishing websites that try to steal your identity and login information by pretending to be a legitimate website. Surf the Web with confidence.
This will require changing some network settings to use them for DNS [think of it as an internet phonebook]. Do a web search for your router model and how set DNS” – you can often find detailed directions there.