<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small">JD, you are correct in thinking that the laptop needs to work normally outside my home network - school network and any other ones, like when we are travelling.<br>
<br><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div>Pete Hardie<br>--------<br>Better Living Through Bitmaps</div>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 8:23 PM, JD <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jdp@algoloma.com" target="_blank">jdp@algoloma.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Many routers have time limits based on MAC address. I know that some parents<br>
provide a USB-wifi dongle to be used during approved internet time and keep it<br>
locked away safely otherwise. Allowing just that MAC from the approved dongle<br>
is something most wifi routers support too.<br>
<br>
As to preventing time wasting access to websites, The easy way is to block them<br>
100% from your network, but using that nuclear option may not be the best answer<br>
for all families. For example, I block facebook, twitter, zynga and much of<br>
google from my network on principle. Here's an article that I wrote for<br>
Lifehacker:<br>
<a href="http://lifehacker.com/5817447/how-to-block-unwanted-ads-in-all-applications-and-speed-up-web-browsing-with-the-hosts-file" target="_blank">http://lifehacker.com/5817447/how-to-block-unwanted-ads-in-all-applications-and-speed-up-web-browsing-with-the-hosts-file</a><br>
about this, but if you can't touch her /etc/hosts, then you'll need to do it at<br>
the router/DNS server. I assume it needs to work fine when she it outside your<br>
network?<br>
<br>
If you use a proxy server, then you can block all external DNS queries from the<br>
client machines. Only the proxy server needs DNS access. That is something you<br>
control.<br>
<br>
Something like Dan's Guardian might be worth looking into. Running a filtering<br>
squid proxy might be fun too. Filters can use perl regex, so almost any sort of<br>
unencrypted content can be blocked.<br>
<br>
<br>
Lots of options.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
<br>
<br>
On 02/27/2013 07:13 PM, Pete Hardie wrote:<br>
> I neglected to mention that one of the reasons she gets a laptop from the school<br>
> is that they provide much of the homework via the web, so a total internet or<br>
> computer ban is not an option, either.<br>
><br>
> We do make her close the laptop when she is doing offline homework, but that is<br>
> only part of the work.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Pete Hardie<br>
> --------<br>
> Better Living Through Bitmaps<br>
><br>
><br>
> On Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 3:35 PM, Ron Frazier (ALE)<br>
</div>> <<a href="mailto:atllinuxenthinfo@techstarship.com">atllinuxenthinfo@techstarship.com</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:atllinuxenthinfo@techstarship.com">atllinuxenthinfo@techstarship.com</a>>><br>
<div class="im">> wrote:<br>
><br>
> Impose a "screen time" limit, unless she's working on "official business"<br>
> which you designate. She can divide her screen time among tv, games,<br>
> whatever, as long as homework is done. Once the limit is up, the device<br>
> must be turned off. You could do this for internet access from your router<br>
> by disconnecting her internet after a time limit.<br>
><br>
> My son, now in college, used to complain because I wouldn't let him play<br>
> video games. Actually, the real truth is that he could play video games, he<br>
> just couldn't watch 2 hours of tv AND play 2 hours of video games on a<br>
> school night.<br>
><br>
> If she wants more time, she has to get a waiver from you.<br>
><br>
> Sincerely,<br>
><br>
> Ron<br>
><br>
><br>
</div><div class="im">> Pete Hardie <<a href="mailto:pete.hardie@gmail.com">pete.hardie@gmail.com</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:pete.hardie@gmail.com">pete.hardie@gmail.com</a>>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> >It's basically the time spent - she gets sucked into some games, and<br>
> >some<br>
> >stories. I'm not trying to content block in this case.<br>
> ><br>
> >I'm reluctant to do anything on the laptop, because the school has a<br>
> >pack<br>
> >of savvy delinq^H^H^H^Hweb surfers who can suggest the easy fixes to<br>
> >the<br>
> >easy blocks<br>
> ><br>
> >Pete Hardie<br>
> >--------<br>
> >Better Living Through Bitmaps<br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> >On Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 3:07 PM, Scott Plante<br>
</div>> ><<a href="mailto:splante@insightsys.com">splante@insightsys.com</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:splante@insightsys.com">splante@insightsys.com</a>>>wrote:<br>
<div class="im">> ><br>
> >> How tech savvy is she? If there are a few particular time-wasting<br>
> >sites<br>
> >> you want to block (facebook, twitter) you could potentially just edit<br>
> >> her C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file and add some entries<br>
> >> pointing to 127.0.0.1 or 192.168.0.0 or something like that. You said<br>
> >you<br>
> >> couldn't install anything--not sure if you can edit a file like that.<br>
> >It's<br>
> >> easy enough to override if she's savvy but it might be an easy first<br>
> >step<br>
> >> before going to a network based filter. Of course if she is savvy,<br>
> >there<br>
> >> are probably countless ways for her to get around all kinds of<br>
> >obstacles<br>
> >> you may put up. Neighbor's wi-fi? Cell hotspot? Free VPN?<br>
> >><br>
> >> It sounds like you're less worried about content filtering--i.e.<br>
> >blocking<br>
> >> any site that contains porn, etc.--and more worried about a few<br>
> >particular<br>
> >> time-sink sites. If you are interested in content filtering, you<br>
> >might<br>
> >> check out DansGuardian.org.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Scott<br>
> >> ------------------------------<br>
</div>> >> *From: *"Pete Hardie" <<a href="mailto:pete.hardie@gmail.com">pete.hardie@gmail.com</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:pete.hardie@gmail.com">pete.hardie@gmail.com</a>>><br>
<div class="im">> >> *To: *"Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux!" <<a href="mailto:ale@ale.org">ale@ale.org</a><br>
</div>> <mailto:<a href="mailto:ale@ale.org">ale@ale.org</a>>><br>
<div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5">> >> *Sent: *Wednesday, February 27, 2013 2:02:24 PM<br>
> >> *Subject: *[ale] selective DNS server for DHCP clients?<br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >> Hello all,<br>
> >><br>
> >> After another round of disagreements concerning homework, I've<br>
> >determined<br>
> >> that my daughter can't resist the lure of time-wasting Internet<br>
> >sites. The<br>
> >> wrinkle is that she has a school-issued laptop, so I can't install<br>
> >anything<br>
> >> on it to block access to the time-sinks. So here's what I think I<br>
> >can do,<br>
> >> and I need to know if it's possible:<br>
> >><br>
> >> I already have a DHCP server on my desktop, providing fixed IPs and a<br>
> >> different DNS server for my ReplayTV boxen. I'd like to target her<br>
> >> laptop's DNS to one running on my desktop, without using that one as<br>
> >my<br>
> >> desktop's DNS (I can use the router)<br>
> >><br>
> >> I also need a good tutorial on DNS servers - I have dnsmasq, which<br>
> >seems<br>
> >> like it might work for my purposes - have the sites I need to block<br>
> >be<br>
> >> mapped to 127.0.0.1 for her laptop, while letting the rest to resolve<br>
> >> normally<br>
> >><br>
> >> So is this feasible? If not, is there a good alternative?<br>
> >><br>
> >> TIA,<br>
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