[ale] selective DNS server for DHCP clients?
Pete Hardie
pete.hardie at gmail.com
Wed Feb 27 20:28:41 EST 2013
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.
Pete Hardie
--------
Better Living Through Bitmaps
On Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 8:23 PM, JD <jdp at algoloma.com> wrote:
> Many routers have time limits based on MAC address. I know that some
> parents
> provide a USB-wifi dongle to be used during approved internet time and
> keep it
> locked away safely otherwise. Allowing just that MAC from the approved
> dongle
> is something most wifi routers support too.
>
> As to preventing time wasting access to websites, The easy way is to block
> them
> 100% from your network, but using that nuclear option may not be the best
> answer
> for all families. For example, I block facebook, twitter, zynga and much
> of
> google from my network on principle. Here's an article that I wrote for
> Lifehacker:
>
> http://lifehacker.com/5817447/how-to-block-unwanted-ads-in-all-applications-and-speed-up-web-browsing-with-the-hosts-file
> about this, but if you can't touch her /etc/hosts, then you'll need to do
> it at
> the router/DNS server. I assume it needs to work fine when she it outside
> your
> network?
>
> If you use a proxy server, then you can block all external DNS queries
> from the
> client machines. Only the proxy server needs DNS access. That is something
> you
> control.
>
> Something like Dan's Guardian might be worth looking into. Running a
> filtering
> squid proxy might be fun too. Filters can use perl regex, so almost any
> sort of
> unencrypted content can be blocked.
>
>
> Lots of options.
>
>
>
> On 02/27/2013 07:13 PM, Pete Hardie wrote:
> > I neglected to mention that one of the reasons she gets a laptop from
> the school
> > is that they provide much of the homework via the web, so a total
> internet or
> > computer ban is not an option, either.
> >
> > We do make her close the laptop when she is doing offline homework, but
> that is
> > only part of the work.
> >
> >
> >
> > Pete Hardie
> > --------
> > Better Living Through Bitmaps
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 3:35 PM, Ron Frazier (ALE)
> > <atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com <mailto:
> atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com>>
> > wrote:
> >
> > Impose a "screen time" limit, unless she's working on "official
> business"
> > which you designate. She can divide her screen time among tv, games,
> > whatever, as long as homework is done. Once the limit is up, the
> device
> > must be turned off. You could do this for internet access from your
> router
> > by disconnecting her internet after a time limit.
> >
> > My son, now in college, used to complain because I wouldn't let him
> play
> > video games. Actually, the real truth is that he could play video
> games, he
> > just couldn't watch 2 hours of tv AND play 2 hours of video games on
> a
> > school night.
> >
> > If she wants more time, she has to get a waiver from you.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Ron
> >
> >
> > Pete Hardie <pete.hardie at gmail.com <mailto:pete.hardie at gmail.com>>
> wrote:
> >
> > >It's basically the time spent - she gets sucked into some games, and
> > >some
> > >stories. I'm not trying to content block in this case.
> > >
> > >I'm reluctant to do anything on the laptop, because the school has a
> > >pack
> > >of savvy delinq^H^H^H^Hweb surfers who can suggest the easy fixes to
> > >the
> > >easy blocks
> > >
> > >Pete Hardie
> > >--------
> > >Better Living Through Bitmaps
> > >
> > >
> > >On Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 3:07 PM, Scott Plante
> > ><splante at insightsys.com <mailto:splante at insightsys.com>>wrote:
> > >
> > >> How tech savvy is she? If there are a few particular time-wasting
> > >sites
> > >> you want to block (facebook, twitter) you could potentially just
> edit
> > >> her C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file and add some
> entries
> > >> pointing to 127.0.0.1 or 192.168.0.0 or something like that. You
> said
> > >you
> > >> couldn't install anything--not sure if you can edit a file like
> that.
> > >It's
> > >> easy enough to override if she's savvy but it might be an easy
> first
> > >step
> > >> before going to a network based filter. Of course if she is savvy,
> > >there
> > >> are probably countless ways for her to get around all kinds of
> > >obstacles
> > >> you may put up. Neighbor's wi-fi? Cell hotspot? Free VPN?
> > >>
> > >> It sounds like you're less worried about content filtering--i.e.
> > >blocking
> > >> any site that contains porn, etc.--and more worried about a few
> > >particular
> > >> time-sink sites. If you are interested in content filtering, you
> > >might
> > >> check out DansGuardian.org.
> > >>
> > >> Scott
> > >> ------------------------------
> > >> *From: *"Pete Hardie" <pete.hardie at gmail.com <mailto:
> pete.hardie at gmail.com>>
> > >> *To: *"Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux!" <
> ale at ale.org
> > <mailto:ale at ale.org>>
> > >> *Sent: *Wednesday, February 27, 2013 2:02:24 PM
> > >> *Subject: *[ale] selective DNS server for DHCP clients?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Hello all,
> > >>
> > >> After another round of disagreements concerning homework, I've
> > >determined
> > >> that my daughter can't resist the lure of time-wasting Internet
> > >sites. The
> > >> wrinkle is that she has a school-issued laptop, so I can't install
> > >anything
> > >> on it to block access to the time-sinks. So here's what I think I
> > >can do,
> > >> and I need to know if it's possible:
> > >>
> > >> I already have a DHCP server on my desktop, providing fixed IPs
> and a
> > >> different DNS server for my ReplayTV boxen. I'd like to target
> her
> > >> laptop's DNS to one running on my desktop, without using that one
> as
> > >my
> > >> desktop's DNS (I can use the router)
> > >>
> > >> I also need a good tutorial on DNS servers - I have dnsmasq, which
> > >seems
> > >> like it might work for my purposes - have the sites I need to
> block
> > >be
> > >> mapped to 127.0.0.1 for her laptop, while letting the rest to
> resolve
> > >> normally
> > >>
> > >> So is this feasible? If not, is there a good alternative?
> > >>
> > >> TIA,
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