Decent software to control access to the net?

[Nick]

Hi All,

Does anyone know of any decent software to limit the internet access of PCs on a network?

Basically, I want to limit the kids' time on their PCs.

I've tried a couple of cybernanny progs but they don't have time-locking... and since updating my router, which was needed to connect to Zen, I've lost the ability to assign this function to IPs on the network.

So, any ideas?

Cheers,

Nick

[Singh400]

Have a play with the net user command in cmd.

So for example...

net user singh400 /times:monday-friday,11am-2pm

This means that I can only logon between the times of 11am to 2pm, during weekdays.

[MadduckUK]

name of router would give us a good start, i think perhaps your kids are already bartering for dongles behind the bike sheds though

[stevie lee]

kaspersky internet security does all that and more.

its in one of the sections on the options/config page. also has quite a good specific site blocker/filter in the parental controls page.

[watercooled]

About the router idea - I have 2 routers from different MFRs and both have options to limit net access based on time to specific IPs/the whole network - no extra software needed.

[peterb]

I'd go for control by the router. Depends on the router capabilities, but you could limit by time, by type of access, by site and so on, so you might want to limit MS messenger more closely than general web, or block Facebook/Youtube/myspace/Bebo (or whatever) more restrictively than other sites.

But blocking at the router controls all PCs on the network equally. (Although again it may be possible to refine that - but depends on the router)

[scaryjim]

The other alternative would be to set up a proxy and make all traffic route through that - a lot more complex to manage, of course, but would give you finer grained control anmd better logging of what the kids are up to (until they find a way to hack it / bypass it, that is )

[gss03]

F-Secure AV/ Internet security has this sort of functionality £30 per year for a license for upto 3 machines if memory serves me right.

Also pretty sure that Draytek Routers also have this sort of functionality if you wanted to do down that route.