Stop kids wifi access + Steam gaming with Network Services Filter

[pulp]

So it's back to school after the holidays. I configured Merlin's 376.49_4 as such:

This should stop WWW but what about Gaming on Steam? Should I add inputs in "Filtered ICMP packet types"? If so, which ones?

 

[coldwizard]

Is this what you want?

http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showpost.php?p=155325&postcount=12

 

[pulp]

Is this what you want?

http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showpost.php?p=155325&postcount=12

I was hoping for something simpler. Like what to type into the "Filtered ICMP packet types" to stop Steam gaming. Maybe I don't need anything in there.

Does closing Port 80 and TCP as I have done for WWW, stop wireless gaming too?

 

[johtaja]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbsuvSjG0xM

 

[crash486]

Pulp, you would be better served with parental controls and an openDNS account if you want to control gaming. This will give you flexibility for the kids to use the Internet for school work while still blocking the games.

 

[pulp]

Thanks fellahs, done so and yes, I set-up Time Zones for each client. Does anyone have real world experience with Parental Controls actually stopping Steam Gaming? I'd rather not use openDNS.

 

[greg50]

Even if you block the main steam servers, the game can run without a connection, or usually without the main steam servers (for example, you can play Counter Strike even if they are under a DDoS attack, because of the different servers run by different persons). I would say: find out what games are they playing, and then do some research on what are the main servers that the actual game is using. Since basically Steam is just a store, each game is using their own servers, their own multiplayer solution, etc...

 

[pulp]

SRSLY BRO? Jesus, you'd think just cutting off wifi to 2 PC's would be a one-click operation.

 

[greg50]

You can obviously disable the whole internet for them easily if that's what you want, and then all the Steam/game multiplayer will be gone, but they will still have single player

 

[pulp]

You can obviously disable the whole internet for them easily if that's what you want, and then all the Steam/game multiplayer will be gone, but they will still have single player

LOL!

But yes, what's the easy setting to "shut off ALL for them"? Didn't that Parental Control do it? Still want access to wifi for others.

 

[greg50]

Then yes, the parental controll will do it. It will only allow or deny the access to the internet at a given time. I thought you just want to block the games in the network filter.

By the way, I don't know how tech savy they are, but since the parental controll is MAC address based, I would set up the MAC Filter to only allow certain MAC addresses on the network. Otherwise, you can change the MAC address of the computer, and you will have access. But maybe it's a littlebit overkill Also: I can't remember, but the mac filter maybe only works on wirelless connections. I think you can still get around the parental controlls on a wired connection if you are able to change the mac address. But that will obviously leave a footprint in the log for example.

But based on the mac address, you probably want to block wirelless clients, so a Wirelless MAC filter with an only allow list + the parental controll would give you a 100% result.

 

[RMerlin]

If you want to block www access, you need to block the remote port 80, and leave the local port empty, as the browser's local port can be anything between 1024 and 65535. It will never be 80.

 

[pulp]

If you want to block www access, you need to block the remote port 80, and leave the local port empty, as the browser's local port can be anything between 1024 and 65535. It will never be 80.

I believe you meant that for when I was setting it via Network Services Filters... I disabled that and now using the Parental Controls:

That should do it, I think... for www and Steam, everything. Testing tonight at 11pm.

 

[c2881977@trbvm.com]

You do realize that your current configuration restricts access based on IP. They could very easily spoof their MAC address or reassign them to a different internal IP address and obtain access again.

Side note: the harder you try to restrict their access, the harder they will try to cirumvent your efforts...until everything turns back on you once they figure it out. Did the same thing when I was younger, ended up learning a lot about networking in the process..

 

[greg50]

The Network Services Filter is indeed IP based, but he is using the parental controll which is mac based. They can try to change the mac, but if the mac filter is set up, they can't connect.

 

[Pilman]

For Parental Control I am missing a basic feature,

time usage restriction

For me it's more interesting to say, that ip can use internet

for 60 minuts today, when ever you want, but not more than 60 minuts.

I am using guest network to do tis, but it's not very practical.

Any idea on how to do this?

Thanks.

 

[pulp]

Thanks fellahs! Parental Controls worked beautifully.

 

[BWR]

For me it's more interesting to say, that ip can use internet

It's missing because a router can't mark "internet use" by a client reliably. Even a simple webpage left open and minimized in the taskbar for later reference can ping a tracking server or fetch ads/content every couple of seconds.

 

[pulp]

Bit of a concern when I returned from work last night, fellahs. The kids were sleeping but computers were on. The CLIENT LIST showed their IP's and MAC's in it as ONLINE. Would it always show in Client List, though wireless usage be disabled by the Parental Controls? Or would Parental Controls completely lock it down and NOT make it show up in Client List?

 

[RMerlin]

Bit of a concern when I returned from work last night, fellahs. The kids were sleeping but computers were on. The CLIENT LIST showed their IP's and MAC's in it as ONLINE. Would it always show in Client List, though wireless usage be disabled by the Parental Controls? Or would Parental Controls completely lock it down and NOT make it show up in Client List?

Parental Control merely prevents them from accessing the Internet. It does not cut their wifi connection, nor causes DHCP leases to expire.