How do I actually block a website on a computer?

Detroit_Waves · 27 Mar 2011 at 16:36

Im sorry if this isnt the right place to post this, but I figured its dealing with IE and FF so hopefully it is!

So basically, my Mum has become taken with playing Bingo online, which is driving my Dad crazy! So he has asked me to block the websites to save him from throwing the laptop out the window haha!

I thought I knew how to actually block a single website, but I cant appear to be able to do it.

Is there a way to block a certain website, without her knowing, so it just comes up as unable to load, and I can just blag 'there must be a problem with the site' until she gets bored and forgets about it!?

whitecrook · 27 Mar 2011 at 16:37

edit the hosts file

vertica · 27 Mar 2011 at 16:59

There must be hundreds if not thousands of bingo sites, so blocking a particular one in the host file wouldn't be a very good solution if your mum just wants to play bingo.
The other option is to create rules on the router/firewall, you could block any site with the word "bingo" in the address for example.

It does strike me however that there may be larger issues here, blocking stuff from a child fine, but husband/wife seems a little odd. Note that is not meant as a comment against you or your family, the scenario just seems strange to me!

Detroit_Waves · 27 Mar 2011 at 17:55

Haha no offense taken! Strange is the best word to describe the situation I would say. My mother is just stubborn, and my Dad doesnt really understand what the internet even is haha, so he just freaks out. To be fair, I wouldnt mind blocking it, as I can see my mum pulling out the credit card after long to keep playing bingo!

Luckily my Mum doesnt know too much, see only found this site as my sister told her to go on it, I feel safe just blocking the one that she wouldnt know how to find another one...

So yes...how do I actually just block the one? As that should be enough!!

Jon1818 · 27 Mar 2011 at 17:57

Proxy settings?

pespro · 27 Mar 2011 at 18:14

definatly look in your router, that would be the easiest way.
You should be able to block on keywords, do you know what model you have?

Why does he want them blocking, cant your dad get his own laptop if she is on it all the time or is it costing money?

Detroit_Waves · 27 Mar 2011 at 19:41

The Router is a Comtrend 5365 (They live in Spain, and this is what the provider has given)

I dont know how to block it through the router, although this would be very handy, do you happen to know how I would do this.

And yeah its not the time she spends on it that is the worry, I think its the fact that 2 of his brothers got into serious gambling debts when they were younger, and he is not anti gambling, but just stresses over it too much...and my mother being stubborn, if you told her to stop, she probably end up doing it more haha...easier just to stop her in her tracks!

Detroit_Waves · 27 Mar 2011 at 19:45

Jon1818 said:
Proxy settings?

Im sorry mate, youll have to forgive me...gone straight over my head.

Anyway you could explain a little more?

TWiNKLeT0Es · 27 Mar 2011 at 20:08

You could give the free version of OpenDNS a shot: http://www.opendns.com/

It has Web content filtering.

But this would mean going back into your router.

Detroit_Waves · 27 Mar 2011 at 20:27

Haha...I currently feel like God over my router after its finally doing what I want!

So I may give this a little shot haha!

So once I have this downloaded, I need to change something within the router settings after this?

Crowort · 27 Mar 2011 at 20:36

By far the easiest (but not nice way) is to change the host file to have a line that has 127.0.0.1 then name of website. This will just loop the site back to the laptop in effect blocking it.

You will find the host file @ C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc you can edit it with notepad. You will need to run notepad as administer level or it will not let you save changes as it is a protected 'windows' file.

Most home routers don't have the type of functions listed here unless the buyer was going for something good / using custom firmware. It also isn't really needed in your case imo.

The openDNS idea should work in the same way pretty much (you are just changing what typing www.whateverbingosite.coms real address to the wrong thing) but will work for all devices connected to the router. I don't know offhand how you setup openDNS to filter things but you'd need to change your dns addresses to the openDNS ones for sure. After that there will be guides on the openDNS site I'm sure.

Detroit_Waves · 27 Mar 2011 at 20:41

Crowort said:
By far the easiest (but not nice way) is to change the host file to have a line that has 127.0.0.1 then name of website. This will just loop the site back to the laptop in effect blocking it.

You will find the host file @ C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc you can edit it with notepad. You will need to run notepad as administer level or it will not let you save changes as it is a protected 'windows' file.

Most home routers don't have the type of functions listed here unless the buyer was going for something good / using custom firmware. It also isn't really needed in your case imo.

This sounds just like what Im looking for! Im not sure what looping the site back means, but im sure its something I can blag to Mum haha.

So I found the file, to which Im greeted with this when I open it in notepad:

# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost

So what do I edit here, and add/change?

Crowort · 27 Mar 2011 at 20:45

you add the line

127.0.0.1 thesiteyouwanttoblock

127.0.0.1 is the localhost, basically changes it too when ever the bingo site is translated in a net address it gets changed too 127.0.0.1 instead of the real one. 127.0.0.1 tells it to connect back to the laptop. The browser will just show the 'site is busy or network is down' error as if your internet wasn't working. You could try using a real address for a laugh too and making it so when she enters the bingo site it takes her to another site instead. If you used 74.125.230.144 instead of 127.0.0.1 it would take her to google.com instead of the bingo site.

Detroit_Waves · 27 Mar 2011 at 20:55

Crowort said:
you add the line

127.0.0.1 www.thesiteyouwanttoblock.com

127.0.0.1 is the localhost, basically changes it too when ever the bingo site is translated in a net address it gets changed too 127.0.0.1 instead of the real one. 127.0.0.1 tells it to connect back to the laptop.

So literally just on the next line under all the information I just type exactly what you said?

Worse case scenario...I can just delete this line and save it again to set it back to normal?

Crowort · 27 Mar 2011 at 21:02

Yes, of course you type the real sites name.

Detroit_Waves · 27 Mar 2011 at 21:52

Perfect! Youre a star, that seems to have worked a treat!

pespro · 27 Mar 2011 at 23:50

It will work but as someone said earlier, just searching bingo will bring up far more alternatives.
setting it in the router or with OpenDNS will work better.

Not 100% sure but think you setup an account with them, then point your router DNS to theirs to get the settings to work.

MikeTech · 28 Mar 2011 at 05:06

I use firewall software to block some websites.