Blocking Websites

[RebelMan]

I need to block a couple of websites from being opened/used when other people go to them through FireFox on my computer, but it needs to be set up so that only I can use them & no one else can.

How do I make this happen?

[mced]

I guess there are a lot of apps that can do something as that. But I've thought about a method that doesn't involve installing software. Requeriments are:

- Your account is an administrator one (or you can access to one).
- The "other people" don't know a damn thing about Windows and networking (I guess you're using Windows). And it's recommended that their accounts are "normal" ones (not admins).

The main advantage: it will work not only with Firefox, but with any other browser; actually, any other program (including download managers, E-mail clients, etc).

Let's block www.youtube.com, for example:

1. Open a "My Computer" Explorer window and browse to C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\
2. Make a copy of the "hosts" file (in the same folder) and call it "originalhosts". These files don't need extension.
3. Run Notepad and type (or copy & paste) something like:

127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com

The "127.0.0.1 localhost" must be present. You just have to add more lines, containing a "127.0.0.1", a blank space (important!) and any other site you want to block, without the "http://" or any other subdirectory or slash. More examples:

127.0.0.1 www.google.com
127.0.0.1 www.msn.com
127.0.0.1 forums.fanhost.com #(nooooo!!!!)

4. Save this file in the same folder, with the name "blockhosts".

Now we have the original hosts file, and a modified one that will block any attempt to load YouTube. The only thing we need is an easy way to change between both of them.

5. Open Notepad again and type the following:

copy /y %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\originalhosts %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

6. Save it anywhere you want (f.e, the desktop) and call it "permit.cmd" (don't forget the CMD extension).

7. Again, Notepad:

copy /y %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\blockhosts %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

8. Save this other batch file as "block.cmd".

9. Now you just have to doubleclick "permit.cmd" to allow any site, like normally; and doubleclick "block.cmd" to block YouTube.

10. Now it's up to you to "hide" those two files (block.cmd and permit.cmd) or call them what you want (like green.cmd/red.cmd or celtics.cmd/bulls.cmd... whatever) to avoid "the other people" finding them. Anyway, if "the other people" are not administrators, they can't do anything even if they execute them. It's a good idea to make those two CMD files only readable by administrators.

Ways to circumvent this? A lot of them:

- If they know how to use a public proxy, they could load YouTube. Of course, you can also block proxies, but that's a little... laborious.
- If they know the "nslookup" command, or any nslookup webservice, they could circumvent this, just by entering YouTube using its IP (208.65.153.238 is one). Anyway, there are many sites that doesn't allow this method. YouTube does, by the way.

I hope this is useful.

[RebelMan]

Thanks for the help mced.

And since I only use FireFox & don't have Internet Explorer at all, I found an addon called BlockSite that suits my needs perfectly.

[mced]

Mmmmhhh...

BlockSite 0.7
by Erik van Kempen, Noel Briggs

...

This extension should by no means be used for parental control
or access control purposes, just because it isn't secure and
can easily be disabled or even removed.

[RebelMan]

Originally Posted by mced

Mmmmhhh...

BlockSite 0.7
by Erik van Kempen, Noel Briggs

...

This extension should by no means be used for parental control
or access control purposes, just because it isn't secure and
can easily be disabled or even removed.

I know. But the people I'm trying to keep off my comp don't know a thing about FireFox addons since the only thing they have ever used is Internet Explorer.