The internet is chock full of content, but not all of it is wholesome for general consumption past all. Thankfully, you tin cake certain websites to ensure no ane accesses them on your habitation network, particularly the kids.

It may seem unfair to restrict internet usage at home, only it besides protects your network from malicious content and viruses from some websites, while speeding upwardly connectivity in general.

We'll evidence you how to cake websites on your router, or by using DNS, among other solutions.

Note: This is a full general guide; some routers may or may not take the feature to block individual websites. However, nigh router firmware allows y'all to add such sites to the whitelist or blacklist, and edit the lists to effectively control access to them.

How To Block Websites On Your Router

You can block websites in unlike means depending on the router you lot take at home, provided it supports website blocking. Nosotros'll walk you lot through the steps yous need to take when blocking sites from your router.

  • The offset matter is to find your router'southward IP accost. To do this, get to the search bar on your computer and type CMD. Click on Command Prompt.
  • In the Command Prompt box, type ipconfig and press Enter. Adjacent to Default Gateway, you'll see your router'due south IP address.
  • If you lot're using a Mac estimator, click the Apple icon to open the bill of fare, and select System Preferences>Network and select Ethernet. You'll come across the IP address nether router.

Some of the common router gateway IP addresses used include Netgear http://192.168.0.1 and Linksys http://192.168.one.1, but you can e'er confirm using the command prompt on your reckoner.

  • Next, enter the router IP accost on your browser, and log in. Bank check the login details on the back of the router's case, or if yous know the details, log in to access the back finish.
  • If you tin access your router's back end, go to Security and click on the content filter or blacklist section, which may differ depending on the router yous're using.
  • Most routers take this section nether the 'basic rules', 'firewall', or 'content' department, where you tin discover the URL content filter.
  • Add together the URL of the website y'all want to block to the Blacklist or content filter on your router, and it'll cake it at the source.

How To Block Websites Using DNS

Not all routers give the option to block websites from the back terminate, which means you need another manner of blocking such sites. You can do this using a DNS service such every bit OpenDNS, which is free to employ, and tin can filter out or block specific sites.

Without an IP accost, your reckoner can't connect to any website, so a DNS server is required to translate a URL like helpdeskgeek.com into an IP address.

Ordinarily, you'd use the DNS service your ISP offers, but you can change this at any time.  OpenDNS is a third-political party DNS server that offers several features like content filtering and increased speed, plus parental controls.

You tin can utilize the OpenDNS Abode Internet Security or Family Shield to cake specific websites or content, plus piracy or malware sites by changing the DNS server on your home router or devices.

  • To utilise OpenDNS Family Shield, gear up a personal costless account and use the 208.67.222.123 or 208.67.220.123 name server addresses to block websites you don't want others to access on your network.
  • For your router, blazon the IP address, log in and get to DNS settings and utilize any of the ii IP addresses in identify of the default one your ISP provided. On a Netgear router, log in and get to Basic>Internet.
  • Click on Internet on the right pane, and find the setting for DNS addresses and select Use These DNS Servers. Fill them in with the OpenDNS proper noun server addresses.
  • On your devices, you can change information technology in Network Settings. If it's an Android device, click Settings>Connections>WiFi.
  • Tap your WiFi home network, and and so tap Advanced.
  • Next, tap IP Settings and select Static.
  • For iPhone, tap Settings>WiFi and tap the 'i' next to the WiFi network, and so whorl down and tap Configure DNS>Manual. Hither, you can remove the DNS addresses you don't desire, and add enter the ones you desire to help you cake websites.
  • Tap Relieve when you're done.

Note: This method doesn't block social networking sites that may have some disturbing content. In this case, you demand the more than advanced OpenDNS Home Internet Security that blocks entire categories of content. Information technology only works on your network though, just it'south cracking if yous desire more than granular command.

  • To utilise the OpenDNS Dwelling house Net Security, create an account with a strong and secure password, and you'll be directed to the backend.
  • Click Add network. You'll see your external IP address, so click on it to start. The service keeps track of your changing address, and then information technology's best to install it on one computer, and it'll work on the rest.
  • Click the network and pick from ane of iv filtering levels: High, Moderate, Depression or None. Each level protects confronting specific types of content or sites. For example, Low only protects against porn, while High protects against adult-related sites, social networking sites, illegal activity, video sharing and more than.
  • Click Customization and configure things to your liking, including the sites you want to block. Call up, it's either y'all block the whole site, or none of information technology at all.
  • Finally, configure your dwelling router or devices to use OpenDNS Home Internet Security, with the IP addresses 208.67.222.222 or 208.67.220.220 using the same steps higher up for your router or device (Android or iPhone).

Block Websites Using Parental Controls

The Parental controls characteristic can block inadvertent access to or filter the web for inappropriate sites. You can cake sites on your router using the native parental controls, or use tertiary-political party software.

If your router shipped with built-in parental controls, you lot tin can go to the configuration pages on the web and set it up for your network.

If not, merely utilize OpenDNS to set up the characteristic on your router by changing the DNS server settings to using OpenDNS, and then choose the websites to block. Whatsoever time someone visits a blocked site, they'll become a message that says, "This site is blocked".

Windows PCs using the Windows 10 operating arrangement come up with integrated parental controls that combine Family Safety's web filtering, time limits and plan access amidst other new features.

How To Cake Websites Using Antivirus Software Or Firewall Settings

Y'all can too block websites using your antivirus software or firewall by getting a blanket ban on specific sites. This blocks everything, and from there you lot tin can whitelist the websites that y'all desire to allow on your habitation network. Most firewalls' default settings likewise allow you to block anything that's non safety to read or spotter.

A skillful antivirus package should have website filtering as one of its features, which makes it easy for y'all to block several websites.

Some Internet security suites also offer native parental controls, for example the costless Norton Family parental control app from Norton, or you lot tin can pay for a dedicated tool like Net Nanny.  They aren't perfect, just the offering some peace of listen, at least around the firm on your home network.