Internet Access software for managing kids access?

Forums › Desktop computing › Internet Access software for managing kids access?

Lias

5589 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#74384 28-Dec-2010 21:05

Does anyone know of any free or open source pieces of software that would allow me to ration internet usage like a motel/cybercafe? Basically I want to be able to give my kids "X" hours of access a week to the internet, in the hope they might do something with their lives other than play facebook games.

Ideally either something that authenticates against an AD (existing at home), or uses a one time random code like many motels etc.

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79295 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#422228 28-Dec-2010 21:22

You didn't expand your requirements... Is this to run on a PC/server, or router? Do you already have this hardware running? What kind of OS is this hardware running?

If you are planning on getting a router, then you could use a router running http://zenbu.net.nz and give tokens to your kids. No AD integration though, which I think will not be easy to find in this kind of solution.

Lias

5589 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#422267 28-Dec-2010 22:44

Software solution, windows or linux based. Once I find a suitable software package, I'll build a windows/linux box for it to sit on, whack a couple of NIC's in it, give it a static in the DHCP scope and update the DHCP server to set it as the gateway, then chuck my existing router on the other side of it.

nedkelly

659 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#422569 30-Dec-2010 08:21

I know there is a program called K9 Web Protection (http://www1.k9webprotection.com/)
It works on Windows machines and newish Macs, dont think on Linux.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79295 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#422581 30-Dec-2010 09:29

Another option, if this is a Windows machine they are using, is to install Windows Live Family Safety: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-family-safety

tigercorp

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#422613 30-Dec-2010 12:16

Lias: Software solution, windows or linux based. Once I find a suitable software package, I'll build a windows/linux box for it to sit on, whack a couple of NIC's in it, give it a static in the DHCP scope and update the DHCP server to set it as the gateway, then chuck my existing router on the other side of it.

If you really want to go through that amount of effort, you could use an open source proxy server like Squid to control time based access, and use a group policy to set the proxy settings for those particular users (if they're using IE).

farcus

1554 posts

Uber Geek

#422625 30-Dec-2010 13:28

on the simplest level there is this addon for firefox. haven't tested it though.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1803/?application=firefox&id=1803