Using Host file to Block Web Pages

[Guest]

I am using Windows XP Pro.

I have been using my hosts file to block questionable content on my home
computer, the prupose of this is mainly to protect my pre-teen son without
him knowing I'm doing it. The problem I have found, however, is that the it
appears that although I have blocked the webpage in the hosts file, should
one stumble upon another site with a link to the blocked one, you can still
view the blocked content. Am I correct in this assumption, or is he
accessing the blocked pages in another way? Is there a way to block these
websites from all points of access?

 

[Emrys Davies]

I am using Windows XP Pro.

I have been using my hosts file to block questionable content on my home
computer, the prupose of this is mainly to protect my pre-teen son without
him knowing I'm doing it. The problem I have found, however, is that the it
appears that although I have blocked the webpage in the hosts file, should
one stumble upon another site with a link to the blocked one, you can still
view the blocked content. Am I correct in this assumption, or is he
accessing the blocked pages in another way? Is there a way to block these
websites from all points of access?

Emily,

I don't know whether this will help you, but it looks as if it will.
Worth a look.
http://www.netmop.com/?campaign=3

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

 

[Emrys Davies]

that
the it can

Emily,

I don't know whether this will help you, but it looks as if it will.
Worth a look.
http://www.netmop.com/?campaign=3

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

Emily,

I should also have said that if you want more choice go to
www.google.com and search using: blocking internet sites.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

 

[Ted Zieglar]

Using the Hosts file in this way is not a good idea, IMHO. Web sites often
change the IP addresses they use, so you'll be forever updating the Hosts
file. Like a dog chasing its tail, you'll never catch up.

Web filtering software is what you want, as another poster pointed out.

 

[Guest]

The only reason I have opted to not use filtering software is to avoid the
insueing argument should he be alerted that I am censoring his browsing, so I
would need a content filter that did not publicly announce that someone has
forbidden him from seeing what he is trying to look at.

 

[Ted Zieglar]

That type of software is certainly available, but he'll catch on eventually
no matter what you do.

 

[polK]

I am using Windows XP Pro.

I have been using my hosts file to block questionable content on my
home computer, the prupose of this is mainly to protect my pre-teen
son without him knowing I'm doing it. The problem I have found,
however, is that the it appears that although I have blocked the
webpage in the hosts file, should one stumble upon another site with
a link to the blocked one, you can still view the blocked content.
Am I correct in this assumption, or is he accessing the blocked pages
in another way? Is there a way to block these websites from all
points of access?

Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

 

[N. Miller]

Using the Hosts file in this way is not a good idea, IMHO. Web sites often
change the IP addresses they use, so you'll be forever updating the Hosts
file. Like a dog chasing its tail, you'll never catch up.

Eh? The purpose of a hosts file is to create a direct association between a
host name and an IP address. When a hosts file is used to block a site, you
create an entry thus:

127.0.0.1 www.badsite.com

How can "www.badsite.com" evade that by changing their IP address? No
matter what IP address the Internet DNS system points to, the local domain
name resolver checks the hosts file first, always finds that the IP address
for the site is 127.0.0.1, and feeds that IP addres to the browser.

The problem with the hosts file is that a link on web page may reference
the actual IP address of a site, not the URL. In that case, the linked page
will be fed to the browser.

 

[N. Miller]

I am using Windows XP Pro.

I have been using my hosts file to block questionable content on my home
computer, the prupose of this is mainly to protect my pre-teen son without
him knowing I'm doing it. The problem I have found, however, is that the it
appears that although I have blocked the webpage in the hosts file, should
one stumble upon another site with a link to the blocked one, you can still
view the blocked content. Am I correct in this assumption, or is he
accessing the blocked pages in another way?

If a web site links to a another site, and the link uses an IP address
instead of an FQDN in the URL, then the site will be displayed. This is
because the hosts file only works by associating FQDNs to IP addresses.

Is there a way to block these websites from all points of access?

A hardware SPI filter comes to mind. Or any of several "nanny" programs.
The problem with the latter is that a knowledgeable son or daughter can
defeat them with a modest bit of hacking. Put a password on the hardware
device, and change it frequently, and the kids are locked out.

 

[Tom Pepper Willett]

Ted: If you have domains in the host file, changing IP addresses isn't an
issue.

Tom
| Using the Hosts file in this way is not a good idea, IMHO. Web sites often
| change the IP addresses they use, so you'll be forever updating the Hosts
| file. Like a dog chasing its tail, you'll never catch up.
|
| Web filtering software is what you want, as another poster pointed out.
|
| --
| Ted Zieglar
| "You can do it if you try."
|
message
| | > I am using Windows XP Pro.
| >
| > I have been using my hosts file to block questionable content on my home
| > computer, the prupose of this is mainly to protect my pre-teen son
without
| > him knowing I'm doing it. The problem I have found, however, is that
the
| it
| > appears that although I have blocked the webpage in the hosts file,
should
| > one stumble upon another site with a link to the blocked one, you can
| still
| > view the blocked content. Am I correct in this assumption, or is he
| > accessing the blocked pages in another way? Is there a way to block
these
| > websites from all points of access?
|

 

[Gary Smith]

You don't have a technical problem, you have a parenting problem.
Restricting your son's online activities is perfectly reasonable, but a
frank discussion of what you're doing and why is essential. Otherwise
what you're teaching is deceit, and once he learns that that's okay,
you've lost the battle.