home network but restricting childrens access to the web

Hi everyone

I've spent some time searching for an answer but can't find what I'm looking
for, so I hope someone can help.

I'd like to set up a wireless home network with the "family" desktop in the
lounge that has internet access but also put basic computers in three other
rooms that can share files with the family PC but cannot access the internet.

I don't want to buy more software to perform such a task, can XP or my
router let me do this? How can it be done and how easy is it to do?

Thanks

andy

Many routers have the capability to restrict/block Internet access based
upon IP or MAC address. If your router does not have this capability, you
can statically configure the machines with compatible, nonconflicting IPs
but no default gateway. A machine with no default gateway or an incorrect
gateway can share files but not access the Internet.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"andy b" <andy (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:39E7705A-A917-4B51-9108-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi everyone
>
> I've spent some time searching for an answer but can't find what I'm
looking
> for, so I hope someone can help.
>
> I'd like to set up a wireless home network with the "family" desktop in
the
> lounge that has internet access but also put basic computers in three
other
> rooms that can share files with the family PC but cannot access the
internet.
>
> I don't want to buy more software to perform such a task, can XP or my
> router let me do this? How can it be done and how easy is it to do?
>
> Thanks
>
> andy

Thanks Doug. I've got a D-Link DSL-904 router and managed to filter by IP
address but would really like to do it by MAC address - doesn't look like
this is possible though.

thanks again

andy

"Doug Sherman [MVP]" wrote:

> Many routers have the capability to restrict/block Internet access based
> upon IP or MAC address. If your router does not have this capability, you
> can statically configure the machines with compatible, nonconflicting IPs
> but no default gateway. A machine with no default gateway or an incorrect
> gateway can share files but not access the Internet.
>
> Doug Sherman
> MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
>
> "andy b" <andy (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:39E7705A-A917-4B51-9108-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hi everyone
> >
> > I've spent some time searching for an answer but can't find what I'm
> looking
> > for, so I hope someone can help.
> >
> > I'd like to set up a wireless home network with the "family" desktop in
> the
> > lounge that has internet access but also put basic computers in three
> other
> > rooms that can share files with the family PC but cannot access the
> internet.
> >
> > I don't want to buy more software to perform such a task, can XP or my
> > router let me do this? How can it be done and how easy is it to do?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > andy
>
>
>

"andy b" <andy (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:39E7705A-A917-4B51-9108-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi everyone
>
> I've spent some time searching for an answer but can't find what I'm
looking
> for, so I hope someone can help.
>
> I'd like to set up a wireless home network with the "family" desktop in
the
> lounge that has internet access but also put basic computers in three
other
> rooms that can share files with the family PC but cannot access the
internet.
>
> I don't want to buy more software to perform such a task, can XP or my
> router let me do this? How can it be done and how easy is it to do?
>
> Thanks
>
> andy

I do this at home also -- many routers allow you to block machines by IP
address from going to the outside (SMC7004AWBR for example). Makes
it a little tricky because you have to set the machines up with a static IP
address (and the kids can't know how to change the IP address ... ). My
newer Linksys WRT54GS allows you to block by IP or the MAC address
which makes life a lot easier (the MAC address is the hardware address of
the interface while the IP address is like the "Phone Number" if you will -
for your house for example, the address does not change, but you can
change your phone number if you want). Blocking by MAC address lets
you run the normal DHCP (where the machine gets an address automatically)
but is still blocked because the "Physical Address" does not change and that
is what the block is on. This still allows them to share files, have a
common
printer etc. (some routers such as the SMC7004AWBR have a built in
centronics type print server so any machine can get to the printer easily
(without having to have the machine the printer is connected to turned on).
Most of the routers also have another "handy feature" - you can set them to
only allow internet access during specific hours (can you say he got up
after we went to bed and was surfing?)

Check out several of the routers -- you can go to their website (Linksys,
SMC, Netgear etc) and download the manuals for the router in pdf
format. Look through it for the sections on filtering and get some ideas
what is available and what you want. Often some particular feature
will jump out as "hey, that is just what I want".

mikey

Hi Mikey

Thanks for this. I've had to do it by IP address filtering but it would have
been far easier and more convenient, as you have, to do it by MAC address. I
have D-Link router which is not so user friendly.

"Mike Fields" wrote:

>
> "andy b" <andy (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:39E7705A-A917-4B51-9108-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hi everyone
> >
> > I've spent some time searching for an answer but can't find what I'm
> looking
> > for, so I hope someone can help.
> >
> > I'd like to set up a wireless home network with the "family" desktop in
> the
> > lounge that has internet access but also put basic computers in three
> other
> > rooms that can share files with the family PC but cannot access the
> internet.
> >
> > I don't want to buy more software to perform such a task, can XP or my
> > router let me do this? How can it be done and how easy is it to do?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > andy
>
> I do this at home also -- many routers allow you to block machines by IP
> address from going to the outside (SMC7004AWBR for example). Makes
> it a little tricky because you have to set the machines up with a static IP
> address (and the kids can't know how to change the IP address ... ). My
> newer Linksys WRT54GS allows you to block by IP or the MAC address
> which makes life a lot easier (the MAC address is the hardware address of
> the interface while the IP address is like the "Phone Number" if you will -
> for your house for example, the address does not change, but you can
> change your phone number if you want). Blocking by MAC address lets
> you run the normal DHCP (where the machine gets an address automatically)
> but is still blocked because the "Physical Address" does not change and that
> is what the block is on. This still allows them to share files, have a
> common
> printer etc. (some routers such as the SMC7004AWBR have a built in
> centronics type print server so any machine can get to the printer easily
> (without having to have the machine the printer is connected to turned on).
> Most of the routers also have another "handy feature" - you can set them to
> only allow internet access during specific hours (can you say he got up
> after we went to bed and was surfing?)
>
> Check out several of the routers -- you can go to their website (Linksys,
> SMC, Netgear etc) and download the manuals for the router in pdf
> format. Look through it for the sections on filtering and get some ideas
> what is available and what you want. Often some particular feature
> will jump out as "hey, that is just what I want".
>
> mikey
>
>
>