Virgin Media Community

[Locktsar]

Hi, I have set up web safe and as part of that blocked www.roblox.com.

This works fine on one PC device but not on the other PC? I thought this was a global setting that will apply to all devices connected to the HUB?

I

[Andruser]

If the other PC or indeed any device isn't using the Virgin Media domain name server (DNS) there's every chance that VM's web filtering won't work.  

Rather than me explain at length what a DNS is, and how to check what a computer is using and get i back to the DNS, you can search that on Google.  But if you want to block Roblox, I wonder if there'a household behaviour issue?  It seems to me that the Roblox fan knows how to change a DNS to circumvent filtering.  As you're asking the question, it seems likely they know more about technology than you do.  I would therefore expect that they will know other ways of getting round it even if you change the DNS (because I can assure you there are plenty of ways).

So (if my assumption is correct) you can fight a technology arms race where you're already outgunned.  Or you can have a series of discussions with the Roblox fan about why you don't want them to visit it, and (more importantly) you listen patiently to their reasons why they want to and should be allowed to.  You then need to get an agreement that the Roblox fan can accept  (not just imposed) that might include agreed computer use hours, or supervised access.  This sort of thing causes arguments and difficulty up and down the land, but the answer is in conversation not technology. 

[Locktsar]

Thanks Andruser - and apology for my somewhat short post. I should have explained better. In this instance both devices are connected to the home network. In this instance the one where the web filtering is working is connected via LAN to the Virgin router, the device which seem to circumvent the block is connected via WLAN to the same router. The DNS is the same for both devices.

I take your behaviour comments on board as very constructive - we are talking about a 9 year old here so as much I would like his IT skills to develop fast he isn't quite there with bypassing/changing the DNS yet. The conversations continues

[Andruser]

You've got me there - if they're using the VM DNS, then the filtering should be the same for both.  And are you sure that both computers are blocking the same request?  If you type in the IP address of a blocked site, that may circumvent the filter because it doesn't have to go through any DNS.  Not much you can do about that without getting into heavier handed monitoring and enforcement at a device level. 

I would have recommended K9 Web Protection for this if you want to use a technology filter, as this used to be both excellent, effective, with comprehensive controls and free.  Until the idiots at Symantec bought it and promptly shut it down. 

[用心棒]

If both devices are querying the same DNS then their nslookup results should be the same; to confirm this open a command shell and type nslookup roblox.com.

As a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share my knowledge. I don't work for Virgin Media.

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[DJ_Shadow1966]

Hello

There is one more thing that will bypass the web blocking and that is a VPN, for example there is a lot of browser addins that are VPN and that will bypass the web / child safe settings.

Regards Mike

[Sololobo]

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@Locktsar wrote:

Thanks Andruser - and apology for my somewhat short post. I should have explained better. In this instance both devices are connected to the home network. In this instance the one where the web filtering is working is connected via LAN to the Virgin router, the device which seem to circumvent the block is connected via WLAN to the same router. The DNS is the same for both devices.

I take your behaviour comments on board as very constructive - we are talking about a 9 year old here so as much I would like his IT skills to develop fast he isn't quite there with bypassing/changing the DNS yet. The conversations continues

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For Windows.

On the device which still appears to have access, purge the DNS resolver cache. To do this open an elevated command prompt and type ipconfig /flushdns

Test to see if access is still available.

If you still have access, add an entry using Notepad to the computers hosts file, usually located in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts

0.0.0.0 www.roblox.com

Test access again. 

Post back how you get on.