Smarmy users getting around internet content restriction 1

[alanbloom]

We have a training room network with a Windows 2000 Server and broadband router. The router is set to block certain sites from being viewed, just by entering the name of the site. On the server, it's the same.

There are a couple of smarmy and teccky students that are using anonymous proxies to access the sites they want to look at (mainly youtube and bebo) which is getting around the content restrictions. Is there a way of blocking certain sites from being viewed, even through proxies??

Thanks

 

[cpjust]

Can't you also block the proxies?

 

[biglebowski]

Just completely block access to tinterweb, if they can't be responsible enough to be trusted then they shouldn't have it. Just allow access for 30mins during lunchtime.

When I was born I was so suprised I didn't talk for 18 months

 

[kmcferrin]

You could block the anonymous proxies, and that should do it. Of course, then they will undoubtedly find new anonymous proxies, and you'll have to block those two.

You're better off investing in a web proxy device/application that allows you to do content filtering. Most of them will let you filter content by subject, and all the ones that I've looked at also include proxies/anonymous proxies. The best part is, they usually get their block lists updated regularly.

 

[alanbloom]

Hi there

Thanks for the replies. I've been blocking the proxies but they get new ones... there are so many sites on 'how to get around your employer's/school's firewalls, etc'... doh.

Yeah, web proxies would be the best option
I'll try configuring one up

I wasn't sure if there was some super efficient way that's already available to do that


Thanks

 

[itsp1965]

have you considered modifying the hosts file on the training machines to point back to itself or to a diff site.
Ex)
127.0.0.1

http://www.youtube.com

If they are not administrators on the machines, then they won't be able to modify the file regardless of the proxy

 

[alanbloom]

That's an interesting point - but not 100% of how that works. What is the hosts file?

 

[itsp1965]

Before the advent of DNS, people used local host files on their machines in order to provide them with name resolution. you can find the hosts file under c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc

Now you can modify the file to point a host back to your local host machine (127.0.0.1) or to another website you create that points out the error of users ways.

Ex)

127.0.0.1

http://www.youtube.com

127.0.0.1

http://www.facebook.com

Now since the file is only modifiable by someone with administrator rights, students would not be able to modify it.

Hope this helps

 

[kmcferrin]

The only problem with that method is that you have to know every site that they're going to, so you're basically stuck in an endless game of catch up.

 

[Daveyboy2]

You can also setup the content filtering on the Internet Explorer browser, password protect the heck out of it, and never allow access to those sites.

 

[cpjust]

Anyone that works that hard to break the rules deserves to be fired. Just tell everyone what sites they can and cannot go to, and if they try to hack their way around it, they'll be looking for another job.

 

[strongm]

I don't think alanbloom's users can be fired ...

 

[juniper911]

If your budget is tight then use k9, its free and works like surfcontrol. You can block by categories and keywords, and you can set a password for the admin side. The only downside is that this program is on a per machine basis so you will have to configure each machine manually, if you have many machines than follow the lead of the other posts and invest in a web proxy program like ISA coupled with a web filtering program.

 

[oisnds]

A different approach maybe.. block internet access from your network using a firewall for all devices except your proxie server. They shouldn't be able to go to the internet without going through the rules on your proxie.

 

[DCBennett]

If you want to play with the hosts file, try this one as a starting point!

http://everythingisnt.com/hosts.html