Is there any way to block snapchat, Facebook, Instagram apps via my broadband (Plusnet)?

Disgruntled parent alert!

If u find a way i would like to know!

Parent trying to limit his child’s access to a dealer alert more like!

Turn off the WiFi.

is there a domain block list that can be added on the router to blanket block whatever domains on all devices, or if just a PC look into blocking via the ‘hosts’ file (in \windows\system32\etc\drivers\, from memory).

A dealer alert!?

Wow I must be getting on a tad in age as that cannot mean what I think it means :/

Snapchat, faceballs etc are all a mere annoyance in my book and should be blocked by default in all family households

Because SMS text messages don’t exist? Wouldn’t be hard for them to get a PAYG phone for a few quid and bypass your broadband completely.

SafeDNS / OpenDNS / many others.

Don’t shoot the messenger.

What device are we talking? iOS/Android?

On iOS assuming you have family sharing set up (might be another way) go on the family sharing then down to screen time then select member(s) in question and you get the option to limit/block app use.

Haven’t used it but it’s there.

Imagine something similar for Android.

Edit: Sorry. Missed the part about doing it via broadband/router. As Cougar said then, but unless devices are WiFi only that will only work at home although think some mobile providers allow things to be blocked but could be wrong. Depends how badly you want to do it!

Even if you do, what’s to stop them from getting access via 3/4g?

Getting rid of the smartphone would help, but as above texts still exist…

If the kid has no money, the dealer won’t be interested.

Our kids are getting on now – eldest coming up to 17. No way we can block stuff, as they are more tech savvy. We just remove all devices – they go under our bed at night. Personally I find this both sad and pathetic, being indicative of our slack parenting over the past decade. Oddly enough I think the kids appreciate the break from tech.

You’ll struggle to block native mobile apps via a domain name. For example, it’s highly unlikely that the Snapchat app will be communicating with the Snapchat servers at an address that starts with ‘snapchat.com/’. It could be ‘api.snapchat.com/’, or most likely something completely different, and the app may be communicating with more than one service too, so you’ll need to know all of these addresses to be able to block it in entirety. Multiply this by the number of apps you want to block, and well… you get the picture.

Just turn off the WiFi. Or change the password.

However, that’s futile, as you can bypass your WiFi network with a 4G signal.

Which really leaves the only other feasible option… wrapping your entire house in electromagnetic mesh to create a giant Faraday cage.

That should do it.

Whilst Slack jr was at high school I ‘controlled’ his internet access via the router/modem admin controls. Access control using MAC addresses and a timetable of day and time of day.

Fortunately (or not as the case maybe) he was too lazy to find out how he could have changed the MAC addresses for his multiple devices, nor did he bother trying to circumvent the firewall restrictions I set up.

This might have also been because the now ex Mrs Slack upgraded his mobile plan to include a shit load of data. Not only that but she paid for it as well.

Bottom line, teenagers gonna do what teenagers gonna do, which includes looking at an adult with a ‘you know jack shit’ look… 🙄

Just take all devices away from him and give him no money. Harsh, but from your other thread I’d say tough shit, the boy needs it.