Help a parent please.

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I bought my son a pre-owned iMac w/airport and have it set up in his room, here is the situation. I have a wireless system in my home and have it set up so the only people that can access it is my PowerBook G4, and his iMac. It is also set up with Integrity Online so he cannot access any pornography, and his access code on the wireless will not work after 10pm through 7:00 am. The problem is we have other people in our neighborhood with wireless that is unsecured so he can access their signal. My questions this, is there a way to setup his iMac so it cannot see those other signals, or can I set up a block so he cannot access them? I want my 12 year old to have access to the internet, and I have done everything possible to secure my wireless, but now his Apple can log on to other peoples wireless. Suggestions please
 
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This browser allows you to set when it can and cannot be used. Just block access to all other browsers on his account and leave only this one:

http://www.freeverse.com/bumpercar2/


This software also allows access to the internet at certain times:

http://www.intego.com/contentbarrier/

Here is an open source app that will allow filtering and content blocking:

http://dansguardian.org/

and one more app for good measure:

http://www.lumacode.com/macminder/


All but the open source cost money, but by no means is it outrageous. If your neighbors aren't going to lock down their networks, these apps are likely your only other option... barring removing the computer from his room entirely.
 
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i suggest taking an active parental approach to this and not a software thing. you block a kid from accessing things he will find a way around it. you talk to him about it and leave the computer in a very open part of the house he wont look at things you dont want him to.

not the answer to your question that you probably want but i believe it is the best solution

-chris
 
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I agree with coach_z. Having experienced the leaving-computers-in-open-areas-of-houses phenomenon, I can say that it works quite well when you know that your parent or sibling might look over your shoulder to see what you're typing at any given moment.
 
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Although the open room idea works, I will tell you from experience.. when I try to do my homework or research or something else that I need quiet for, I go upstairs to my room, or down to my edit suite in my basement to use that computer. I do not like people around me when I am doing work due to noise and just plain people bothering me. I will assume your kid will be less productive with his homework if there is alot of distraction... I would also not block him out of the internet at a certain time. I would how ever block sites because that is a good idea to do that, but working online at night is very important for extremely hard projects, labs, etc. I know hes only 12 but 12 years old is 7th grade and 7th grade is where it all starts.. I agree to block sites though through a filter and have a password where he can ask you to log him into a site after he asks you to type it in for him.

Just my 2 cents but I think being a kid (just graduated high school) gives me some insight to the work that has to be done, not just the fun part of having a computer in your room, and why its there and not down stairs. Be strict, but if it has to do with school let go on later.. that is probably one of my only regrets, I always went to bed early even when I should have stayed up and finished the homework that I started. Passing on the regrets to you so your kid does not have the same ones.
 
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What happens if he's home alone? Exactly. So software could possibly be an additional security just incase you're out of the house. Mac Minder and Bumper car seem like good apps. But applying those apps might infuriate him (like you mentioned, it's his computer.) But then again, you are the parent.

I would recommend coach_z's way and Mac Minder just incase you have to step out of the house for a few.
 
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yea i guess that some software assistance might be good. i am 23 now and when i was 12 i knew the kind of stuff that i tried to get away with because a) my parents didnt know anything about computers and b) the computer was always in a secluded area of the house
-chris
 
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Thanks for the replies. Both my wife and I have talked with my son about the use of the internet, its good and evils. He knows that I'm pretty computer savy so at this stage in his life I don't think he would try to get away with anything, plus he is a really good kid, I'm just trying to protect him as best as possible. He is the kind of kid that needs a quiet place to work so I do not have a problem with him having the computer in his room. Also it is set up in such a way that if he is at the computer I can peek in and see the screen. I will look at the other options you have listed, and thanks for all your suggestions.
 
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good call with the protection, dad!
 
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JimmyHat

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Make it a point to look through his browser history on a regular basis. Check his cache file if you can, and I'm sure you'll find out if he's been looking at anything that he shouldn't be.

Alternatively, you could suggest to your neighbours that they secure their wireless networks. You could even start a rumour that a hacker broke into your wireless network and stole your credit card numbers, etc. I'm sure that would stir some people into action, and it would be for their own benefit...
 
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JimmyHat said:
Alternatively, you could suggest to your neighbours that they secure their wireless networks. You could even start a rumour that a hacker broke into your wireless network and stole your credit card numbers, etc. I'm sure that would stir some people into action, and it would be for their own benefit...

Thats funny,

I wish my mom brought me a Imac...
 
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JimmyHat said:
Make it a point to look through his browser history on a regular basis. Check his cache file if you can, and I'm sure you'll find out if he's been looking at anything that he shouldn't be.

Can I say that, at least from a (high school-aged) kid's perspective, this is probably the thing not to do. Granted from time to time you can pop on and make sure he hasn't made a 60 gig partition on his hard drive devoted just to porn and illegal music, I don't reccomend going Big Brother on him. If I realized my parents were doing that, I'd not only be offended at their lack of trust, but a little angry. Let's face it, kids will be kids, the more you prohibit the more they'll do.

Not to mention that he's probably figured out clearing the history, cookies, cache, etc. already.

Alternatively, you could suggest to your neighbours that they secure their wireless networks. You could even start a rumour that a hacker broke into your wireless network and stole your credit card numbers, etc. I'm sure that would stir some people into action, and it would be for their own benefit...

I tried that once... you'd be astounded at the people in my neighborhood who happily drive a $100,000 Mercedez home to their half-a-million dollar house and won't shell out $50 for the guy at Best Buy to secure their wireless network...
 
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Well, im 17 on the 19th of august, and I have to say that the computers in my house arent protected at all and never were with things like parental blockers. I have friends who parents are crazy about blocking them frm porn etc on the internet, and now he just wants to visit a perfectly good site, and he has to get his parents password to verify it.

In my eyes, the best thing to do is to sit down with him and talk about it. Tell him that there are bad sites out there and if hes caught on even one, he will have his computer confiscated and be grounded or something.

In my eyes, hes going to have to learn about all of this "Other side of the internet" one day, and all you do now, its just a matter of time before he finds out about it or finds out an alternative way to get round it. I have also found now that friends of mine whos parents block websites, when the blocking finishes, they are more inclinded to search the web for dodgy things as they have never experienced it before. If you just let him be free from the out set, he will know that you can trust him and if you threaten him with taking it away etc, then im sure that will work.

I have to say if my parents blocked me when I was younger for looking at certian sites and doing certian things, I would be very annoyed. You go into school and you are blocked from almost every site imaginable that isnt "educational". God knows what it will be like to have that at home aswell.
 
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chaslam said:
Well, im 17 on the 19th of august, and I have to say that the computers in my house arent protected at all and never were with things like parental blockers. I have friends who parents are crazy about blocking them frm porn etc on the internet, and now he just wants to visit a perfectly good site, and he has to get his parents password to verify it.

In my eyes, the best thing to do is to sit down with him and talk about it. Tell him that there are bad sites out there and if hes caught on even one, he will have his computer confiscated and be grounded or something.

In my eyes, hes going to have to learn about all of this "Other side of the internet" one day, and all you do now, its just a matter of time before he finds out about it or finds out an alternative way to get round it. I have also found now that friends of mine whos parents block websites, when the blocking finishes, they are more inclinded to search the web for dodgy things as they have never experienced it before. If you just let him be free from the out set, he will know that you can trust him and if you threaten him with taking it away etc, then im sure that will work.

I have to say if my parents blocked me when I was younger for looking at certian sites and doing certian things, I would be very annoyed. You go into school and you are blocked from almost every site imaginable that isnt "educational". God knows what it will be like to have that at home aswell.

We have talked to him so he is very aware. The reason I am using Integrity On-Line filtering is that, being in full time ministry I do not want anyone to have any access to any type of questionable material. Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect, I'm just a sinner striving to serve Jesus. Anyway, I don't want to turn this into a "religious post". I really do appreciate the replies to my question. By the way I tried to download the free software from dansguardian.org and it is too complicated to install.
 

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