How to Block Websites on a WRT54G Router

Routers have the ability to block entire domains.

The Linksys WRT54G router comes with the built-in ability to block websites and entire domains. You can block a time-wasting site or sites that download malware. The router will allow you to block up to four URLs and six keywords with a single policy and create up to 10 different policies. Setting up these policies can be done anytime using your browser, as long as you are connected to your network.

Instructions

1. Type 192.168.1.1 into the address bar of your browser. This will take you to your router's setup page. Enter the user name and password for your router at the prompt and click "OK." By default, the user name is "admin" and the password is "admin."

2. Click on "Access Restrictions." Select one of the policy numbers from the drop-down list. Click the "Enable" radio button next to status. You may choose to enter a name for the policy, but it is not required.

3. Click on the "Edit list of PCs" button. Enter the MAC (Media Access Control) address or Internet protocol address of any individual computer on your network you want the policy to apply to, or enter a range of IP addresses. A range of 100 to 150 should block the sites for all PCs on your network, if you have a network of fewer than 50 computers. Click "Save changes."

4. Enter the address of the site you would like to block in the blank. Include the "www" but not the "http://" portion of the URL. You must block each sub-domain of the site separately. For example, entering "www.google.com" would block the Google homepage and all searches but not the sub-domains "mail.google.com" or "calendar.google.com."

5. Enter single keywords that you would like to block in the blanks next to "website blocking by keyword." Blocking by keyword will block any site that has that keyword in the URL. This means that it will block the main site domain, all sub-domains, any searches on that keyword and any URL that happens to contain that keyword. It will not block sites that contain the keyword in the text of the page but not the URL.

6. Click the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the page. Wait for it to confirm your changes have been saved before exiting the router setup.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also limit the hours certain computers on your network can connect to the Internet from the access restrictions page. Use this functionality to limit the amount of time your kids spend online.

• Set a password if you haven't already or anyone else on your network will be able to change your access policies.

References

• Technipages: Block Certain Web Sites Via Your Linksys WRT54G Series Router
• Phenoelit-us: Default Password List