Tips for Blocking Websites on a Mac

Restricting website access is important in a business environment to maximize profitability.

Internet access has brought information to the fingertips of millions around the world. However, this ease of access can be problematic for employers. Facebook and Twitter riddle the screens of employees as they waste time reducing the profitability of a company. If a specific individual is abusing access to the Internet, several options are available to assist with blocking specific Internet content from users on a computer or network.

Mac Parental Controls

Apple has built parental controls into the Mac operating system. There are three settings that are available for blocking Web content: unrestricted, automatic and whitelist. Unrestricted gives the user free access to any content on the Web. Automatic filters inappropriate content automatically. Whitelist blocks all websites from the user except those that have been expressly allowed. The parental controls offered do not give specific site control outside of the whitelist, which would be difficult to manage.

Hosts File

Editing the hosts file is another option that gives specific site control. In order to edit the hosts file, open Terminal on the Mac computer via the and type in "sudo pico /etc/hosts". Changes to the hosts file require the root password from the administrator. The format of each blocked site should be as follows "127.0.0.1 example.com". Close and save the settings by pressing the "Control" key and the "O" key at the same time. Press the "Return" key. Flush the DNS cache in Terminal. Type in "sudo dscacheutil -flushcache" in Terminal and press enter.

Software

Parental control software gives more flexibility than the standard controls built into the operating system with an easy to user interface. In addition, the owners are continually categorizing sites to keep up with the ever-changing Internet environment. Three parental control software options that are Mac compatible include Net Nanny, Safe Eyes and McAfee Family Protection.

Router Settings

In order to block more computers on the network from accessing sites, a router policy can be setup if the device allows for that option. These settings can be put in place using the "Access Restrictions" section of the router Web interface. Log on to the router to determine if this option is available. You can set up restrictions based on a specific IP or a range of IP addresses.

References

• The Ohio State University: Web Browsers for Mac OS X
• Macworld: Use /etc/hosts to Block Ads at the Local Level
• OSX Daily: How to Block a Website from Safari, Firefox, or Chrome
• Top Ten Reviews: 2011 Best Internet Filter Software and Comparisons
• Digital Inspiration: How Parents Can Block Certain Websites from Children at Home
• Technipages: Block Certain Web Sites Via Your Linksys WRT54G Series Router
• Apple: Mac OS X v10.5, 10.6: About the Parental Controls Internet Content Filter