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Need to shut off website after a time frame

I have a customer who has teenage children. They play an online game. When she is not home they spend to much time on the game. She wants them to be able to use the internet, so I can't shut the internet down, and she wants them to be able to play this game, but she wants to limit the time they can play. Example, I need a way to not allow them on the game after 30 minutes of play, but still allow them on the internet. Any ideas?

James Murrell

i can only think of
http://www.internettimer.net/

thigger_uk

The answer to this one depends slightly on whether the game is a separate program which connects to the internet or an online service (ie webpage) itself. If it's a separate program there are various control programs which will prevent access to it after x minutes etc. However it sounds like you just want to deny access to a specific internet site after a certain length of time.

I can't find a program which will do exactly what you want out of the box, but:

http://internet-access-controller-2007.gear-box-computers.qarchive.org/

Internet Access Controller might be usable. Essentially you can allow access to any/all websites for 30 minutes (so they can play their game) and then after that time restrict them to a 'whitelist' of websites which you must set up. Sadly this isn't the unfettered internet access it sounds like you want, but it should be possible to add all the sites they really /need/ to be using. This has an added benefit in that if they find a different game/waste of time it will automatically have the same restrictions.

war1

Hello bsj1170,

You can use a third party program like Net Nanny to control content and time
http://www.netnanny.com/

Hope this helps!
war1

bsj1170

ASKER

Looks like a great program, however I only need to shut one website down after a certain amount of time, not the entire internet.

bsj1170

ASKER

Does netnanny shut down one website or the entire internet?
Brian

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

thigger_uk

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bsj1170

ASKER

The only problem I see with that is the parents wouldn't be home to put in the temporary passwords needed to open the website.

thigger_uk

How young are the children? If they're old enough to enter a password themselves, they're one-use only so they could be given them to allow the game to be used without worrying they can get themselves unlimited access.

Also (and I haven't used the package myself) does it not allow the blacklist/whitelist operation to be determined by the usage time - so the blacklist against the specific game site only comes into action after their 30 minute (or however long) period?

bsj1170

ASKER

Thank you for the info.

war1

Brian, you wrote, "Does Netnanny shut down one website or the entire intern?"

Netnanny can shut down one website as well a series of websites. It is easy to use. Try the trial version.

Adding the website to the Restricted Zone will block the website entirely, not for a period of time.