log of websites visited on router?

compqna

Hi there, I am looking for a router which would provide an easy to read log of all websites visited for me to look at, as needed. I want kids to know they are being monitored by myself so they will be held accountable for where they go. I may rarely check it. Is there a router that would have this? I have three computers, and four ipods which use it.

Any advice is appreciated!

bennyineire

you can download a piece of software called wireshark, its free and there are tutorials on you tube on how to use it, wireshark can see all network activity

FSL

Wireshark is overkill for what you are looking for.

Most routers have a logging facility. On some you can schedule the logs to be emailed to you.

Search for your router model and you should find a user manual with details of what is available and how to access it.

nialler

You could try wingate, it's a piece of software that runs on your PC, and all comms are routed through it (proxy server basically) it's free for up to three users.

http://www.wingate.com

N

DieselPowered

Rather then the router, there is software you can put on the laptop/PC
acting as a firewall with child monitoring on it, you can permit certain websites and block others. There is also URL filtering to block access to topics such as gambling, drugs, etc etc and if one of these sites is visited it will email you directly an alert. to make any changes to the software the parent controls the "admin" account.

nialler

That's all fine diesel but it means installing on each machine and no control over the iPods, snapchat etc. This is why I proposed using wingate and setting up a proxy server.

DieselPowered

Sorry, indeed, missed the iPads

ZENER

Smoothwall will run on any old PC from any Pentium 3 and upwards with any hard disk (even just a USB thumbdrive !) and 2 cheap NICs. Doesn't require a keyboard, mouse or screen once installed and running.

I used it to monitor and record all traffic and devices my kids used including MSN chats (not that anyone uses that anymore). It's free and needs little maintenance.

It has a web interface which will allow you to fully control everything on your internet interface. Will run happily on a small Atom machine. Allows Blacklists and Whitelists and records all sites visited, if you don't like that site you can simply blacklist it.

Ken

Cuddlesworth

As a techie, here is what I would do.

Force the network to route through my router. So for ADSL broadband, I'd buy my own router with a modem, for UPC I'd create a admin password and lock the given device to a single Mac address.

Then I'd either use my own router with ddwrt installed or purchase one with ddwrt on it already. Lock it down with a username and password.

Then I'd force DNS traffic on the router to what I specify. Which is opendns.

Then you sign up for open DNS, turn on parental controls and logging.

Takes a lot of work to bypass that.

SkySter

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

As a techie, here is what I would do.

Force the network to route through my router. So for ADSL broadband, I'd buy my own router with a modem, for UPC I'd create a admin password and lock the given device to a single Mac address.

Then I'd either use my own router with ddwrt installed or purchase one with ddwrt on it already. Lock it down with a username and password.

Then I'd force DNS traffic on the router to what I specify. Which is opendns.

Then you sign up for open DNS, turn on parental controls and logging.

Takes a lot of work to bypass that.

+1 on this. Using opendns is a very good (free) solution that I've been using for a couple of years now. There is a weakness in that the DNS server can be set manually on the PC and thus bypassed but if you're family aren't too technical it works very well.

nialler

And the kids will very quickly twig how to set manual DNS (8.8.8.8)

compqna

Amazing advice, thanks to all who responded. Oh how i wish i understood computers more!

Cuddlesworth

Using DD-WRT, it won't pass across DNS requests manually assigned. It basically firewalls off all DNS requests that are not to the IP's that you specified.

And yeah, if I have kids I want to know what they are doing. That includes their mobiles.