All of the following ways to block access to sites of your choice via any browser. Savvy computer user will be able to circumvent this interlock. But to deal with procrastination and control over children these measures should be sufficient.
How to block a site on the router level
In many settings, routers you can control the blacklist sites. Access to the addition of a URL is blocked for all devices connected to the router via Wi-Fi network. To unblock any website, simply delete it from the list.
Check whether your router provides the ability to lock. To do this, go to its settings: type 192.168.0.1 into your browser, or other address indicated on the underside of the router, and enter the username and login password. Then look for the section "Filter", or "Access Control" or others close within the meaning of the name.
If you find the menu to blacklist settings, open it and add unwanted sites addresses. Around should be a clue that will help you understand.
This is the fastest way to restrict access to Internet resources at once for the entire Wi-Fi-equipment in the room. But if you want to block the site only for selected devices or even individual users, take a look at the following options.
How to block a site in Windows
1. With the hosts-file
Each computer running Windows have a text file called hosts. If you add to it any URL, browsers will not be able to open the corresponding sites.
To edit the said file, first open the program "Notepad": click on its icon, right-click and select "Run as administrator". In the notebook, click "File» → «Open», switch the display mode to "Text Documents" to "All Files" and select the file hosts file, located at C: \ Windows \ System32 \ drivers \ etc.
When the hosts-file, scroll down the text and add one or more addresses of sites you want to block, in this format: 127.0.0.1 URL. After digits necessarily insert a space, instead of the URL enter the address of the site without the part https: //. If you add multiple entries, each entry on a new line. Example:
After adding addresses, save the file and restart your computer to apply the changes.
If you wish to unblock sites, re-open the hosts-file and delete recorded files.
2. Through special software
If you want to block distracting websites, not to prokrastinirovatPay attention to the free utility Cold Turkey. You can add to it more than one URL, and set the time for which they will not be available on your computer. While this period expires, you can not cancel the lock.
In Cold Turkey is also a paid version that allows you to block not only the sites but also distracting applications.
Cold Turkey →
3. With the parental control feature
This method is best suited for parents who want to protect children from pornography and other adult content. With the functions parental controls Windows, you can create a list of sites to be blocked, and enable automatic blocking of all adult sites. All restrictions will be valid only for the children's profiles and will not affect your account.
Consider blocking sites for children's profile on Windows 10 example. procedure may be different in previous versions, but the general procedure is the same.
Go to "Start» → «Settings» → «Accounts» → «Your Data" and make sure that you are logged on through an account Microsoft: the screen should display your email. If not, please register your account.
Next, click on the sidebar "The family and other people," and click "Add a family member." In the next window, add the child account with the help of the system prompts. In the process you will need to connect it to any mailbox, open it and confirm the registration of the new profile.
Then go back to the menu "family and other people," and click "Manage family settings via the Internet."
Unlike older versions of the OS, where all profile settings are in one section, further configure Windows 10 takes place on the Microsoft website. When the website, log in through your current account and open the section "Family". Seeing the child's profile, click next to it on the "Restriction on the contents."
Scroll down to the section "Web Browsing". Here you can enable automatic blocking of sites using the switch "Block inappropriate Web sites" and manually enter sites in the favorites list of "always deny".
These restrictions will be valid only for browsers microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer. Other browsers in a children's profile will be completely blocked.
How to block a site in macOS
1. With the hosts-file
MacOS, as well as the Windows, blocks the addresses of the sites put forward to the user in the system hosts-file. You only need to open the file and add the unwanted URL. Browsers will not open them as long as you do not delete these addresses from the hosts-file.
First, open the said file. To do this, run the utility "Terminal» (Finder → «programs» → «Tools» → «Terminal"), type the command sudo / bin / cp / etc / hosts / etc / hosts-original and press Enter., Enter it and press Enter again when prompted by a password for your account. Then, enter the command sudo nano / etc / hosts and press Enter again. If necessary, re-enter the password.
When the hosts-file, scroll down the text and add one or more addresses of sites you want to block, in this format: 127.0.0.1 URL. After digits necessarily insert a space, instead of the URL enter the address of the site without the part https: //. If you add multiple entries, each entry on a new line. Example:
Adding all the required addresses, press Control + X, to get out of the hosts-file. Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
If you wish to unblock sites, re-open the hosts-file and delete recorded files.
2. Through special software
Free and very simple SelfControl utility allows you to block any website on the time you specify. Until it runs out, you can not open them in a browser, even if you uninstall the program or restart the Mac. A great way to deal with distractions network resources.
In addition, the aforementioned Cold Turkey, which works in a similar way, is also a version for MacOS.
selfControl →
3. With the parental control feature
Parental control mechanism in macOS lets you restrict access to selected sites for a single computer user. For example, your child. Other users will be able to go to all the sites without any restrictions.
To configure the lock, open the Apple menu and go to "System settings» → «Parental Control." Add a new account for your child.
After click on add a profile and click on the tab "Web". Here you can select which sites will be available to the child under their account, and what - no.
see also
- How to bypass a blocked sites and trackers →
- How to remove ads on the computer: 5 effective programs →
- How to scan your computer or a separate file online →