How can I block users from Facebook

[211]

I don't have a Facebook account, nor do I want one because I see what it does to the rest of my family (including my wife, omg it's out of control). They've already taken over my PC in the office and when one of them is on that one of the kids logs on with my laptop. The only sanctuary I have left is browsing the net on my iPhone.

I'm in the process of building an HTPC for the living room and I'd like to block Facebook from this PC altogether. If my wife found out she could play Farmface (or whatever the hell it is) on a 42" plasma my world would be over. I want to nip this in the bud...

 

[z3r010]

I would add an entry to for facebook to your host file to block it, the following tutorial will show you how - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/78266-hosts-file-use-windows-7-vista.html

127.0.0.1 facebook.com

 

[211]

I've tried that on my office PC way back when I first installed Windows7 and it didn't work very effectively.
If I just blocked facebook.com it would work but if someone clicked a link that was say: facebook.com/username/comments it would let them in. Once they were in they could browse their profile and have full access.
In other words there appears to be countless ways someone can get into facebook without using the "front door".

I've also used free trials which worked okay but then I'm the d!#k for using apps to block my family and then they all hate me.
I just want something non-intrusive, something I can play dumb and be like, "I dunno why facebook isn't working?"

 

[z3r010]

No, it redirects anything that starts with facebook.com so anything after that wouldn't matter and would still be redirected, to make sure facebook was completely useless even if by some chance they did get to it then add all the following entrys:-

127.0.0.1 facebook.com
127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 login.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 www.login.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 www.static.ak.fbcdn.net
127.0.0.1 fbcdn.net
127.0.0.1 www.fbcdn.net
127.0.0.1 fbcdn.com
127.0.0.1 www.fbcdn.com
127.0.0.1 static.ak.fbcdn.net
127.0.0.1 static.ak.connect.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 www.static.ak.connect.facebook.com

 

[211]

Sweet, I'll try that.

Is there any reason a Hosts file would be overwritten? Say by a software or Windows update or something?

 

[z3r010]

None that I have ever known.

 

[Jacee]

HostsXpert would restore MS's original Hosts file ... if they knew about it. :busted:

 

[z3r010]

Yeah, but the user would need to know the hosts file had been changed and also the software to reset it, if somebody actually had that much knowledge then they would just wipe the entries themselves with notepad :sarc:

 

[CreepinJesus]

I'd recommend two accounts on the HTPC - one as administrator, and one as a standard user. Have the main 'Media' user as a standard account, so anyone who uses the HTPC can't mess it up (that proved very valuable on mine!).

Secondly, have a look at parental controls. I've never looked, but there may be some settings in there you can apply to the Media user account to prevent browsing, or only allow certain programs to run, for example.

 

[I be he]

I don't have a Facebook account, nor do I want one because I see what it does to the rest of my family (including my wife, omg it's out of control). They've already taken over my PC in the office and when one of them is on that one of the kids logs on with my laptop. The only sanctuary I have left is browsing the net on my iPhone.

I'm in the process of building an HTPC for the living room and I'd like to block Facebook from this PC altogether. If my wife found out she could play Farmface (or whatever the hell it is) on a 42" plasma my world would be over. I want to nip this in the bud...

Buy them beer:shock:

 

[211]

Just thought I'd drop in to say that adding those entries worked like a charm!
Thanks!

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
altering the HOSTS file IMO isn't a very satisfactory way of doing this -- especially on a HOME computer -- for starters any knowlegeable person could boot up say a Linux system from a USB drive, mount the windows C drive and then just edit the hosts file whatever the WINDOWS permissions on the file are -- to Linux Windows data is just that - simply data and the hosts file is just plain text no more or no less than any other "bog standard" text file.

Also even within Windows iteself its easy to get round restrictions in the HOSTS file -- any type of VPN or proxy server would record the PROXY or VPN address rather than the facebook address so the hosts file is useless in this case -- and people are CLEVER at getting round these restrictions --just look at how people access content that is only meant to be available in some countries from other places by doing just this.

The best way IMO would be to get your ROUTER to block access to these sites with FACEBOOK in it's www address and / or use a decent tamper proof firewall to block the sites. I think there's also reasonable software around that prevents access to user defined sites .

(Actually this is a great idea for a LINUX server to control Internet access from your home computers but this is probably over the top for your specific requirement since you could also monitor whats coming IN as well as whats going out so even if a proxy was used you could disallow the request to be forwarded to the specific machine).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[211]

That's good info 'n all but no member in my family is going to boot up a linux cd to get around a Facebook 404 error. I'm the one that has to troubleshoot the printer when it "magically" wont work. Guaranteed, as far as anyone in my family is concerned, LINUX is the character in the Snoopy cartoons with the blanket.

And my intent is not to block ALL access to Facebook, just from the HTPC. So by blocking it from the router, unless I can target specific ports, I will be blocking all the computers on my network.

So far editing the Hosts file with the entries posted earlier seems to work just fine...

 

[McLeod]

internet tools
content
settings
approved sites

you may approve all sites ( *.* )
then block facebook ( *.facebook.com/* )

 

[fafhrd]

I like the potential alternative to redirect to some uber-embarrassing site which the person would not want to be seen dead viewing. Once, a mistake, twice a perversion. Mud-wrestling anybody?

 

[seth500]

Just make sure after editing the host file you change it to read-only that way it can't be overwritten or change without your permissions, I haven't read the entire thread and maybe this was mentioned earlier if so it's good advice... IMHO I wish Facebook didn't exist it's way integrated into everything and it's very prone to being used for spyware activities...

 

[niemiro]

Facebook really has gone too far. I mean all Microsoft Knowledge Base articles now have a Twitter "Tweet" button, a Bebo "Share" button, and a Facebook "Like" button.

 

[Layback Bear]

Can't this be done in parental control?