Can I tell if son is online?

BungleGirl

I have three computers at home that all connect to the internet via a netgear wireless router. I am concerned that my stepson is quietly on the internet in his room when he is supposed to be in bed. Is there a way that I can see from the netgear page if his coputer is connected to the internet?

scheming_gypsy

Rather than letting each PC pick up an IP address dynamically (using DHCP on the router) you can use a static and tell each PC which what IP to use.
If you want to check you can ping his IP address. If you get a reply his computer is switched on and you can use the net send message telling him to get to bed.

albertross_2

you can see attached devices, and can also set a time period to block access. If you haven't done it already, change the password from the default..

goto http://192.168.0.1 and click attached devices, schedule, and block sites, If you patch it to the latest version of firmware, you can integrate Trends parental control software, it is a bit fiddly though.

You could also just turn the router off (unless it is in his room)..

BungleGirl

scheming_gypsy wrote:

Rather than letting each PC pick up an IP address dynamically (using DHCP on the router) you can use a static and tell each PC which what IP to use.
If you want to check you can ping his IP address. If you get a reply his computer is switched on and you can use the net send message telling him to get to bed.

Thanks for this info, I can see the option for Internet IP Address 'get dynamically from ISP' or 'use static IP address' it currently is set as get dynamically. If I wanted to change it where do I get the static IP address from, I'm sure it used to be set up like that as I can remember my new work laptop showed up as soon as I switched it on for the first time.

Bloke usually sorts this stuff out but he is out tonight, and techie stuff is not my 'thing'.

albertross_2

Don't mess with that page, it will mess up your internet connection.

the one you need is:

lan ip setup, address reservation, add, then give each pc a name and paste the mac address in. Allocate a 192.168.0.x number to each PC in the house, and then you will know which is which.

If you want to stop access after 11pm etc, goto schedule, every day, enter from/to time, click apply, then goto block sites, add www as a keyword, click per schedule, apply,at the bottom there is an allow trusted sites , put your ip address in there, and it will allow you to access anything, but stop the other 2 PC's..

BungleGirl

albertross wrote:

you can see attached devices, and can also set a time period to block access. If you haven't done it already, change the password from the default..

goto http://192.168.0.1 and click attached devices, schedule, and block sites, If you patch it to the latest version of firmware, you can integrate Trends parental control software, it is a bit fiddly though.

You could also just turn the router off (unless it is in his room)..

I looked at the attached devices and it didn't show anything - presumably it won't until I change it to static IP addresses?

I like the idea that I can just set a time period to block access, the problem is half the time we go to bed thinking he is asleep then I get up in the night and hear him moving about upstairs. If I can block him at certain times it means we don't have to keep checking if he is online ourselves.

iwanttosave_2

Would it not just be easier to take the power cable to one of the moniter or the tower and only let him have it at certain times?

scheming_gypsy

c'mon Stacy.. rubbish answer.. He can buy a replacement for a quid and nobody will know.

iwanttosave_2

alritght then MEKO take the blinking moniter.

There was a think I saw on ebuyer where it will only let a computer go online at a certain time for a few quid, but seems you can do that for free with netgear, hope you manage to get it set up

BungleGirl

He is sneaky and his dad is too trusting of him. I know that he is on the computer past 11 o'clock (his supposed bedtime) because I don't sleep well and often end up going downstairs in the early hours of the morning. I would like to be able to prove that he is on the internet before I have words with him and also I think to prove to his dad what he is doing.

albertross_2

If I remember correctly, I would expect the mac address and IP to show up, regardless of whether you had setup a reserved (i.e. static) address or not. Try clicking on lan ip setup and reserving your own.

ipconfig /all will show you mac addresses. If a laptop has wired and wireless ethernet, you will have to setup one for each.

How old is he?