Using broadband less

sevenhills

New year coming up, my thoughts are that I want the whole house to have a break or use BB less.

What are my options?

Can I message my provider and ask them to turn it off for a month, I would also be happy with BB only being available after 6pm.

Browntoa

Most modern routers have access time control in their admin panels.

Individual devices , all devices etc 

[Deleted User]

Sounds like one of them fancy NY resolutions that won't last more than a couple of days.

Will it work realistically? Not sure about your house but my doorbell, CCTV, lights and heating will either cease to function or be difficult to control without internet.

Will people fill the time with something constructive? No internet doesn't stop you playing a game on a phone or games console or watching TV which isn't really an improvement on using the internet anyway.

What if you need an emergency plumber in the morning and need to Google it?

What about cellular data on mobile phones which will still be available and allow internet access?

I think a better NY resolution would be committing to doing XYZ positive things for N hours per day rather than just removing something.

Neil_Jones

sevenhills said:

New year coming up, my thoughts are that I want the whole house to have a break or use BB less.

What are my options?

Can I message my provider and ask them to turn it off for a month, I would also be happy with BB only being available after 6pm.

Access/Parental controls on the router would be a good solution if thats what you want.

This sort of new years resolution is a pie crust one - easily made, easily broken.  The house will be back on the internet by the 5th (or finding access outside the house - you see this sort of plot on TV shows all the time where little Timmy can't do something at home  and all he goes is go round his friend Jimmy's house to do it there).

sevenhills

Neil_Jones said:

Access/Parental controls on the router would be a good solution if thats what you want.

This sort of new years resolution is a pie crust one - easily made, easily broken.  The house will be back on the internet by the 5th (or finding access outside the house - you see this sort of plot on TV shows all the time where little Timmy can't do something at home  and all he goes is go round his friend Jimmy's house to do it there).

I am ok with some internet use, but if I can get rid of broadband that will help. I had a similar issue when my daughter was at school, but these days it's even worse.

I will try the router.

onomatopoeia99

Your moneysaving option is to turn off the router, unplug it and lock it in a safe, and therefore save the pennies of electric it uses.  I wouldn't live in a house where one person seeks to control the ability of others that live there to communicate by restricting the communication mediums available to them though. Who are you to decide on their behalf?

I assume you will be asking MSE to delete your forum account to stop you visiting this site.

victor2

Easy to try - just switch your router off for a few days and see what reaction it results in.

People with smartphones, which normally switch over to your WiFi, will just use mobile data, which will probably be slower and potentially costly if they go over their monthly allowance.

Do you stream TV services in any way? That will stop.

Bet you'll soon abandon that resolution!

elsien

My teenage nephew has no difficulty at all in overriding any router parental controls…..
Locking the router away just caused huge sulks and more time spent playing Xbox games in his bedroom.
Finding other things they can be persuaded to engage with us much more productive. And setting an example. No use complaining about phone use at meal time if you’re sat there checking yours every time if pings. For example. 

sevenhills

elsien said:

My teenage nephew has no difficulty at all in overriding any router parental controls…..
Locking the router away just caused huge sulks and more time spent playing Xbox games in his bedroom.
Finding other things they can be persuaded to engage with us much more productive. And setting an example. No use complaining about phone use at meal time if you’re sat there checking yours every time if pings. For example. 

I have a nonpaying 21 year old daughter and nonworking boyfriend living with me, my BB comes into their bedroom first, but my router is downstairs, so not sure how it will affect their room.

But I have tried to restrict my own BB usage before and I believe I am using it more. A routine of BB going off at 10pm will be good for me.

Neil_Jones

You do realise it doesn't matter how much broadband you/offspring/offspring's attachment use, it doesn't cost you any more money?  The router will use the same amount of power its already using (which is practically nothing), the provider will almost certainly be unlimited (fair use) and a fixed fee...  Any devices more powerful than a phone will be the money suckers.

Not sure what you're trying to do here or achieve.

matelodave

There's your problem - non-paying daughter and sponging boyfriend - you are just training them to be lifetime dependents. Start charging something like what they are costing you and deny privileges like broad band etc if they dont. You know it makes sense

Both my kids paid rent when they were at home, the same as both my wife and I did to our parents and the same as my grandson does to his mum and dad. We saved their rent money and when they got married there was a tidy sum in the bank which went towards their deposit on their houses.

My 50 year old daughter and her husband have paid their mortgage off, have put the 23 year old son through uni and he is paying rent whilst he's at home which will be put towards his house deposit. Their younger one is 21 an still at uni and will have to get a job and pay rent when he's finished. They also have to do their fair share of chores like cooking and washing whilst at home.

My other daughter (52) and her husband have much younger kids but their mortgage is well on the way to being paid off.