# How Effective are Parental Computer Controls?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-parental-computer-controls/622269>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 18, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-parental-computer-controls/622269 "2012-05-18T00:08:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 30

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-parental-computer-controls/622269/30 "2012-05-24T23:01:01Z")

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Here’s a post I did a couple years ago describing my set-up. My son, then eight and now ten, has a computer in his own room.

> [@Is there a software for parents to make unwanted content unaccessible via browser?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-software-for-parents-to-make-unwanted-content-unaccessible-via-browser/536993/12):
>
> Maybe.
> 
> But I’ll tell yuo what I’ve done. I’m running [Privoxy](http://www.privoxy.org/), an open-source web proxy and whitelist-capable application.
> 
> It’s running on a secure Linux box that’s locked in the basement office. That Linux box is dual-homed, with one interface going in (the Ethernet from my kid’s room and a WiFi AP that’s using WEP) and an interface out to the rest of the network. All MACs in use on the general network are white-listed at the router, which is also physically secured. My child’s MAC address is NOT on that white list.
> 
> So basically, the only way he gets traffic out of his computer is through that proxy server, and only to the addresses I whitelist. The WiFi AP is there so he can use Nintendo DS games with wireless capability; all of those go to [nintendo.com](http://nintendo.com), which is permitted in the routing tables for non-http traffic.
> 
> He’s not an admin on his local box, and even if he were to become one, it makes no difference – his traffic out of the room and into the Internet is controlled.
> 
> My theory is that when he can break THAT, he deserves to see anything he wants.
> 
> I don’t see any way of circumventing that setup.

The only update now is that his WAP is running WPA2 now because he has a 3DS, which is WPA-capable. He has a Nook and an iPod Touch, but only access to his WiFi, not the general household one.

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