Use a website or app blocker to restrict adult content and targeted social media platforms.
Use a website or app blocker to restrict adult content and targeted social media platforms.
We aim to restrict adult content, gambling, violence, and other explicit material as well as certain social media platforms like TikTok and BeReal. With an Asus RT-AC68U router, the DNS settings offer some control, but they don’t cover blocking these sites at the router level. I’d prefer a more comprehensive solution that allows full customization. How can we configure the router to fully block those websites and applications?
Even with a capable router, such a task is nearly unfeasible. Do you recall the URLs and IP addresses of all adult-oriented websites? If not, how do you intend to prevent access? On the router side, you’d need the power to restrict connections to particular IPs—essentially setting up a firewall for outgoing traffic. Besides that, using a VPN is an option. You could connect to one, and your router would no longer know which site you’re visiting. Unless you also want to block every VPN service in existence.
I aimed for a general overview that fits the topic, covering most adult content sites and adding social media options.
There’s nothing like that, apparently. You’ll have to locate a list of recognized IP addresses and block all outgoing connections from there. Of course, they could be routed through services such as Cloudflare—so an IP might belong to many other systems too. This can cause widespread disruption. Another option is to prevent your router from handling DNS queries for standard domains (like "facebook.com"), but then I could simply switch my PC’s DNS settings to a different provider. As mentioned earlier, both methods are easy to bypass with a VPN.
Only the North Korean approach works: cover everything unless you clearly say otherwise after confirming it's genuine. That's really not typical online behavior, but hey...
Of course, I perform minor DNS spoofing on my router, but only because I manage all connected devices. If you're attempting to stop someone from circumventing the block, you truly won't succeed without securing the client itself. Although users can switch their device to use DNS over HTTPS or a VPN, they can entirely bypass any measures you implement at the router.
Consider using a pihole like PFSense, though it might add unnecessary complexity. The main challenge could be locating a Pi. You might explore StevenBlack Hosts Options for blocking categories such as Gambling, Porn, Social Media, etc. Then you can apply these lists to your pihole so it functions throughout your network when configured to use the pihole as DNS. A skilled individual can work around this restriction, and a skilled person can also bypass a fully secured system if they have physical access.
The main lesson is that unless all clients are tightly controlled, any DNS/IP blacklist rules can usually be bypassed. It depends on who you're trying to restrict—maybe it works sometimes, maybe not. Just remember it’s not too hard; they could simply set the client to a known good DNS or IP address like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8, effectively circumventing any filtering you apply. For stronger protection, blocking IP addresses is an option, though VPNs or proxies can still get around that.
Enabling DNS over HTTPS is significantly simpler than circumventing OS-level restrictions. However, as mentioned before, the safest approach remains blocking all traffic by default and allowing only verified items through whitelisting, which is an extremely inefficient method. You'd likely require a proxy for clients to connect or a VLAN setup to guarantee that merely changing IP addresses doesn't bypass your security policies.
You’ll notice several options exist for handling these restrictions. It’s honest to say the solutions we suggest might not be obvious to most people. A basic router-based DNS would suffice for many users. These responses highlight the idea that enforcing rules isn’t as impactful as talking through things and teaching smart decisions. I’m assuming you’re looking to guide kids or others, which makes conversation and sharing knowledge more effective. If they’re seeking something online, they’ll likely find it. The goal of these posts is exactly this kind of guidance. A DNS that can’t reach familiar sites offers basic protection, while higher levels would focus on communication.