VPNs & Proxies are the new ways our technology savvy kids are bypassinsg some of my parental controls. Is there a Rules list to block some of these proxies and VPNs sites? Or have you found a way to deal with this issue? I appreciate everyone’s input!
- Turn on new device quarantine (to stop them using MAC address randomisation to get around things)
- Put their devices in a group
- Setup a block rule for each of the below and apply to that group:
- “All VPN sites” for devices in that group
- target list DoH Services
- target list Tor exit nodes
- target list Tor full nodes
- target list Apple Private Relay
If that doesn’t work nothing will, except taking their devices off them if they do the wrong thing and sticking to it no matter how bad they respond.
There will never be a perfect solution.You could whitelist via pihole only resolving DNS for the sites you want them to be able to visit, and blocking VPN, and DNS ports… but that is bypassable too with enough work.
The answer to almost everything in life is to have open and honest communication.
Edit: all it takes is your child figuring out they can spoof YOUR mac address…
It is going to be a bit hard to target list all the proxy and vpn servers. I’ve heard one parents told me, she was able to detect VPN usage via the “large bandwidth” usage alarm. I think we can modify that to detect proxy a bit even more. This will cause an alarm, then you can do what ever you like
My son used to do similar stuff. I was understanding about it at first, and let it slide, life lesson and all that. When it continued, the Internet was increasingly blocked on his devices and eventually he got an old school flip phone because he couldn’t stop being irresponsible.
My wife and I were unpopular for awhile, but it was important for him to understand that trust and respect is a two way street. My hope is that lesson will serve him as an adult, WiP though still, lol.
sure there is; be a parent, and tell them them lose internet privileges if they do that…
Its ok to be the grown up in the house…
Just block their devices. You wanna proxy? Fuck around and find out.
Wow you’re a shitty parent. Just let them have their childhood without you obsessively controlling everything they do
Thanks, 1 and 2 are done. Yes, the Target List feature is the one I need to implement. Do you know of a VPN/Proxies list available?
Their electronics have been taken away, is their effing Chromebook that they use to do their homework that is the issue, and the school have those pretty much lock down, but proxy servers still bypass some of the controls. Thanks for your input!
in posting this comment, you have shown what a horrible person you are.
That’s a great idea as far as alarming, my ex is a realtor, so if I start blocking her contracts and deals, I can only imagine what she will tell the judge! Thanks for your suggestion!
It is going to be a bit hard to target list all the proxy and vpn servers. I’ve heard one parents told me, she was able to detect VPN usage via the “large bandwidth” usage alarm. I think we can modify that to detect proxy a bit even more. This will cause an alarm, then you can do what ever you like
While I understand and appreciate this, isn’t there another way to block the use of Proxies? (worst case, a list of the best known and most common proxy providers would already be a good start, but I’m thinking about something more oriented toward the use of specific ports or something along those lines. you can tell I’m not an expert in the matter 
)
Same, we have taken all electronics available as consequence to her actions. Is only the Chromebook that is assigned by the school that is the issue. In conjuction to my Firewalla I have a Synology router, so I have security in depth, Internet goes down for them at 10:30 PM max, MAC filtering enabled for MAC randomization, parental controls enabled too. Same on my Firewalla, quarantine, block apps and sites, etc. Thank you for your input, I know is a combination of talking to them, but also of taking the distractions away.
LoL! That must be easy enough if you’re not divorced and living in the same house. Besides, I don’t know where do you live, but kids nowadays use the Internet to do their homework and study. So, maybe you live in a 3rd world country where schools don’t assign Chromebooks to their students to do their assignments. So, STFU if you’re not going to contribute something constructive, this a technical forum for people w/brains, I have a pretty good idea what to implement, but would like to hear from other users. Move on little guy… 
Their childhood spent watching snuff and extreme porn? How shitty of these parents.
I did this when she was little, but I can’t bear myself doing this to my 14 yo daughter, I’m treating her like an adult, in part I know she is pushing back because of my recent separation, so I’m trying to implement technical controls on top. Thanks, some more spanking nowadays might help kids realize that there are actual consequences to their actions, but there is an age that doesn’t make sense anymore.
There’s a default “All VPN Sites” category that you can block, don’t need target list.
Custom Target lists can only be managed through the web interface. I think you need at least a FWB+ to assign rules with any target list.
In posting this comment you have shown how little you understand the challenges of being a modern day parent. Even still, I’m not advocating that someone should or should not do this - just that these tools are available.
We also made him sit in the kitchen and do his homework on his school laptop. Then shutoff the Internet at night. This was before I had firewalla. Would have loved the extra flexibility!
Similar story for me. A lot of this happened after my divorce and getting remarried. And my ex could have cared less about what our kids did when she had them. I had to throw a lot of the usual parenting stuff out the window. It’ll get better!