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[plaidpants]

First, I have setup the router to block a few websites, and I've setup a schedule for the internet. Everything in that regard works; however, when Access Controls are enabled I begin to have issues. I stay connected to the router, BUT pages start to load slowly on the computer that access controls target (via MAC address), and sometimes pages just don't load at all, needing a reload or two before it does. It's Rev_B and running Firmware 2.03NA. I'm really not sure how to even begin troubleshooting this issue. I'd like to have access controls setup, but if this is the expense I'm going to have to abandon it.

Second, I'd like to block everything on a domain except one single subdirectory. So, domain.com is blocked, and domain.com/dir1 is blocked, but domain.com/dir2 is allowed. Is there any way to do this?

[Hard Harry]

Ok, so you have computer A and B. You set up a schedule to set "when" the restriction applies, Website filter to set "what" is restricted, and used Access control to bind the two together and assign the rule to "who" (mac address) is restricted. Good in theory. There are some limitations though.

1. It blocks website by denying any DNS request for those specific domains. If your computer already has DNS cache for those sites, or host files, the block will only block additional content off that page. For instance. You block CNN.com. But before you block it, computer A has already been to the website, so has a cache of the domain resolutions. So it knows the IP of cnn.com. It goes there, reads the directory, and starts loading the content. Some of that content will already be on your computer, say picture 1 and 2. But say Picture 3 has a different file name on a different server that isn't in your computers DNS cache, it has to do DNS query, and that is where the router blocks it. That could explain the load, then slow crawl to a stop. It knows the IP, it loads what it can from the website locally, requests more and waits until the query times outs. But isn't that what you want it to do? Block that site?

2.It only blocks queries made through the router to the DNS the router obtains by DNS, or the one set static to it. If your computer has it's DNS set static, it totally bypasses the restriction.

3. You can't specify sub-domains, at-least with this tech. You could open up a OpenDNS account and specify your block, or if you really want to fancy dan it, set up your own DNS.

[sascwatch]

I had some problems with access control on my new rev b router aswell, I ended up using opendns for my filtering and my router for schedules.

For example, I setup a schedule to block the internet for ipod A, 20:00-7:00. I also setup a rule to filter websites based upon the website filter list. After setting it up, rebooting a couple times, etc.. I found that only one rule would work at a time, either the internet access would turn off as per the set schedule or it would filter/log internet access, but never both at once even thou two separate rules were set in access control.

I think the best option is to use opendns to filter the internet for your household, and setup rules in the router to turn off internet access for certain devices.