Apple Base Station-Blocking websites

markw10 · April 6, 2011 2:08AM

I have a home network that consists of two routers. First I have my cable modem that is connected to an Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. I tend to use that as the 'n' network for my computers so any devices using n networking connect to that.

I then have a cable that goes from my Apple Airport Extreme Base Station to a Linksys E3000 router. I tend to use that as my g router and connect many devices that only have g wi-fi to it.

Here is the problem:

Because of a couple children that have iPod Touches and Macbooks I like to have them connect to the E3000 since it has great website blocking. I wish the Apple Base Station had website blocking but as far as I see it doesn't. Also, this website blocking has worked great since I installed the router but here is the problem. They frequently have to print items and they're unable to print since it won't find the printer.

The printer that I have is connected by Ethernet cable to the Apple Base Station. It appears I have two ways of connecting the E3000 router to my Base Station. The way I currently have it connected is the E3000 is connected to the Apple router through the Internet port on the back. By doing this I get full internet and website blocking but I am unable to print through it. Yet if I connect it to the Apple router through one of it's numbered (1-4) ports, I still get internet, I'm able to print, but yet the website blocking does not work.

Since the Apple base station doesn't have website blocking as far as I know the only way I can think of getting around this is to replace my Apple Base Station with another E3000 but I don't want to do this unless I have to.

Is there any way I can either hook up the E3000 to the Apple router or configure the router so that I can have everything I need, internet access, website blocking, but also be able to print through it? Because of the location of the printer I cannot hook up the printer to the E3000.

Thank you for your help.

tallest skil · April 6, 2011 7:11AM

You block sites on the Apple products themselves. Parental Controls on the computer and devices handle it for you instead of the router.

markw10 · April 6, 2011 1:47PM

I understand what you mean and I like how I can set up parental controls on each Mac. The problem I have is with devices such as iPad's and iPod Touch's there's a problem. As far as I know they don't allow website blocking. I am hoping with a future version of iOS they add some type of website blocking but for now all I can do is block the devices through my home network. Yet as soon as my children are able to connect to other Wi-Fi networks that presents a problem.

aresee · April 8, 2011 2:04AM

It sounds like you have two separate networks setup. I suspect that you have the Airport Base Station set to provide local IP addresses to your "n" network and to its ethernet network including the E3000. Next you have the E3000 set to provide its own IP addresses to its "g" network. Your printer needs to be on the same network as the iDevices in order for them to see it. It will not work if it is on different networks. What you need is one network.

What I would do is to connect the E3000 to your cable modem and set it to provide all the IP addresses. I would then connect the Airport Base Station WAN input to the E3000 and configure it to be a bridge. This way all the devices connected to both its ethernet ports and to its "n" network will get their IP addresses from the E3000 and you will have only the one local network.

john galt · April 13, 2011 5:00PM

Use OpenDNS. It's free.

It won't help when your children use other networks though, and nothing will help when their friends show them pørn on their own iPods anyway. Don't you remember how easy it was to find your Dad's Playboys?

Apple Base Station-Blocking websites

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