Monitor kids passwords?
Hello, I have three children who all have their own seperate computers. They are all connected through the same wireless router, but lately I have been worried about them talking to strangers, and whatnot. I am a very busy person who does not have time to install keyloggers on their computers, and they are very computer savvy so I wouldnt be able to do that anyways. I want to be able to moniter their computer life without them knowing. Is there any program out there to monitor using the wireless router??
Comments
You can capture all network data through a wireless router, but you still need to sift through all that information and that is far more time-consuming and technically challenging than installing software on their PCs.
If they all share a common access point, you might install a proxy-server - that way all the web traffic and other ports you decide to block are logged on that. This isn't covert - they will definitely know they are being monitored and will ***** about it.
My opinion is it is better to let them know they are being monitored than trying to hide the fact - esp. if/when they find out you did it! There are many places they can get access unmonitored by you anyway, so better to be up-front, have an open relationship with them and warn them about who they will likely meet on-line. Kids rarely respect parental authority, but I think they'll appreciate openness and honesty with them versus the route you appear to want to take.
Good luck regardless...
To monitor from the wireless router, you yourself would need to be computer savvy. You have the right idea, because the router is the choke point if you will, where all traffic goes through. Are you willing to spend big bucks? You could install a network tap and get reports on the traffic that way, but that solution is more for enterprises, not homes. You could install tcpdump and use ethereal to decode the info, but again, it requires you to be savvy, and you would need to sniff the network traffic.
Actually, if you could capture their passwords, which tcpdump, ethereal and ETTERCAP can help you accomplish, then that would be more ideal...
My best recommendation is to talk to your kids, hopefully you have a good enough relationship that they will be open with you.
Well most wireless routers have built in parental controls. I know for a fact all Belkin Routers have parental controls built in, you just have to activate it (and pay for it!!). But if you upgrade your children's computers to Windows Vista then your problems are solved.
One of the coolest things about windows Vista is its POWERFUL (I mean super powerful) parental controls. With Vista you can monitor ALL the internet activity of your child. For example:
1. Know EXACTLY what is said in an instant messaging conversation. (AOL, YAHOO, ETC)
2. KNow who your kids email, and who emails them, as well as what is said in the email.
3. Monitor children internet usage.
4. Know about recent installed programs.
There is a few more i cant remember off the top of my head.
THere are also a number of tools you (the parent) can do to keep kids off ceratin sites.
SO there you have it. Sadly Windows Vista is not cheap, (runs about $150- for the cheapest version). But if your dont want to change your current operating system then you can bu third party sofware to monitor what your kids do online, as well as knowing their passwords.
PCTattletale is an awesome software program.
The kids cannot get to it... only the person with the password, I promise.
It runs secretly, they don't even have to know it is on the computer... it does everything...
Why should we worry that our kids will be offended if they know we are monitoring them? We are the parents - not the friends.
Having said that may I recommend a FREE web page blocker that works very well. It is Blue Coat K9 web protection - available here: http://www.k9webprotection.com/index.html
isn't it better to be the parent yourself instead of trying to get software to make up for your lack of parenting? why don't you talk to your kids about weirdos on the internet and when they should talk to you if internet conversations become appropriate. mostly you don't want communication to erode between you and your kids -- when this happens the preditors have the advantage and will go for it.