Topic: Need assistance with Vista scheduling

[Oniya]

I don't make it a secret that I hate Vista, however, I am in need of making use of one of its controls - if it will actually do what I think it will.

Back when we had a roommate who was misusing a shared computer (downloading adware and the like) I noticed that there was a parental control that impacted what programs one could run at a given time.  Is it possible to set this up to affect whether or not an MMO runs without it affecting the general use of the Internet?  I want to make sure that 'homework' (which may require 'Net usage) is done before 'play'.

[Vekseid]

That sort of thing is best done at the router level, really. Child protection software can be gotten around, but if the kid does not have access to the router's password, he can't get around it.

[Oniya]

Can a single port on the router be blocked from a single site at certain hours?  There are other users who are able to manage their time more effectively, so I was thinking if I could block the user-end part of the MMO, say - between 9 AM and 5 PM weekdays - it would prevent the interference.

(Unfortunately, as well, the 'kid' in question is only one at heart.)

[Vekseid]

That really depends on the router, but many do have that functionality, allowing you to filter a specific IP (which you assign to their MAC address) for certain times of the week.

[Rhapsody]

If you're talking about Warcraft, I know for a fact that account management has parental controls built in to it.  And I believe other MMOs have similar time-management controls  That would require access to the person's account, though, which is against most MMO's EULAs.

The only other thing I could suggest with Vista is to create an administrative account with only you knowing the password, and disable whatever programs you want on the shared account.   User Access Control has to be good for something other than irritating users, after all. :)