Blocking the internet?

Broadswordbabe · Jun 15, 2010

I apologise if this has been asked elsewhere - I did look, honest!
I would like to find a way to block internet access from my laptop at certain times (at least partly so I won't spend all my limited available writing time on AW). Could anyone recommend some software to do this - something really simple that a complete tech idiot like myself can install? Free would be good, too

Thanks in advance, oh wizards of tech...

MacAllister · Jun 15, 2010

Errr.... you can't just turn your wireless modem off? Most laptops have it built in so that you can just switch the antenna off with a click or two.

brainstorm77 · Jun 15, 2010

I was thinking the same. Just dissconnect from it.

poetinahat · Jun 15, 2010

Go someplace where there's no internet access.

Or set up someone you trust as the admin, then let them change the admin password and turn off the modem.

You can also edit the hosts file so that certain addressess go straight to localhost (127.0.0.1, or something like that). I don't recall where it's located in Windows, but it's in the /etc directory on unix-based systems.

Most options are useless, though - if you're trying to protect yourself, then it's just as easy to un-block yourself, and it's down to your will power anyway. For me, that's pretty much nil.

MacAllister · Jun 15, 2010

Are we misunderstanding the question? Are you looking for actual software that will block your access for specific time periods? I think there's some NetNanny-types of software that might do that, but I'm honestly not sure.

Terie · Jun 15, 2010

The one I've heard most about is Freedom (http://macfreedom.com/). I know of a number of writers who use it.

This is the first time I've seen any clue that it's been released for PCs; previously, I've only seen it for Macs. Off I go to check it out some more! (Cuz, yanno, not all of us have as much self-discipline as we should do.)

Katrina S. Forest · Jun 16, 2010

If you use Firefox, there's the Blocksite add-on. I've used it to restrict my access when writing. You can create a whitelist of sites that are useful when writing, and it won't let you go to any others. (Since I outline online, there's 1 or 2 sites I need most of the time, so total shutdown doesn't always work.)

KTC · Jun 16, 2010

wow. forced willpower. that's ummmmm....tough.

i get it, though.

i have a second laptop that does not have internet. it's ancient. i use it to write sometimes so that i can't alt/tab to the networld while writing.

Broadswordbabe · Jun 16, 2010

MacAllister said:
Are we misunderstanding the question? Are you looking for actual software that will block your access for specific time periods?

That's it exactly! Because, you know. Willpower. Harder to get hold of than I'd like, sometimes.

Terie, that sounds hopeful - thank you. I'll go have a look.

Synovia · Jun 16, 2010

This seems like a whole lot of extra work.

Set up a second user on your laptop, and using the admin user, give the new user only access to Word.

When you want to write, log into the new user. You'll have to log out of that user and into the original one to use the internet. Any software you install, you can just turn off.

NicoleH · Jun 16, 2010

Do you use firefox? If so, Leechblock. It was pretty much the only way I got my thesis written.

If you use something else - internet explorer, or google chrome or whatever - see if google knows of an equivalent.

Matera the Mad · Jun 16, 2010

I like Synovia's solution. You-admin can forbid all sorts of things to you-lowly-luser.

Everyone should have multiple acounts anyway, backup personae that can perform rescue operations if our "main character"'s profile gets corrupted. (They have to be admins, of course.) It's fun to have multiple computer personalities with different desktops.

Broadswordbabe · Jun 16, 2010

That sounds good, except that I'm an eejit with passwords and so forth - more than one other user id and I wouldn't know who I was, especially at this time in the morning. I'd probably manage to lock myself out of my own computer completely.

MacAllister · Jun 19, 2010

Okay, I remembered this thread when I read writer Nicola Griffith's blog post about Freedom, this morning:

I think this might be the best ten dollars I've ever spent. Each time I would just 'bob online to check something' I'd end up looking at email, responding to blog comments, gobbling down RSS feeds, and generally wasting time. Not anymore. With Freedom playing governess, I think I might have a first draft of Hild done by the end of September--before my birthday. A lovely present to myself.

She links to a software review in The Economist, as well.

Deleted member 42 · Jun 19, 2010

Broadswordbabe said:
That sounds good, except that I'm an eejit with passwords and so forth - more than one other user id and I wouldn't know who I was, especially at this time in the morning. I'd probably manage to lock myself out of my own computer completely.

Seriously, as a security issue, you should have a separate Admin and user account. You can use the same password on both, if you're confident that you're the only user.

But. Cruising the 'net on an Admin account is a security risky. It really is. Use an account with ordinary user privs on a day to day basis.

A user account adds some slight but noticeable difficulties for malware attacks.

Margarita Skies · Jun 19, 2010

Medievalist said:
Seriously, as a security issue, you should have a separate Admin and user account. You can use the same password on both, if you're confident that you're the only user.

But. Cruising the 'net on an Admin account is a security risky. It really is. Use an account with ordinary user privs on a day to day basis.

A user account adds some slight but noticeable difficulties for malware attacks.

I didn't know any of this. Thank you so, so much.

para · Jun 19, 2010

What about Temptation Blocker http://sourceforge.net/projects/temptblocker/ ?

Synovia · Jun 21, 2010

Broadswordbabe said:
That sounds good, except that I'm an eejit with passwords and so forth - more than one other user id and I wouldn't know who I was, especially at this time in the morning. I'd probably manage to lock myself out of my own computer completely.

If you're creating an extremely limited profile just to write, you could have it be something really simple like USERNAME:writing PASSWORD:writing.

Its not generally good security policy to have usernames like that, but if it has extremely limited scope (and permissions), it's fine.

Broadswordbabe · Jun 21, 2010

Medievalist said:
Cruising the 'net on an Admin account is a security risky. It really is. Use an account with ordinary user privs on a day to day basis.

A user account adds some slight but noticeable difficulties for malware attacks.

I had absolutely no idea! Seriously, this is the first time I'd ever even heard it mentioned.

Thanks everyone for the ideas - and info. I like the look of Freedom - I may have to have a go with that.

Susan Coffin · Jun 22, 2010

Really, you don't need software-- discipline is better

When I want to write, I just disconnect my DSL moden and go into the living room. I make sure my wireless is turned off as well.

scarletpeaches · Jun 22, 2010

Pen and paper.

Blocking the internet?

Broadswordbabe

I'd rather be a cat.

MacAllister

Tired and worried.

brainstorm77

practical experience, FTW

poetinahat

Numbers are beautiful

MacAllister

Tired and worried.

Terie

Writer is as Writer does

Katrina S. Forest

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Broadswordbabe

I'd rather be a cat.

Synovia

practical experience, FTW

NicoleH

Getting the hang of it, here

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Broadswordbabe

I'd rather be a cat.

MacAllister

Tired and worried.

Deleted member 42

Margarita Skies

para

Synovia

practical experience, FTW

Broadswordbabe

I'd rather be a cat.

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

scarletpeaches