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HTC Desire & Parental Controls
weirdlywired
10-02-2011
I recently bought my son (14yrs) the HTC Desire.
It's on the Virgin network, using their mobile internet when out & about, then using our home wifi network when in range.

Is it possible to have parental controls on....basically to limit the internet access...(no redtube, brazzers, etc...) ?

I've looked on the internet settings on the device but can't see anything.

Perhaps this is something that the network provider has to do, but if that is the case how will that affect the "at home" wifi connection...ie, will that also restrict content ?

Thanks guys
m4tt24
10-02-2011
When i purchased my phone it was automatically locked out of sites considered unsuitable for under 18's and had to be unlocked via credit card or taking my phone in store, have you tried accessing any of the sites you mention through the phone?
tealady
10-02-2011
When I was with virgin last year, they blocked what they called 'adult content' and I had to ring them up to get it lifted (following an alleged credit check they did). This would block out some sites you are concerned with.

As to wifi, there is not a lot you can do, as obviously the phone will connect to any wifi connection. At home, there are options for your router which can limit access to certain sites. You would need to post your router model (and maybe even raise a thread in computing and networks).

Whether there are any 'engineering codes' that do what you want, I'm not sure. Though for example, you can dial *#*#4636#*#* which will take to various menus.
Clearly you need to be sure what you are doing before you make any changes!
weirdlywired
10-02-2011
Yes, the sites I've seen on his internet history are fully accessible.....
The contract is actually in my name, so perhaps I need to phone Virgin and ask them if they can put a block on the mobile internet.
I've never asked them to unblock content, so the SIM must have been open access to begin with.

Shouldn't be too concerned with the wifi, as I don't believe my son would be accessing adult material whilst in the home....out with his friends, now that's a completely different matter.

Thaks guys....I will phone Virgin.
weirdlywired
10-02-2011
Quick update :

Spoke to Virgin Mobile. They have blocked access to adult sites from the phone.
This block is done via the phones IP address so limits access from both mobile internet and wifi.
tellytart1
10-02-2011
Originally Posted by weirdlywired:
“Quick update :

Spoke to Virgin Mobile. They have blocked access to adult sites from the phone.
This block is done via the phones IP address so limits access from both mobile internet and wifi.”

It won't block access via Wifi, as the IP address is allocated by the wifi access point, not Virgin.
weirdlywired
11-02-2011
"It won't block access via Wifi, as the IP address is allocated by the wifi access point, not Virgin."

You are spot on....I managed to grab the phone for 10 mins last night and found that access to xxx sites was still open via the wifi.
tealady
11-02-2011
With wifi, you can only control the home access via the router. For elsewhere, you would have to look at configuring the phone to use certain DNS servers. How you might do that, I'm not sure, but even if you do, can't see how this could not be temporarily removed whilst at a mate's house.
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