How can I restrict web browsing on an iPad?
May 5, 2011 9:23 AM Subscribe
I'm using a bunch of iPads to show of a particular website, and allow them to click around within that website... How can I keep people from being able to browse to other sites?
I'm trying to do this without needing to pay for an app, and ideally from system settings directly.
I'm trying to do this without needing to pay for an app, and ideally from system settings directly.
Does an iPad allow one to view locally stored html? Does the website need to be live?
An iPad does not allow for viewing locally stored HTML.
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:31 AM on May 5, 2011
An iPad does not allow for viewing locally stored HTML.
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:31 AM on May 5, 2011
If you're using wifi, you could probably set up the router to block everything except x domain.
posted by wayland at 9:47 AM on May 5, 2011
posted by wayland at 9:47 AM on May 5, 2011
You could set up an HTTP proxy server (either on the local network, if this is going to be done over Wi-Fi, or on the internet) that only allows access to the site in question, and configure the iPad to use that proxy within the network settings.
posted by Nothlit at 9:48 AM on May 5, 2011
posted by Nothlit at 9:48 AM on May 5, 2011
Get the IP address of the site you want to show and go to / bookmark that. Then, remove the DNS servers from the settings of the iPads. Unless people happen to know the IP addresses of their favorite sites, they won't get anywhere.
posted by mikepop at 9:54 AM on May 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by mikepop at 9:54 AM on May 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
An iPad does not allow for viewing locally stored HTML.
If you know a little iOS programming, this is easily done with a UIWebView and items stored in the app's ~/Documents folder.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:17 AM on May 5, 2011
If you know a little iOS programming, this is easily done with a UIWebView and items stored in the app's ~/Documents folder.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:17 AM on May 5, 2011
Actually, the iPad will render "locally" stored HTML - if that HTML is in a dropbox account. I just tested it (albeit with some very quick, unsophisticated html) and it worked just fine.
If you could get Dropbox to store all the html locally (mark it as a favorite in Dropbox) then make sure to turn off your wifi/3g connection to the iPad, then technically, you could view the site without allowing the user to navigate away. The technical implementation of doing this for any sort of mildly complicated website (for example, I'm not sure how javascript/css would work) might be a headache and will definitely need some experimentation, however..
posted by cgg at 10:55 AM on May 5, 2011
If you could get Dropbox to store all the html locally (mark it as a favorite in Dropbox) then make sure to turn off your wifi/3g connection to the iPad, then technically, you could view the site without allowing the user to navigate away. The technical implementation of doing this for any sort of mildly complicated website (for example, I'm not sure how javascript/css would work) might be a headache and will definitely need some experimentation, however..
posted by cgg at 10:55 AM on May 5, 2011
You could also route the iPad through OpenDNS and block everything there except for your one required site.
posted by msbutah at 11:09 AM on May 5, 2011
posted by msbutah at 11:09 AM on May 5, 2011
I know what you said about "free" and "apps," but there is an app called "Offline Pages" that saves websites for future, offline reading. The basic version is free, but there's apparently a "pro" version for $4.99 that allows you to save full websites rather than just single pages (according to the developer it automatically follows links)
posted by pardonyou? at 11:17 AM on May 5, 2011
posted by pardonyou? at 11:17 AM on May 5, 2011
Wayland's answer is the right approach: leave all the iPads vanilla (so much easier) and just be sure the only free/open wifi access point is one you set up that resolves EVERY domain to www.yoursite.com.
Painless and solid. Be sure to use wifi only iPads, not 3G ones.
posted by rokusan at 5:36 PM on May 5, 2011
Painless and solid. Be sure to use wifi only iPads, not 3G ones.
posted by rokusan at 5:36 PM on May 5, 2011
Be sure to use wifi only iPads, not 3G ones.
Unless all those iPads are set up with for-fee 3G accounts, it probably won't be an issue.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:31 PM on May 5, 2011
Unless all those iPads are set up with for-fee 3G accounts, it probably won't be an issue.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:31 PM on May 5, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by JMOZ at 9:27 AM on May 5, 2011