Block websites as non-adminstrator?

April 19, 2012 7:39 AM

How do I block websites without administrator rights?

I have a great job that I LOVE and I fear that I'm endangering it by wasting too much time online. How do I block websites if I don't have administrator rights? (I also can't download any software). There are some websites I need access to for work purposes, so I'd prefer to block only certain sites as opposed to everything (but if there is a way to block everything without administrator rights I'd be curious). Yes, I know I have zero self control.

posted by murfed13 to computers & internet (10 answers total)

What browser do you have?
posted by odinsdream at 7:42 AM on April 19, 2012

Can you install browser addons? Which broswer do you use?

leechblock for Firefox
SiteBlock for Chrome
posted by royalsong at 7:44 AM on April 19, 2012

IE 8. I tried to block through content advisor in Internet options but wasn't allowed to save settings.
posted by murfed13 at 7:45 AM on April 19, 2012

This can be done without downloading any software, but you'll have to specify the websites you want to connect to rather than the ones you want to block.

If you're using Firefox, under Preferences->Advanced->Connection you'll find a dialog box which allows you to configure the browser to access the internet through a proxy server. Check manual proxy configuration and enter 127.0.0.1 into all the proxy boxes. Then in the box that says "No proxy for:" list the domain names for every web site you want to connect to for work.

This is probably not what you're looking for (see earlier mentions of leechblock and siteblock, but those require downloading and installing browser addons which may require administrator access) but it will work in a pinch.

The best advice is to probably condition yourself not to look at those websites. I suggest Randall Munroe's technique of completely turning off the computer and rebooting whenever you catch yourself doing something you shouldn't be.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:48 AM on April 19, 2012

Can you ask your IT admin to block them for you?
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 8:41 AM on April 19, 2012

Use the hosts file? This may not work in Windows 7 cause you have to have admin rights to edit the hosts file.
posted by nooneyouknow at 9:34 AM on April 19, 2012

Stayfocusd for chrome works quite well for me. However, I do have administrative rights. Not sure if you can install the app with your current setup.
posted by Quack at 9:40 AM on April 19, 2012

If you dig around in the IE options for connection, you should find 'bypass proxy server' with a space to list websites that connect directly (typically used for the company intranet). Your IT department may have locked this down, but if not, adding the websites you want to block to that list should do the trick.
posted by Lanark at 11:27 AM on April 19, 2012

If you can't even save settings in IE, you're not going to be able to hack it to block sites. You could check to see if the virus scan software they have installed can block sites, but you are probably pretty locked down. Have you thought about other techniques like a pomodoro timer or some system like that to help keep you focused?
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 12:34 PM on April 19, 2012

If you dig around in the IE options for connection, you should find 'bypass proxy server' with a space to list websites that connect directly (typically used for the company intranet). Your IT department may have locked this down, but if not, adding the websites you want to block to that list should do the trick.

That's a great solution that would provide an easy opt-out way of blocking sites, but it only works if the computer is already set up to use a proxy server by default and can't directly access the internet. If there's no proxy server specified, then IE is already 'bypassing' it and connecting to websites directly.

If the computer can directly access the internet (it doesn't need a proxy), you can specify a dummy proxy (127.0.0.1) that goes nowhere, but then the 'bypass proxy server' field becomes an opt-in list of sites you want to access.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 2:37 PM on April 19, 2012 [1 favorite]