help needed to block all websites except one!!!

[Achilles]

hello folks!!
alright this might sound stupid n funny to some... but here goes..
here's the deal, i need to block all websites from my offcie(have ptcl 512 connection). i mean i just want every1 to be only able to access hotmail and nothing else. not even yahoo or google, just hotmail. It's tht simple. ( else they waste a lot of time surfing n they dont get their work done on time... n to top it , it also effects me playing online haha )

have windows xp. heard it was alot easier on 2003/server n all tht stuff but never used it.

here's wht ive tried so far n failed

i've gone to internet options>connection>lan settings there have given a bogus proxy and then in the advanced option there is "dont use proxy for the following ... "there ive given the address http://www.hotmail.com but unfortunately tht doesnt seem to work.. although i was very upbeat tht it wud work but it didnt..

ive tried adding www.hotmail.com into the trusted zones but then i cudnt find the option where i cud check tht the browser only opens the websites present in the trusted zones - so tht failed too

now guys i need your help - hope you understand wht im trying to ask help for

thanks in advance to all those who come up with a solution.

 

[hzahid]

Try to configure ISA Server! in your office it will do the job

 

[stix]

^ ISA server requires Windows Server where as he has Windows XP...

 

[hzahid]

hmm if u cant install server than you can manipulate "host" file stored in "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc"

by adding following line at the end :

127.0.0.1 www.yahoo.com
127.0.0.1 any address you want to block

but for this you have to manually change it on all system

regards.

 

[Achilles]

hmm if u cant install server than you can manipulate "host" file stored in "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc"

by adding following line at the end :

127.0.0.1 www.yahoo.com
127.0.0.1 any address you want to block

but for this you have to manually change it on all system

regards.

well i tried this before, but after editing tht file in notepad i wasnt able to save it :crying:
n besides tht i needed to block everything except hotmail so wudnt tht procedure take me ages typing in all the websites i mean its impossible... whereas some1 told me tht i cud list only the ip of hotmail n its address - which would result in the system only accepting tht very ip n opening the web page whereas all others wont open up - but tht too failed
all ur ideas r appreciated but the problem still remains..
so ne bright ideas?

 

[emin3m]

this is fairly simple just edit hosts file in etc and set ip for hotmail.com
and set fake DNS 1 and 2 in network settings like 1.1.1.1 and 1.1.1.2
so for each website DNS will fail to resolve IP address but for hotmail.com it wont because of hosts file
edit permissions/owner on hosts file if you cant edit it

but i think this wont be easy as hotmail might be using various resources from msn.com or hotmail subdomains and IP changes frequent
hope this helps

 

[SikandarBhai]

Good Idias.

 

[Achilles]

this is fairly simple just edit hosts file in etc and set ip for hotmail.com
and set fake DNS 1 and 2 in network settings like 1.1.1.1 and 1.1.1.2
so for each website DNS will fail to resolve IP address but for hotmail.com it wont because of hosts file
edit permissions/owner on hosts file if you cant edit it

but i think this wont be easy as hotmail might be using various resources from msn.com or hotmail subdomains and IP changes frequent
hope this helps

yaar edit karnay ke baad im not able to save tht file... :crying:
cant figure it out... im totally blanked out at this point...

 

[Rapchik Killer]

I have an idea but might sound a bit compicated:

Install easyphp on your server pc.. make a simple php webpage with a link to hotmail.com .. and then configure all other pcs to link to one ip that is of the server and disable internet sharing.. might work but sounds stupid now that i am done writing.. just my 2 cents tho..

edit: BTW, why not just setup a firewall allowing only hotmail.com??

 

[Achilles]

well ive tried many a things but nothing seems to work, i mean it does but upto some extent not wht i want to achieve... gonna throw in my last dice... windows server 2003 lets see..

 

[A.Rafay]

wait till tomorrow, i may have a solution

 

[raven360]

you cant do it properly with all these solutions. Do you have an isa server installed at office if yes then you can build an access rule in it to allow traffic for hotmail.com and deny all else.

If not you can use the winhosts file but you cant block every other site in the world dude ? Thats impossible and this is possible only with ISA server.

 

[emin3m]

goto file properties and using advance sharing allow your user to full control
goto advance there and replace owner of file to your username
or try editing in safe mode