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How to Block Websites Through a Router

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Updated February 12, 2023

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Difficulty Medium

Steps 4

Time Required 10 minutes

Sections

Things to Know

If you are experimenting with the various features of your wireless network, you may want to learn how to block websites through a router. The best routers, after all, allow for a whole lot of settings adjustments, including blocking particular websites. Why would you want to block a website and how would you do it through a router? Keep reading to find out.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

If you block suspicious websites at the WiFi router level, instead of just on an individual browser, it will block that site from any connected device on your Router IP.
Start this process by accessing the admin control panel or a dedicated router settings page, which is typically done by entering the router’s public IP address into a web browser.
Look for parental controls or advanced wireless settings, keeping an eye out for a block list. This could be called the block site list.

Why Block Websites Through a Router?

You may want to block certain suspicious websites for a variety of reasons and if you do this only on a computer, the blocking will only work for that one computer’s web browser. Blocking a website at the router level blocks it for any connected device, including any mobile device. Resetting the router won’t really solve the problem. But, this will work even if you learn how to change the IP address of your router.

How to Block a Website on Your Router

The process here differs depending on the make and model of your specific router, but it is not overly complicated and similar to learning how to block a MAC address on a router. Still, we have kept these guidelines as universal as possible to suit the highest number of consumers.

Insider Tip

There are also third-party software applications that do the same thing, as they access the router on their own.

STEP 1

The first thing you need to do is check on the efficacy of your wireless network, making sure that your router is plugged into your modem via Ethernet cable. Try to connect to the Internet with a mobile device to be certain the network is operating efficiently.

STEP 2

Now you need to access the admin control panel or settings adjustments page. The process to access these tools vary according to your router, so check out the instructions or perform a quick web search to find a relevant tutorial.

STEP 3

This is likely done by entering the router’s public IP address into a web browser address bar or by opening up the dedicated firmware software that accompanied the router. In some cases, a mobile device may be used.

STEP 4

Look for parental controls or advanced wireless settings, depending on your router. Once you have poked around a bit, you should encounter a list of blocked websites. Add sites to the list and save the changes. That’s it. That site should be blocked for all who use your network.

F.A.Q.S

How to block websites on Chrome?

To block access to websites or social networking sites on Chrome, head to the settings page and input individual websites. This is done on a computer and not one of your router interfaces.

How to block websites using DNS?

This is essentially the same process. Go to your router login and look for content filtering or parental controls.

How to password protect your blocked sites (for parental controls and office computers)?

This is done by following the aforementioned instructions, but be on the lookout for parental control settings. These parental control settings allow you to block sites.

STAT: Wireless routers typically feature one or more network interface controllers supporting Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet ports integrated into the main system on a chip (SoC) around which the router is built. (source)

REFERENCES:

Lawrence Bonk

Lawrence Bonk is a copywriter with a decade of experience in the tech space, with columns appearing in Engadget, Huffington Post and CBS, among others. He has a cat named Cinnamon.