My kid keeps by-passing the wifi restrictions on the BlueCurve Shaw Home.

[rmikeyt]

Is there a way to block all new devices coming on to my network? My kid changes his MAC address to by-pass the downtime restrictions and, because the password was in the computer already, it automatically connects and gives me a notification that a new device has connected. I pause the new device and he is still able to game until I reset the router. After which he just changes the MAC address again and we repeat the cycle all day. Help!

[mdk]

@rmikeyt -- My kid changes his MAC address ....

Note that IOS on the latest iPhones does this automatically, as an "online security" feature, to make it more difficult to "follow" a given MAC-address as it goes from one WiFi network to the next. You (or your kid) can "disable" this feature.

Which cable-modem do you have? How many different IP-addresses are available for it to hand-out to new devices? Can you decrease that range of IP-addresses, down to "4" or "8" devices, to have the cable-modem "run out of" assignable IP-addresses, after the kid tries to change his MAC-address?

Or, physically disconnect the kid from his device, every night, and store the device (not the kid) inside a fireproof safe. Add a motion-detector into the room where the safe is, to trigger a loud alarm, when somebody enters the room. If the device is waterproof, MAYBE freeze it inside a block of ice, to delay it from thawing out.

Put the WiFi-enabled cable-modem behind one of those XMAS-light mechanical timers, and set the timer to give NO electrical power to the cable-modem between 23:39 and 06:59. No power to the cable-modem --> no WiFi Access Point.

[rstra]

@rmikeytThis was posted earlier, some updates were made.

https://support.shaw.ca/t5/internet-discussions/bedtime-mode-active-time-limit-not-working/m-p/33994...

[mdk]

@rstra -- that article does not seem to address the author's issue, namely that of his kid changing his MAC-address, to present a "new" device to the cable-modem.

Since the kid is doing this "all day", one bypass is to change the WiFi password, daily.

Another bypass is to change the WiFi password on the cable-modem, and do not tell it to the kid. Then, attach a third-party WiFi-capable router, via an Ethernet cable. Give the WiFi password of this router to the kid, and use a mechanical timer to supply electrical power to this router only when the parent wants the kid to have Internet access. To respond to any "rule-breaking" by the kid, leave that router powered-off for a day or two.

[rstra]

@mdk The post doesn’t specifically mention what was fixed, since @rmikeyt uses this feature, they should probably do the reset and try again.

[rmikeyt]

It’s a gaming pc that he’s using so freezing it in ice is not practical nor is wrestling it away from him as he’s 16 and bigger than me. 

The main issue is due to his online learning plan. He needs wifi for school which we allow on a laptop for him to use during the day but unfortunately, he is more interested in gaming than school so he bypasses the restrictions while I’m at work. I get the notification and can reblock him but it just turns into a vicious cycle that takes up a huge part of my day. I’ve tried the MAC filtering in the admin GUI in addition to the downtime protocols in BC Home, but after some testing, it’s still letting unauthorized devices to sign on to my wifi. 

[rmikeyt]

All valid options that I have already considered... problem is that he’s smart enough to find the password in his computer if I put it in. Also; it’s pretty simple to bypass any electrical timers. 

This is supposed to be a user friendly and effective parenting tool. It’s the furthest from it... I was better off before BC when I was using the admin features of the modem. But now they’ve disabled the fields that I was using because “BlueCurve” makes it easier than ever! 

[rmikeyt]

Ineffective 

[mdk]

@rmikeyt -- Ineffective 

By default, the BlueCurve allows up to 255 computers (desktop or laptop) to simultaneously connect.

To repeat, if you logon to the BlueCurve's web-interface, you can change the limit to only 2 computers: yours & his.

So, if he changes the MAC-address of his computer, the BlueCurve will not have any "available" IP-addresses to give to him, and he will not have Internet access. Your filtering can be linked to the ONLY IP-address that is available to him.

> nor is wrestling it away from him as he’s 16 and bigger than me. 

Does he ever sleep in the room where the computer is?

Finally, note that if you set the filters to all the IP-addresses that the BlueCurve can hand-out, then his access will be filtered, no matter what IP-address that he obtains.

[rmikeyt]

It’s his computer that he paid for and built himself so it’s in his bedroom, yes. It also means I don’t have administrative access to this device. That coupled with the shear number of devices that use wifi in my home makes this solution virtually impossible. 

I have managed to find a MAC filtering section in the web access admin GUI. It is supposed to limit access to “trusted” MAC addresses only but it doesn’t work. I entered all my MACs save one and selected “allow only”. The laptop that I neglected to identify as trusted continued to connect unhindered. 

it’s pretty frustrating feeling that a service which was advertised and promoted as the ideal solution to fit my needs seems to be too much to expect.