I'm looking for a way to restrict internet access on specific PCs during exams to prevent cheating. We use Samba (Debian) as our Active Domain controller, and our network is set up with Mikrotik equipment. While I can permanently block internet access with Mikrotik, that's not a viable solution since I need to re-enable access after the exam. I'm interested in free or open-source solutions, as our school doesn't have the budget for commercial software like Surfblocker or Netop Vision Pro. Any ideas on how to effectively manage this situation?
5 Answers
Another approach is to configure the browser on the devices with a whitelist of allowed sites relevant to the exam, then revert to the original settings afterwards.
One option is to set up dedicated exam accounts and heavily lock them down using Group Policy Objects (GPO). This would limit the students' access during the test.
Mikrotik has built-in capabilities for this. You can create Layer7 rules or use time-based firewall rules to block internet access during exam hours, targeting specific IPs. This method is free and completely scriptable.
You could change the VLAN for any desktops being used during the exam. Create a specific testing VLAN with limited routing, then revert it back to the normal VLAN after the test is over. It’s a straightforward method that avoids the need for extra software.
If you're looking for a fast solution, you might just unplug the ethernet cables for those PCs during the exam. Alternatively, you could script the network ports to disable automatically.
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