I live with my family and provide internet service to our home, but my brother is a teenager who can get super frustrated when gaming. I want to block his internet access since he uses a LAN connection. Unfortunately, my ISP is unhelpful, and I have no clue how to block a user from my router. I have full access to the router settings, but I don't want to disable the Wi-Fi since other devices rely on it. What can I do to block him from accessing the internet?
3 Answers
Depending on your router’s features, you might be able to set up parental controls or bandwidth limits. Some routers let you specify which MAC addresses can access the internet, so you could whitelist everyone else but him. Just be aware that this may involve some manual work to register the MAC addresses of all the devices you want to allow.
You could try blocking his MAC address on the router, which should prevent him from getting online—even for a little while. Just check if your router has MAC filtering or device blocking options. Typically, the settings would be under those sections. Just make sure he doesn’t outsmart you and switch to Wi-Fi!
This is definitely the way to go. Just block his MAC address and you should be set!
As a more hands-on approach, you could also physically unplug his LAN cable. But if you want something more permanent, blocking his MAC address or enabling whitelisting on your router should do the trick. Just keep in mind he could always switch to Wi-Fi if he's clever enough.
Sounds like a good plan if he's still gaming competitively—he may need the speed from the LAN.
Definitely check for that option. It's a bit of a hassle, but it can work if you set it up right.