MSN BLOCKING ON LINKSYS ROUTER

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote on 2 Jun 2006 03:06:26 -0700:

I find a written warning, and if required dismissal, a much better way to deal with the issue. People will always find a way around any technical "block" you attempt, so your most important step is to make it clear to them what they are and are not allowed to do in the office. If they breach the computer policy, you take action, simple as that.

First port of call is to ask yourself why you're allowing local admin access to all your users. If you're not, then why haven't you removed MSN Messenger and prevented reinstall via GPO?

If you really want to try blocking them, you'll need to block outgoing connections to a whole host of IP addresses. Doing this will also block Passport logins (unless you're using packet sniffing to detect the data being passed over the connection rather than just blocking on IP addresses/ranges), so be prepared for backlash from your developers who need access to things like MSDN online. It'll also block Hotmail, although that's probably not a bad thing in a corporate environment.

You'll then need to find all the IP addresses for the web interfaces to MSN Messenger because those will start being used by everyone who thinks it's still alright to use MSN, but who have now discovered it no longer works. Then there'll be those who switch to AIM, or ICQ, or another chat program. Before you know it you're giving people paper and pencil to use instead of computers, and then your boss is complaining that they're sending letters to their friends via the company post system (ok, maybe not, but it's a potential result of the rollercoaster ride you started yourself on by not having a computer use policy in place and enforcing it).

Simple solution - sort out your computer use policy. Enforce it. A couple of summary dismissals will soon bring the others into line. Make sure the policy is available for everyone to read, and send reminders by memo/email to the staff at regular intervals. I know it sounds like a Draconian thing to do, but it's the only method that has a chance of working.

Dan

#1. Publish a policy forbidding use of MSN Messenger as others have suggested. I suggest you think thru the penalties carefully because you're going to have to apply them to at least a few.

#2. See info at

tells you how to ENABLE MSN Messenger thru a NAT Router. In your router, disable the things they say to enable and you should achieve your objective... unless your employees install Yahoo Messenger or AOL Messenger or ... in which case the hammer that comes with suggestion #1 will need to fall.