[X4U] router not really stopping web?

[Stroller]

On 16 Feb 2006, at 00:37, nk wrote:

> I have a belkin router which I can set to allow/deny web access to  
> any mac on the network here.
>
> While I have one mac so disabled, I can still send and receive e- 
> mail! which makes me wonder, how "off" the internet IS this  
> computer if I can still get e-mail?

eMail is NOT the web. They're on different ports. If you tell a  
router to block web access then it'll deny outgoing packets to port  
80; mail is normally on ports 25, 110, 143, 993 &/or 995. Note that  
if someone sets up a webserver on a non-standard port you probably  
won't be blocking that, either.

You need to tell the router either to block all internet access for  
the Mac, or only to allow the certain ports & services that users  
needs (denying all others). Domestic routers such as yours can do  
some simple filtering but are only secure to a limited degree - a  
sophisticated user could get around their restrictions.

Stroller.