Like any social media app, YouTube is compiled to keep you hooked, get maximum views, and show the utmost advertisement campaigns. When using the app, you see the videos recommended by the built-in AI algorithms that no one would like to ignore. This is why our younger or current-era kids use this app too much. It is becoming a type of addiction for its users. As parents and elders, we must know how to avoid such habits from our younger people.
This post is one of the attempts to supervise YouTube usage among our children and the under-aged generation. For this, you can take help from this article and learn how to block YouTube on ASUS router and others. This way, you can supervise what your children are watching and keep them away from non-productive stuff and focused on good things. We have added all possible ways to block YouTube from your router and important notes.
Some Quick Cautions Here
Like any action, you must take care of a few things when blocking YouTube or any other app from the ASUS router. All the important ones are included as follows:
- Parental control: This article will use parental controls to block YouTube from ASUS routers. These controls let you block a particular app, schedule internet timing, block certain websites, and more.
- Check AiProtection: It is a security feature offered by some Asus routers. AiProtection Pro and AiProtection Classic are two versions of this feature. Your router must have these security features to be compatible with parenting controls.
- Update the latest firmware: Your router must have the newest firmware. It’s essential to keep the firmware on your router up to date to ensure that you are getting the best possible performance and security from your device.
How To Block YouTube on ASUS Router?
There are two types of filters when using parenting controls on ASUS routers: Web & App filters and Time scheduling. We’ll use the Web & App filters in this article since this is most related to our query. This filter blocks the added apps so no one can use that platform while using that router. Under the Web & App filter, we’ll discuss two methods to block YouTube, any other app, or a particular URL from the router. Let’s jump straight into the in-detail step-by-step methods!
1. Blocking YouTube or Other Apps
We will use the ASUS Web GUI to access the parenting controls and block YouTube using specific options. The steps to set up the router and your computer are included as follows:
Step 1: Set Up the Wireless Router Using the Wired Connection.
- Connect the wireless router’s AC adaptor’s one end to the DC-IN slot while the other power-input end is to the wall socket or power outlet.
- Use the bundled network cable to connect your computer to the router’s LAN outlet by plugging the appropriate ends into the correct slots.
Step 2: Login into the ASUS Router Web GUI.
- Open a browser tab and navigate to this web link, [https://router.asus.com/], to access the login portal.
- Enter your credentials, username and password, and click sign in.
Step 3: Access the Web & Apps Filters.
- Once you enter the control panel, go to Parental Controls > Web & App filters.
- Remember, these options may vary depending on some factors. In some devices, it may be like AiProtection > Parental Controls > Web & Apps Filters.
Step 4: Enable the Web & Apps filters.
- Under the Web & Apps filter, you’ll see a button to activate the filters; turn it on.
- A License Agreement window may pop up. Click Agree to continue the following process.
Step 5: Block the Desired Apps and Content and Save Settings.
- A new window will pop up when you agree on the license agreement. Here, you can set up the rest of the things.
- Use the MAC Address section to select the devices on which you want to block the content.
- Select the content from the Content Category you want to block, like YouTube.
- Use the “+” button to add a particular profile.
- Click Apply to save the settings.
Note: It is impossible to directly block the YouTube website on an ASUS router using parental controls. However, you can use the Streaming and Entertainment content category to restrict media streaming and internet radio and TV access. While YouTube may still be accessible on your children’s devices, they will not be able to stream videos as the content will not load.
2. Blocking a Particular URL
The following method blocks specific web URLs with a particular character or set of characters. For example, if you want to block any URL with “XXX”, you must add the term “XXX”; any URL with “XXX” in it will be blocked. The method to block particular URLs is given as follows:
Step 1: Access the Web GUI.
- Use Step# 1 and Step# 2 from the previous method to access the Web GUI and login into it.
Step 2: Set Up and Block the Desired URLs.
- Locate the URL Filter > Enable it.
- Type a particular URL or a specific term in the URL Filter List; it’s “youtube” in our case. Once typed, click the “+” button to add it.
- Once added, press Apply to save the changes.
Note: This method has some limitations as well. Those include as follow:
- Compressed webpages using HTTP Compression technology can’t be removed via this method.
- The webpages that use HTTPS technology can’t be blocked.
