URLs with "game" or "games" in them not blocked.

jldefoa · ‎06-03-2021

My 10 year old son keeps finding "free" on-line games using bing, rather than paying attention to his teacher via Teams (doing supposed "on-line learning"). The URLs often have "game" or "games" within them (e.g. www.gamessumo.com).

I've selected "GAMES" in the categories to block with OpenDNS.

Of course Bing will not be stopped from finding the links, but the links SHOULD be blocked. Instead my son can open many games from within their home page, despite them all saying ***.***game****.com or similar in the URL.

Why are URLs that DECLARE themselves to be about games NOT blocked?

I ended up editing the etc/hosts file on his computer, adding each URL, for example 0.0.0.0 www.gamessumo.com, which does prevent the site from showing. The problem with that is I'm always playing a "catch up" as each day he finds other game URLs, which distract him during the day.

I had expected OpenDNS would block game URLs. It seems it does not.

Regards,

J L De Foa (frustrated in northern Ontario)

basitkhansebt13 · ‎04-07-2025

You're on the right track! The issue is that OpenDNS only blocks domains that are already categorized, and many game sites (like those offering Geometry Dash clones) may not be flagged yet. That’s why your son can still access them.

How to Fix It:

1. Set Filtering to High
Go to your OpenDNS dashboard → Web Content Filtering → Set to "High" to block games, proxies, etc.

2. Manually Block Game Sites
Add known domains like gamessumo.com, poki.com, or even sites with free Geometry Dash APKs to the “Always Block” list.

3. Lock DNS in Router
Use these OpenDNS IPs:

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Disable DNS overrides and block DNS-over-HTTPS in browsers.

4. Use a Child Account (Windows)
Set up Microsoft Family Safety to limit access and track usage.

5. Optional: Whitelist Only School Sites
Only allow school domains during learning hours.

Tip: If your child loves Geometry Dash, guide them to safe versions and info at thegeometrydashes.com instead of unsafe, ad-heavy sites.