Block Facebook Games & Apps on Your Network

The Growing Role of Social Networking in Business

The integration of social networking and online communities into business practices is rapidly increasing. A growing number of organizations are leveraging platforms like Facebook to connect with their target audiences.

Businesses are increasingly aware that significant customer bases reside within both online and offline communities. This realization drives the need for a strong online presence.

Employee Access to Social Media

Granting employees access to platforms like Facebook is becoming increasingly common. Engaging with customers and users in the digital sphere is now considered vital for maintaining a competitive edge.

Consequently, many companies are reassessing policies that previously restricted Facebook access during work hours. Observations suggest that, generally, employees utilize this access responsibly.

The modern workforce is evolving, with a rise in remote work and flexible schedules. This often leads to a blending of professional and personal activities.

Addressing Potential Misuse

Despite the overall responsible use, a segment of employees may misuse the privilege of social media access. This is a predictable occurrence, but it's a challenge that can be effectively addressed.

Implementing strategic firewall configurations offers a relatively straightforward solution. It's possible to restrict specific activities, rather than blocking the entire platform.

Blocking Facebook Games with a Linksys Router

The following example demonstrates how a small business can utilize a standard Linksys router to block Facebook games from network traffic. The same principles can be applied to larger corporate networks.

This approach allows businesses to maintain employee access to beneficial aspects of Facebook while mitigating potential distractions. Network administrators can tailor these settings to suit their specific needs.

By focusing on specific applications, such as games, companies can strike a balance between employee freedom and productivity. This targeted approach is often more effective than a complete ban.

Restricting Access to Facebook Games

Several methods exist for preventing access to Facebook games. One approach involves blocking specific Facebook applications originating from a particular developer. This is beneficial as many Facebook applications offer productive functionalities.

Therefore, you might choose to restrict applications created by a single developer, such as Zynga, a prominent game creator. The application’s creator is typically identified at the bottom of the application interface, like in the game Mafia Wars.

Generally, the network traffic for these games originates from the creator’s domain. In Zynga’s case, all Zynga applications can be blocked by including the term "Zynga" in the URL block list within your router’s settings.

Utilizing Keywords to Block Facebook Games

For a Linksys router, this setting is found within the Access Restrictions tab, by selecting an unused Access Policy number. Available slots can be identified by clicking on "Summary".

After selecting an available policy, simply enter "Zynga" (or the name of the developer you wish to block) into the "Website Blocking by Keyword" field. This policy will also prevent access to the developer’s main website.

Complete blocking doesn’t occur automatically; you must designate the specific devices on your network to which this policy applies. This is achieved by clicking "Edit List" within the "Applied PCs" section.

Here, you can specify individual devices by their Mac Address or IP address. Knowing that the PCs on my network are assigned IP addresses ranging from 100 to 107, I entered that range into the "IP Address Range" field. Larger networks can specify a wider range of IP addresses, or even individual addresses as needed.

Select Save Settings, and then also Save Settings on the Internet Access Policy page. Subsequently, attempt to access Zynga.com to verify the changes.

Test access to any Zynga game, such as Mafia Wars on Facebook, to confirm the blocking is effective.

Despite this, access to Facebook itself and other non-game applications remains available. Since not all Facebook applications are games, some organizations may wish to permit access to these other apps. Blocking Zynga will likely prevent access to the majority of games hosted on Facebook. Additional game developers can be added to the block list as desired.

Alternatively, you can choose to block all Facebook applications entirely, utilizing the URL address blocking feature commonly found in routers.

Blocking Facebook Applications via URL

To block all Facebook apps, return to the Internet Access Policy page on your router and enter "apps.facebook.com" into the "Website Blocking by URL Address" section.

This will not block the entire Facebook site, but only pages utilizing the base URL apps.facebook.com, which is common to all Facebook applications. As demonstrated, an application previously accessible – The Sims Social – is now blocked by the newly implemented rule.

The decision to block only games or all Facebook applications depends on your organization’s or business’s policies. Regardless, this method allows continued access to the social networking benefits of Facebook while mitigating the potential for time-wasting and addictive behaviors associated with Facebook applications.

Was this solution successful for you? Are you aware of any other innovative methods for blocking only Facebook games or applications on your network? Please share your insights in the comments below.