Block and Pause FAQ

Does the Pause and Block feature work on Fing mobile too?

We plan to integrate the feature to allow users to Pause and Block from a mobile device. However, the feature it would still need a running Fing Desktop on the network to perform the action. It is not possible to Block or Pause devices using a mobile alone.  

Do I need to install anything on the target devices that I want to block?

No. Fing works at the networking level and does not require you to install any additional software on the target devices.  You can block devices that do not allow the installation of extra apps such as Smart TVs, Smart Home devices, Gaming Consoles.

My devices still have access to the Internet when I pause them?

Some applications, social media and streaming websites such as YouTube download packets of data in advance to make the use of them smoother. You will see this on YouTube in the bar at the bottom of a video. The line in red indicates how far in the video you are, but you will also see a grey line further ahead of the red line. This grey line shows where the application is downloading the data. Because this data has already reached your device and does not require the Internet to watch when the Internet is paused, YouTube will continue to play the video until the red line catches up with the grey line. When the red line catches up with the grey line, the video will stop working because YouTube cannot access the Internet to download more data.

This catch-up process can sometimes take a minute or so, so if you want to know immediately if an Internet Pause has worked, try refreshing or opening a new screen.

If you still have access to the Internet at this point, it could be one of three things preventing the block from working.

• IPv6: This is a method of communication that some devices use when IPv4 is blocked. However, some of the IPv6 communications cannot be blocked. If you feel comfortable and your router allows it, you can disable IPv6 within your router settings. All devices communicate on IPv4 so it should not impact the average user’s network performance.
• Incompatible Router: Fing Desktop pauses the Internet using a technique called ARP spoofing. Some high-end routers contain software designed to block ARP spoofing, to prevent it from enacting this feature. Kindly let us know what model & internet provider you are using, to improve the list of incompatible routers.
• Firewalls: Firewalls are generally not an issue for Fingbox. However, as with the routers, some software in the firewall may clash with the Fingbox software. If you believe this may be the case, email us on support@fing.com with the details of your firewall so we can investigate.

Why is there a delay in blocking devices?

Fing's block feature makes the device you have blocked from your network believe Fingbox is the gateway of the network. Fingbox receives the packet and discards it. Fing also makes the device you have blocked believe that its IP is owned by another device. All of these low-level techniques can be bypassed by a number of seconds or minutes if the router put in place has anti-spoofing or similar techniques.

When a device tries to connect to the router, the device cannot connect until the Fingbox has checked if the device is on your list of blocked devices. Once Fingbox has checked the list, the device will be connected or blocked depending on whether you have blocked it or not.

The verification of the list may take up to a few minutes. Then Fingbox can block the device.

Does the Internet Block and Pause feature work with IPv6?

No. This feature is currently only available for devices communicating on IPv4. As with other, similar products on the market, we are currently working on a way to pause Internet on IPv6.

Note: Blocking and pausing needs to be done for each specific device. The Fingbox or agent will block/pause network access for all devices/users at once. If you want to block all devices or groups of devices, you will need to do so on each individual device.