Thread: Control Users from Downloading files

I'm running a Browsing Centre. My broadband connection is Dataone 3000 Business Plan. As you people know the Download limit is 20 GB per Month. It is just 20 days since I begun this Browsing Centre. I allowed "Downloading Files" in all systems for the first 20 days, and hence my usage details shows 15 GB already (for 20 days). So, now I'm alert about this, and hence I have disabled "Downloads" in all systems (under limited account of those systems which is used by customers).

I can convince the Customers who will try to download big Video files, Softwares etc (copy it to their pen drive) and tell them that "download" facility can't be given in an Internet Parlour (If they want to download such big files, they can take net connection in their home and do that at night-unlimited time or even pay for the download charges or whatever).

However I'm worried about the remaining innocent customers who use the Internet only to download their resumes, bank-statements, etc (Document files like Word, Excel, etc, which can't exceed more than 1 MB at the most). For such customers I need to enable "downloading" for a while (or send to a system where I've enabled download or give access to "admin" account in xp). This is tedious for me and also it is not comfortable to the Customer.

I've disabled Downloading through "Registry" and hence I've no issues about Customers accessing "Internet Options" to alter the "Download" settings.

What I want now is:

1) Allow the Customer to download up to 1 MB (and automatically close the file download dialog box, if the downloading exceeds 1 MB)

OR

2) Allow the Customer to download only certain file-types (like DOC, XLS, etc which I can fix) which will anyhow not exceed 1 MB (or 5 MB for that matter)

OR

3) When the File Download Dialog Box opens, you can see "Open", "Save", "Cancel" Buttons there. Through some "Registry Tweaks", I was able to disable "Save" Option. But when user clicks on "Open" Button, it gets automatically downloaded to some "temp" file which I don't want to happen. Instead, "Open" button should be disabled, and "Save" button should be enabled (and also it should allow the User to "Save" in a certain fixed directory - maybe I will fix a directory in some "My Network Places" folder path far away from the Customer's local system). This way at least I can check what the Customer has downloaded, and I can tell the Customer that I may charge him/her if the downloads exceed 5 MB or so.

Sorry for the Long Post. Appreciate if someone could suggest me something...

What you need is a content and access controller software. The best one is Websense (google it) but it is quite costly. There are others such as NetNanny or CyberSafe. Just google for such software.

Also I will recommend Windows Proxy Server setup so that you can install all such software and controls on the proxy server and control it from one place.