Limit access to content using Quota policies

This article applies to our On-Premise Appliance Filter and Firewall product only, not to Cloud.

 

You can use Quotas to give users access to content for a limited time. You can set Quotas in specific intervals, meaning users can override the Block page for a set amount of time. Once the quota is reached, the user can’t override the block page.

For example, you can block Social Media but allow 20 minutes of daily access. You can set a 20-minute quota with 10-minute intervals, meaning users can choose to override the Block page twice.

Note

  • You can’t edit or customise how the page looks separately from your Block page, but you can edit the message and button text.
  • If a user overrides a block, the whole interval will be used, even if the user accesses the content for less than the interval time

Image 1: The default Quota message that shows on the Block page.

 

Default Quota

There is a default Quota that limits access to 60 minutes per 24 hours and resets daily at 4 am your Smoothwall’s local time. All users will see a page that reminds them of their remaining quota every 10 minutes.

You can’t edit, delete or switch off the default Quota.

Create a Quota

  1. Go to Guardian > Policy Objects > Quotas.
  2. Select Create a new quota.
  3. On the Configure quota page, select who the quota applies to. Select either:
    • Everyone to apply the quota to all users.
    • One or more User Groups.
    • The single user icon and enter a username.
  4. Set the Duration (minutes) that access will be allowed. Drag the slider between 15 and 240 minutes (4 hours).
  5. Use the Prompt every drop-down to select how often the user sees the reminder about their remaining quota. Select between 5 minutes and your set duration broken into 5-minute increments.

    Tip

    The Number of Prompts shows based on the duration and prompt frequency.

  6. Set Reset at to the time of day the quota is reset.
  7. Ensure Enable quota is selected.
  8. Select Save.

Edit a Quota

  1. Go to Guardian > Policy Objects > Quotas.
  2. Select the pencil icon for the Quota you want to edit.
  3. Make the changes.
  4. Select Save.

Delete or switch off a quota

Go to Guardian > Policy Objects > Quotas.

  • To switch off a Quota, you can:
    • Change the Enabled toggle, then select Save.
    • Select the pencil icon, clear the Enable quota checkbox, then select Save.
  • To delete a Quota, select the X icon.

Reorder Quotas

Quotas are applied from top to bottom. For example, if you have a Quota for specific staff, ensure this is ordered above any Quotas for Everyone.

To change the order of your Quotas:

  1. Go to Guardian > Policy Objects > Quotas.
  2. Either:
    • Select and drag the row to the required position.
    • Select the row and select either the Up or Down button.
  3. Select Save.

Use a Quota in Web Filter Policies

To use the Quotas you’ve set up, create or edit a Web Filter Policy and set the Action to Limit to Quota. The Quota highest in the table that includes the user specified in the Web Filter Policy is applied.