SilenceTheLAN

Control your kids' internet with a tap.

A simple iOS app for parents with UniFi networks. Set up your firewall rules once in UniFi, then use this app to toggle them on/off without touching the UniFi interface.

Why This Exists

I tried Circle, Bark, built-in screen time, and various router solutions. They all fell short - kids found workarounds, the apps were clunky, or they didn't give me the control I needed.

UniFi's firewall rules are incredibly powerful, but:

• The UI is buried in settings
• It's easy to mess something up
• You don't want to hand your phone to your spouse and say "navigate to Settings > Security > Firewall Rules..."

SilenceTheLAN lets you set up rules once (the hard part), then toggle them with one tap (the daily part).

Features

• One-tap control - Block or allow internet instantly
• Time extensions - Long-press for temporary access (15m, 30m, 1h, 2h) with auto-reblock
• Grouped by person - See all rules for each family member together
• Schedule-aware - Shows normal schedule times, preserves them when you override
• Configurable prefixes - Default Downtime- and STL-, plus up to 3 custom prefixes
• Siri Shortcuts - "Block Rishi in SilenceTheLAN"
• Local only - No cloud, no accounts, everything stays on your network

Time Extensions

Long-press any rule for smart temporary exceptions:

• Currently blocking? "Allow for X minutes" - Pauses the rule temporarily, traffic flows freely until the timer expires, then auto-reblocks
• Not yet blocking? "Delay block by X minutes" - Pushes the schedule start time forward (e.g., 9 AM → 9:30 AM), automatically restores original schedule when delay expires

The app intelligently detects which scenario applies and adjusts behavior accordingly. Perfect for "Can I have 30 more minutes before bedtime?" scenarios.

Extensions can be:

• Extended - Add more time while active
• Cancelled - Restore original state immediately
• Auto-restored - Receive a notification when time expires

All actions are logged in the UniFi rule description for transparency.

Requirements

• iOS 17.0+
• UniFi Dream Machine (UDM, UDM Pro, UDM SE) or Cloud Gateway (UCG Max, UCG Ultra)
• iPhone on the same local network as your UniFi controller
• A local UniFi admin account (not cloud/SSO - see setup below)

Quick Start

1. Create firewall rules in UniFi

In UniFi Console → Settings → Security → Firewall Rules, create rules with:

• Name starting with Downtime- or STL- (e.g., Downtime-Rishi, STL-Rishi-Games)
• Action set to Block
• Schedule for your normal blocking hours

The app detects rules by prefix and groups them by person:

Rule Name	Shows As
Downtime-Rishi	Rishi → Internet
Downtime-Rishi-Games	Rishi → Games
STL-Rohan-YouTube	Rohan → YouTube

Custom prefixes: You can add up to 3 additional prefixes in Settings → Rule Prefixes.

2. Create a local admin account

In UniFi Console → Settings → Admins & Users:

• Create a new admin with Local Access Only
• Cloud/SSO accounts with 2FA won't work

3. Install and connect

1. Build from source or install via TestFlight (coming soon)
2. App auto-discovers your UniFi controller
3. Log in with your local admin account
4. Select which rules to manage
5. Done!

How It Works

The app doesn't create or delete rules - it only toggles existing ones. This is intentional:

• Tap when allowed → Blocks immediately (sets schedule to "Always")
• Tap when blocked → Allows traffic (pauses the rule or restores schedule)

Your original schedule is preserved and restored when you toggle back.

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/shrisha/SilenceTheLAN.git
cd SilenceTheLAN
open SilenceTheLAN.xcodeproj

Build and run on your device or simulator (depending on your Mac/Safari/Network settings, Simulator may not be able to reach your UniFi controller).

Limitations

• Local network only - No remote access (your UniFi controller isn't exposed to the internet, and neither is this app)
• Local accounts only - Cloud/SSO with 2FA not supported
• iOS only - No Android version (PRs welcome!)
• Read-only rule management - Cannot create/delete rules, only toggle them

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome! This is a personal project solving my own problem, but happy to make it useful for others.

Acknowledgments

• Built with SwiftUI and SwiftData
• UniFi and UniFi Network Application are trademarks of Ubiquiti Inc.