Parent Reviews on Parental Control Apps for Iphone

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The all-time parental control routers brand information technology piece of cake to assist your kids stay prophylactic on any device continued to your home Wi-Fi network. Rather than relying on the safety settings of every gadget in your house, y'all can use routers with parental control software built-in. You can then apply rules for all the devices on your dwelling network, giving you control over everything your family sees.

The best routers let you lot cake specific websites and use filters to cake content by blazon and maturity level. Most also allow you lot limit and schedule how many hours your children can use the internet and which services they tin can apply. For case, you could only allow access to educational websites and cake gaming and video streaming activities during homework hours.

Below are the all-time parental command routers we've found on the market.

Synology RT2600ac Wi-Fi Router

What We Like

  • Sophisticated parental controls

  • Well-designed web interface

What We Don't Similar

  • Hard to wall mount

The feature-packed Synology RT2600ac offers excellent wireless range for average-sized homes and groovy security features. And as our product tester noted, "This router is worth a await if you want something that'south easy to set upwards just hides a lot of hidden potential under the hood." Best of all, the parental command features, which y'all tin can access via an app, are complimentary to employ—no demand for a subscription.

The RT2600ac is a dual-band Wi-Fi router, which means if you have a mix of older and newer gadgets at abode, your family tin can connect to both wireless channels to avoid connection bug. This engineering allows your devices to report their location to your router and then it can ship faster and more than direct signals for activities like 4K streaming on Netflix, gaming, or video calling.

Like most routers, the RT2600ac offers both a mobile app and a website for setting upwards and managing the router. The web dashboard arranges all the options in tiles and is easy to use for handling parental controls.

Start by creating private profiles for your kids to schedule online hours, set time limits, and block inappropriate content based on general categories or specific sites. You lot can also prepare full general filtering rules for your entire home network, plus some other fix for your invitee Wi-Fi network.

Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2, Invitee Wi-Fi Secure Access | Standard/Speed: AC2600 | Bands: Dual-ring | MU-MIMO: Yes | Beamforming: Yep | Wired Ports: 5

Tested by Lifewire

"The Synology RT2600AC has a great user interface that offers a lot of flexibility and control, merely you tin can safely ignore a lot of the bells and whistles while setting up your network. The router supports MU-MIMO and automatic band steering, which helps ensure that your devices get the fastest connections possible." — Jeremy Laukkonen, Product Tester

Lifewire / Jeremy Laukkonen

TP-Link Archer AX50

What We Like

  • Gratis parental control subscription included

  • Advanced Wi-Fi half-dozen support

  • Supports fourth dimension limits past user or device

What We Don't Similar

  • Requires mobile app to configure parental controls

If y'all have a minor-sized home and yous want to upgrade your router, the TP-Link'due south Archer AX50 offers impressive wireless functioning. This router comes with the latest wireless technology known as Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ax. If you lot like to stay upwards to engagement with the latest technology, this router offers fast net admission and sophisticated parental controls at a price that's more affordable than competitors.

The AX50 comes with a free lifetime subscription to the HomeCare parental controls platform. Through HomeCare, y'all can create profiles for different family unit members, assign devices to each profile, and set filters and time limits past users or devices.

For instance, you could block your kids from getting online with their iPad in the evenings while still letting them utilize the family computer for homework. You lot can also block sites based on blazon and age group, and HomeCare monitors all the websites in each category.

In addition to parental controls, HomeCare too offers antivirus protection to guard your abode network against malware. While you can fix this router by logging in to the router in a web browser, you'll need to download the TP-Link Tether app to manage HomeCare features.

Wireless Spec: 802.11ax | Security: HomeCare, WPA3, Guest Wi-Fi Secure Access | Standard/Speed: AX3000 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: Aye | Beamforming: Yes | Wired Ports: v

Netgear Orbi RBK50 Mesh Wi-Fi System

Our Ratings

  • Design

    iv /5

  • Setup Process

    iv /5

  • Connectivity/Ports

    4 /v

  • Network Performance

    v /5

  • Software

    four /5

What We Like

  • Total home coverage

  • Beautiful aesthetics

  • Sophisticated screen time controls

What We Don't Like

  • Pricey

  • Avant-garde parental controls require subscription

If you lot demand strong Wi-Fi coverage throughout a large home, yous might be interested in a mesh Wi-Fi organisation, which uses multiple routers to create a whole system in your house. The Netgear Orbi can comprehend an surface area of 5,000 square anxiety.

Along with fast whole-firm Wi-Fi, the Orbi too supports some pretty advanced parental control settings that you can manage through an app called My Time that lets you gear up profiles for each kid, easily pause and restart their connexion, and fifty-fifty set rules for bedtime.

There are several more than advanced controls, including usage history and setting schedules and time limits for whatsoever internet activities, merely be warned they crave a monthly subscription.

The Netgear Orbi is also a tri-band mesh Wi-Fi system, which means information technology sends out iii unlike signals to continue all your devices online without any problem. Older routers use a unmarried band, which can lead to congestion, while dual-band routers add another channel, so there isn't a bottleneck.

Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: NETGEAR Armor, WPA2, Guest Wi-Fi Secure Access | Standard/Speed: AC2200 | Bands: Tri-ring | MU-MIMO: Yes | Beamforming: Yep | Wired Ports: 4

Tested by Lifewire

"I tested the speed in several areas of my domicile—upstairs, downstairs, the lawn, and the basement. The merely time I saw less than 290 Mbps is when I walked to a neighbor's house. While the setup is simple, information technology did take the router a long time to terminate its setup procedure; it took about five minutes to detect the satellite, where other mesh routers formed connections instantly. While the Orbi is more expensive than other mesh routers, the performance is worth the price." —Bill Thomas, Product Tester

Lifewire / Hashemite kingdom of jordan Provost

Eero Pro kit with two Eero Beacons

Our Ratings

  • Design

    5 /5

  • Setup Process

    5 /5

  • Connectivity/Ports

    3 /5

  • Network Operation

    4 /5

  • Software

    v /5

What We Similar

  • Simple and intuitive app-based prepare

  • Real-time content filtering and malware protection

  • Family unit profiles let for scheduled access

What Nosotros Don't Like

  • Content filtering requires monthly subscription

  • Lacks PPPoE support

The Eero Pro is a mesh Wi-Fi organisation, which ways information technology uses a unmarried Eero Pro unit as the chief router and additional units (or beacons) throughout your house for extended coverage. The central station offers tri-ring Wi-Fi or iii Wi-Fi signals (i ii.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands), and each beacon uses dual-band channels (one two.4GHz and one 5GHz).

The main Eero unit may be all you demand in a smaller dwelling, only if you want more range, you can add more Eero units (Eero, Eero Pro, or Eero Beacon) which provide another 1,000 to ane,500 square feet of coverage. Bonus: The Eero Beacons plug into any wall outlet and fifty-fifty double every bit nightlights effectually your habitation.

Our reviewer noted the average download speed for the Eero Pro without beacons was 256Mbps. That'due south not the fastest you tin can go, but information technology's more than enough speed for activities like gaming or streaming 4K movies.

You lot'll need to pay a small monthly subscription fee for more advanced features in the Eero Secure programme. If you subscribe, you'll also gain real-fourth dimension website filtering, a tool that lets you lot cake sites for each profile based on categories such every bit developed, illegal, and violent content. The paid programme also comes with malware (virus) protection and advertisement-blocking.

Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: Eero Secure, WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC2200 | Bands: Tri-ring | MU-MIMO: Yes | Beamforming: Aye | Wired Ports: 2

Tested by Lifewire

"Eero Pro is perchance the easiest Wi-Fi mesh arrangement you'll ever use. It works by creating profiles for each family member, assigning devices to those profiles, and then placing content blocks and scheduling net pauses for your kids if you don't want them getting online during homework time or in the centre of the night. Its biggest shortfall is its lack of connectivity options; it only has two Ethernet ports." — Jeremy Laukkonen, Product Tester

Lifewire / Jeremy Laukkonen

Circle Home Plus

What Nosotros Similar

  • Compact size

  • Individual profiles for each child

  • Works with your existing router

What We Don't Like

  • Must download parent and kid apps

  • Subscription required for full features

If you're happy with the wireless router yous already have, yous don't demand to buy a new router to get advanced parental controls. You lot tin can purchase an add-on device like the Circle Home Plus.

This small white cube connects to your existing router through an Ethernet port and monitors your dwelling house network to cake traffic from your kids' devices before it gets to your main router. If your kids unplug the device to try to go effectually parental controls, the Circle Habitation Plus will still work, thanks to a built-in bombardment and Wi-Fi. You lot'll likewise receive a notification if the router's unplugged, even if you're away from habitation.

You can review these notifications and all the setup and management options through the Circle mobile app. This companion app offers many preset filters grouped into age-appropriate categories and services. You can likewise add custom filters and prepare time limits for specific websites and services, such as YouTube.

Our tester reported that "the filtering system works more reliably than other filters I've encountered." She as well appreciated the history tool, noting that it "puts all of my teens' online activity in one like shooting fish in a barrel-to-access location."

Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: North/A | Bands: N/A | MU-MIMO: N/A | Beamforming: Due north/A | Wired Ports: 1

"While the Circle Dwelling house Plus is easy to install, setup is tedious. I ended upward needing very specific criteria for dissimilar devices. Overall, it took about three hours to set upwards how and when each of my teens could get on their consoles, computers, and phones. That said, this device is a reliable way to keep track of your kids' online activities." — Erika Rawes, Product Tester

Lifewire / Erika Rawes

Asus RT-AX88U

Our Ratings

  • Design

    v /5

  • Setup Procedure

    four /v

  • Connectivity/Ports

    iv /5

  • Network Performance

    5 /5

  • Software

    5 /5

What We Like

  • Parental controls don't require a subscription

  • Viii Gigabit Ethernet Ports

What We Don't Like

  • No support for user profiles

If y'all have a gamer in your family, you need a specialty router like the Asus RT-AX88U. This Asus router comes with the latest 802.11ax (Wi-Fi half-dozen) engineering science, then it's quicker and more reliable than routers that utilise older Wi-Fi engineering.

The RT-AX88U also houses eight Gigabit Ethernet ports (ports capable of delivering 1,000Gbps internet speeds). If you take a super-fast Gigabit Ethernet service (nearly people don't, and y'all'll pay extra if yous do), hooking upwards your gaming PC or consoles to your router can assistance yous get the best possible performance.

The parental controls don't provide every bit much flexibility as other routers, simply y'all have enough options to keep your kids safety online without a subscription. While y'all can't fix up private user profiles to grouping devices, you can still restrict access and set time limits and schedules by device.

The filters include adult websites, instant messaging and communication apps, streaming and entertainment sites, P2P (or peer-to-peer connections between 2 computers near each other), and file transfer services like WeTransfer.

Wireless Spec: 802.11ax | Security: RADIUS Server, WPA2, WPS, 802.1x Authentication | Standard/Speed: AX6000 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Beamforming: Yes | Wired Ports: eight

Tested by Lifewire

"I was able to become the RT-AX88U upwards and running in just a few minutes. The wizard took intendance of the bones setup chop-chop, allowing me to set a custom SSID and password and choose whether or not to combine the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks under a single SSID. In one case I started testing, I was able to stream high-definition Netflix to two televisions on my network while someone else was gaming, and various other phones and tablets were in use without any stuttering or slowdown." — Jeremy Laukkonen, Production Tester

Lifewire / Jeremy Laukkonen

Asus RT-ACRH12 AC1200 Wi-Fi Router

What We Like

  • Bully price

  • Solid functioning and range

  • Parental controls don't crave a subscription

What We Don't Similar

  • Lacks more avant-garde protection features

The Asus RT-ACRH12 is a router that offers parental controls on a upkeep. This router provides potent wireless performance, too, in homes up to three,000 square feet.

Information technology's fast enough that you'll take no problem enjoying demanding online activities like streaming Hulu content in 4K, gaming, or keeping in bear upon with friends and family unit on online video chatting platforms like Zoom and Apple'south FaceTime.

Like other Asus routers, y'all can log in to your router through a web browser to set upwardly and change settings. You can besides manage virtually features from the mobile app.

While y'all won't see Asus' more sophisticated AiProtection Pro security features on this device, parental controls include the ability to block specific websites, monitor your kids' online action, and set time limits.

The RT-ACRH12 likewise comes with virtual private network (VPN) support, which means if you employ a VPN service or you're because using one, this router tin can assist hide your exact location and keep your internet activity more private.

Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC1200 | Bands: Dual-ring | MU-MIMO: No | Beamforming: No | Wired Ports: four

Google Nest Wi-Fi (2nd Gen)

Our Ratings

  • Design

    5 /5

  • Setup Process

    5 /5

  • Connectivity/Ports

    4 /v

  • Network Performance

    v /5

  • Software

    5 /5

What Nosotros Like

  • Attractive and simple design

  • Point units double equally smart speakers

  • Integrates with Google Home and Family Controls

What We Don't Like

  • No Ethernet ports on points

If your family already uses Google devices with Google Assistant for vocalisation commands, and you're looking for a Wi-Fi system for your whole house, Google's Nest Wi-Fi could be a welcome addition to your home.

Google Nest Wi-Fi is a mesh Wi-Fi system, meaning information technology comes with 1 central router and smaller companion devices, or access points, which yous can place around your dwelling. These access points extend your wireless network to cover even the largest homes.

Nest Wi-Fi admission points have another trick up their sleeves. In add-on to adding around i,500 square feet of wireless coverage, each access point can double as a Google Assistant smart speaker, letting you issue vocalization commands from anywhere in your home.

Those phonation commands work with parental controls likewise, and then when it's time for the kids to go to bed or exercise their homework, you can say, "OK Google, intermission the kids' Wi-Fi." Setting up the parental controls in the Google Home app is also straightforward, peculiarly if you're familiar with Google products.

The app walks you through the process of setting up your family Wi-Fi network, adding your kids' devices, restricting content by category, and setting schedules for online fourth dimension.

Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA3 | Standard/Speed: AC2200 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: Yep | Beamforming: Aye | Wired Ports: 2

Tested by Lifewire

"Setting up Google Nest was hassle-gratis. I tested reception in every room of the house and saw consequent performance across the board with merely modest differences in speed. Even in my large backyard, I saw decent Wi-Fi speeds—approximately 75 anxiety away from either router. Gaming performance was too strong; I got a depression ping (25-35ms) while using the Ethernet port and got about 10ms ping while using the Wi-Fi while playing the online game Rocket League on PC." —Andrew Hayward, Production Tester

Lifewire / Andrew Hayward

NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000

What We Like

  • Good 5GHz performance

  • Integrated Circumvolve with Disney parental controls

  • Built-in OpenVPN Server

What We Don't Like

  • Express range

  • Weaker 2.4GHz functioning

Netgear's Nighthawk R7000 is a well-rounded router for families who want to cover the nuts of home networking while also having access to advanced parental controls.

This Netgear router offers typical technical features like dual-band Wi-Fi (meaning yous can connect your devices to the router's ii.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi signals), so you'll accept no problem using information technology for streaming and gaming on multiple devices at in one case. The R7000 as well comes with dynamic Quality of Service. This characteristic keeps an eye on all the internet traffic and eases congestion for certain activities that require faster speeds.

As a parental control router, the R7000 stands out for its congenital-in admission to Circle Smart Parental Controls. This service provides some of the well-nigh advanced filtering features bachelor on routers to monitor content for your children.

Utilise the Circle app on your mobile device to lock your kids' devices birthday or monitor their screen time by applying filters for content based on what'south most appropriate for their age range, from Pre-K to Teen. Notwithstanding, if you want more advanced features, y'all need to purchase a Circumvolve subscription.

Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC1900 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: Yes | Beamforming: Yes | Wired Ports: 4

Final Verdict

For parents interested in parental controls without paying any fees, dependable Wi-Fi performance, and avant-garde router settings, the Synology RT2600ac (view at Amazon) will meet most families needs. If you're looking for a router with advanced parental control features and fast coverage for a larger dwelling, the Netgear Orbi mesh arrangement (view at Amazon) is a corking pick. It also comes with a lot of command when you lot buy a Circle Smart Parental Controls subscription.

What to Look For in a Parental Control Router

Content and App Filtering

As the name implies, content filtering is a feature that enables your router to block certain things from passing through. Since everything that leaves your home network passes through your router, when a user on your network attempts to go to a filtered address, the router intercepts information technology and blocks access.

A good parental command router will let you cake traffic based on categories since it's not realistic for you to figure out every website that yous want to block, especially since new sites (and threats) are popping upwards all the time. Instead, the heavy lifting is washed by the router manufacturer or a third-political party service provider, which maintains massive lists of the sites that autumn into each category. This allows you to simply check off boxes to allow advisable educational and kids sites and services or deny admission to more than adult-themed sites.

Dynamic Filtering

While almost all parental control routers volition let you cake a website based on its accost, some of the best ones go the extra mile and provide the ability to dynamically block websites based on what's actually on them. Then, for example, a website that contains a lot of explicit language or extreme graphic content would exist blocked even if the website address isn't on the blocked list.

Since fifty-fifty the best parental control services can't continue up with adding every new website to their lists as soon as they popular up on the internet, dynamic filtering adds an actress layer of protection confronting those sites that may have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

Screen Time Controls

A good parental command router isn't merely nearwhat your kids can access simply besides aboutwhen they can access it. Some of the improve parental control routers also offer the power to limit how long your kids tin access diverse sites and services, rather than simply letting you set a schedule.

FAQ

  • How are parental control routers dissimilar from installing parental control software on your kids' tablets or PCs?

    Parental control routers limit the websites and services your kids can access from whatsoever device on your domicile network. For this reason, they offering an easy fashion to keep your kids away from sensitive content without installing parental control software on every i of their devices. However, a parental command router won't permit you manage screen fourth dimension past device or what apps your kids tin can install and apply offline. To supervise as much activity equally possible, you may desire to consider combining a parental control router with features like Digital Well-Being on Android devices or screen fourth dimension on iPhones and iPads.

  • How do you lot proceed your kids from bypassing parental controls?

    The parental controls you attack your router are only as stiff equally the administrator countersign. If you use cable internet, you lot may also need to lock upward your router to prevent a teenager from plugging directly into your cable modem and fugitive any parental controls you set upwards. Lastly, keep in listen that a parental control router simply secures your kids' activity over your home Wi-Fi network. If your kids have smartphones, you'll need to use other methods to command what they can access over the cellular network.

  • What happens as my kids get older?

    If you have kids of varying ages, or you desire to buy a solution that will grow with your kids, you'll desire to look at something that also provides historic period-appropriate filtering categories, rather than only a generic list of "kids" sites and apps. After all, in that location are lots of sites that may be perfectly OK for a teenager that you definitely wouldn't want your four-twelvemonth-one-time accessing.

Nearly Our Trusted Experts

Jesse Hollington is a freelance writer with over 10 years of experience writing about technology and iii decades of feel in data technology and networking. He's installed, tested, and configured just near every type and brand of router, firewall, wireless access indicate, and network extender in places ranging from single-family dwellings to role buildings.

Jeremy Laukkonen is an experienced tech announcer with a background in automotive repair that has taught him the importance of breaking down complex technical subjects in understandable ways. He specializes in VPNs, antivirus, and home electronics, including parental command routers.

Beak Thomas is a Denver-based freelance author who covers technology, music, moving picture, and gaming. They tested the Netgear Orbi on this list and liked that the company's partnership with Disney allowed for robust parental controls on the router.

Andrew Hayward is a Chicago-based writer who has been roofing engineering science and video games since 2006. He tested the Nest Wi-Fi router on our list and appreciated its large coverage surface area and integration features for smart home devices.

Erika Rawes is a tech reviewer that's been writing for Lifewire since 2019. She has previously been published in Digital Trends and USA Today, and she specializes in consumer technology, such as parental control routers.

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Source: https://www.lifewire.com/best-parental-control-routers-4160776

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