A parental control router is one of the best options to manage internet access within your home. This is because they can control all devices in your home. Consider these global facts: There are about 8 networked devices per person in the US; 93% of households in Great Britain have access to the Internet; an unbelievable 100% of Iceland’s population uses the Internet!
Parental controls are built into many of our technology devices today. From televisions to computers, mobile phones and tablets, and even streaming services, cable boxes, and internet routers – it’s hard to find a device that doesn’t include parental controls.
This article does not intend to say that you don’t need other types of parental controls. In fact, multiple forms are necessary. But using a parental control router and applying internet filtering at the router level, gives you an extra layer of protection.
Using your router’s parental controls to limit internet usage is like having an umbrella in the rain. It doesn’t prevent all problems, but it does a great job of protecting devices that are under it. Internet filtering at the route helps you to control for your family’s devices. And routers with parental controls give you the benefit of restricting inappropriate internet use on your guest’s devices, too!
What are Parental Controls?
Parental controls give parents a means of restricting a child’s access. Technology or Internet parent controls help parents to limit or prohibit the types of content or times of day that content can be accessed by their children. Some of the earliest electronic parental controls were passwords on cable boxes.
Introduced in the late 80s, families used the cable box parental control feature to ensure their children would not accidentally stumble upon a program or channel inappropriate for their age. For example, program the cable box so that a password or PIN is required to view any program rated over “G” General Audiences. This type of parental control is called Content Filtering.
Types of Parental Controls
We all know children have a way of getting into trouble regardless of the best intentions of a parent. Children have been doing that since the beginning of time! Think of parental controls much like adding child locks to cabinets and drawers. You still close the door, make sure the latch locks, while also teaching your children to stay away away from bottles and cleaners.
There are three common types of parental controls: Content filters, Usage controls, and Monitoring.
- Content filters – Restrict content from being viewed (rating limits)
- Usage controls – Restrict how or when a device is used (time limits)
- Monitoring – Track location or device usage/activity (real-time alerts)
Parental Control Options
With so many options available, how do parents choose the correct type of parental control? The answer to that is as varied as the number of devices and the personalities of children who use them. There are both advantages and limitations to each type of parental control. It’s important for parents to consider their child’s age, technology usage, and self-governing capabilities.
Fortunately, the parental controls built into most routers include both internet filtering and usage controls. All of the following are parental control wifi routers, because we all want our wifi!
Best Parental Control Router Choices
I know most of these are expensive. I evaluated many routers for under $50. However, all of them failed in several ways. Overall we need a router that allows parental controls without giving up speed and performance. I simply cannot recommend a device that I wouldn’t put in my own home. So I give you the pep talk I gave myself: “Suck it up, Buttercup!” Plan to spend around $200 on a router than you whole family with love.
Internet parental controls are one more tool to help parents with the daunting task of raising children. Unfortunately, there are ways to bypass, most if not all, parental control technologies. A defiant teen is certain to find these and you know it. Parental control technologies compliment, not replace, a parent’s responsibility.
Want to see more? Check out all of my Internet Safety articles.