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Forum Discussion
product advice - no reset button needed, parental control
Hi Guys I hope you can help, I am new to this. I am looking for a suggested router I can purchase but it needs to be properly kids proof. I am struggling find one. I have spent a few hours looking over the last few days but need someone that knows their stuff as I can not find the right answers.
Current Problem
My friend (it is true, I am asking for a friend)! has a 12 year old who is reasonably tech savvy and becoming a real handful to manage her internet usage. The current basic system here in the UK does not cut the mustard The router is supplied with the contract. There is obviously the wifi password and the router password.
1) the parental scheduling system does not work on the wifi app as it should. It does not switch off when it should etc and is basically rubbish. Incredibly it is also easy to by pass by downloading the app.
2) In addition to that you can download the app on your phone, it seems to recognise you are in the house, and the kid just changes the schedule or logs on as a guest via her phone and there is jack you can do about it. Even if you change the password it seems to give them access automatically. I won't bore you with the other hoops i have jumped through but I have tested it for hours and nothing I can do. I have come to the conclusion that we need to control the router at source, then it does not matter if they have the wifi password or not as there will be no internet connected if the router is off. For this however I need a bullet proof router that in time she can not work out how to bypass. The current router I am not even going to look at, as it looks pants.
Ideal solution.
1) A router that has NO reset button on it. This means it can only be reset via a website with the correct password. I had a look through the comments on here and it seems a few people can not find the reset buttons, I am hoping that is because they don't have one! Otherwise this kid would be resetting the router via the button and going to the default password website and getting into the software in 5 secs flat. If she can not manually reset the router, she can not gain access to it. That is my current understanding.
2) A router that can be controlled by REMOTE ACCESS via the website (or app). Excuse my lack of techie knowledge, this may be a basic feature of any decent router. The parental schedule is one thing, but I want to be able to switch it off from where I live if needed, fairly instantly. It can then be switched off for the a certain period (a day or whatever) via a mobile phone if they misbehave, even if the parental schedule is not due to switch of for a few more hours.
3) A router that if it does have an app, NEEDS the user of the app to have the username and password to log onto it! Not just connects automatically.
4) It will also need some sort of scheduling software, 'Circle' I believe I have seen on here. I have looked into this, the most basic function needed really is just to switch it off at one time and on at another automatically. Anything else is a bonus.
5) something that from my point of view is plug and play. I am not sure if I need a modem in this router etc, I just wish to be able to plug the thing in the wall, log on with the password provided by vodaphone, change the password on the new router and set up the new schedule and it works.
Bearing in mind I am not really into tech language as you have gathered, any answers that a newbie could understand would be greatly appreciated. It is only a two bed apartment, so it does not need to be NASA grade, I think it needs all five function however unless you can advise differently.
thank you for your time.
2 Replies
So one simple solution would be to put the wifi router in a locked room with no access and only with someone with the key. If the master bed room doesn't have a lock, put on on and put the router in here.
Most all business and home class routers have a reset button for in case of someone forgets all the user configurations and configured router and wifi passwords, the system can be reset and re-setup. Also used as a troubleshooting step where needed. This is industry wide.
Most all home class routers have some form of remote control configuration, though some are limited to mobile apps that don't have advanced configurations as seen on the routers web page, so keep this in mind. NG has removed the web based remote web page control for security reasons so you might find other router mfrs that may support this...
Mobile apps for routers can have parental controls and security controls as well. NG has some that are subscription based. There has to be someone with email and cell phone code access to get access to the mobile app controls here so if the child doesn't have this, then this could be of some help.
One could also do more parenting and discipline any offending events with the child as well. I.e. removing internet devices as a disciplinary action.
Thank you for your quick response. I have just read it due to the time difference. This is helpful. Just one final question if you would be so kind. You mentioned that NG does not allow remote web access. Does this mean that if I used the 'app' it would do the same thing remotely but just via a cell phone? So I could switch off or pause the router from a different location?
Thanks
