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Forum Discussion
DaLynch1
Oct 27, 2021Aspirant
Smart Parental Controls - RBK853
Why / How is it that this model doesn't appear in the "Model" section for posting!?
The real reason that I'm here... The parental controls thus far destroy how I manage my network, which was through denying MAC addresses that weren't known. I'm forced to use the Orbi app, when my preference is to use the web interface. Typically the web interface has more options available, but now the most critical area is only in the app and is a massive step backwards.
When my "free trial" is over, will this revert back to allowing me to use the access control as I was able to previously?
8 Replies
- DaLynch1AspirantTo add insult to injury, for the $1100+ that we’re paying for a premium system, we also have to come out of pocket for Bitdefender’s Armor, now for the parental controls that are pretty much a beta program right now and for “premium” support.
- FURRYe38Guru - Experienced User
You don't need to pick any model from the drop down to post.
NG seems to be moving some of the additional features like subscription based apps to being only seen and used with in the Orbi app. As this seems to be a user chosen features that some users may or may not want. So no reason to have it embedded in to the FW and routers web pages when it can be run from the Orbi app on mobile devices. Armor, SPC and Circle seem to be the only features that require Orbi app. All other features can be managed thru the routers web based UI.
It should. I'll check my system as Armor exprired on mine. However I don't use Access Controls much.
DaLynch1 wrote:
Why / How is it that this model doesn't appear in the "Model" section for posting!?
The real reason that I'm here... The parental controls thus far destroy how I manage my network, which was through denying MAC addresses that weren't known. I'm forced to use the Orbi app, when my preference is to use the web interface. Typically the web interface has more options available, but now the most critical area is only in the app and is a massive step backwards.
When my "free trial" is over, will this revert back to allowing me to use the access control as I was able to previously?
- DaLynch1AspirantYou don’t “have” to select a model to proceed but it says it will help, makes no sense that models, especially newer ones would be omitted. Point of irritation, not an actual problem.
Subscription fees for “premium” features on a router that cost $1k+… this is aggravation and is leading me to not buying another NG router in the future
Nearly every system that I’ve used, the mobile UI is a trimmed down version of the full desktop UI. Not including something in the full UI is not standard practice and number of four letter expletives that are unwelcome in the forum prefixed to development / programming.
That an active SPC subscription completely disables access control is again, lazy programming. At the end of the day, SPC is a effectively a visual representation of the previous AC tables plus a few more representing additional rules.
I can understand NG working to make their products more user friendly on the “basic” tab or mobile app (read more visual, less complicated, more intuitive, etc). However they’ve been removing “advanced” features that existed in previous FW versions, dumbing them down and charging for the convenience.
- CrimpOnGuru - Experienced User
DaLynch1 wrote:
. I'm forced to use the Orbi app, when my preference is to use the web interface. Typically the web interface has more options available, but now the most critical area is only in the app and is a massive step backwards.
Thanks for posting that screen shot. The original Orbi (RBR50) still allows web access to Access Control and also the primitve functions in the 'app'. Could it be possible that the app for the AX products has Access Control buried in the app somewhere? The only features I find in my app are the Pause slider and option to delete devices. A agree, this is a step backwards.
- DaLynch1AspirantSadly no, the mobile app does not have access control buried. It was one of the first things I noticed after setting it up, you have to go through the web UI to get to the access control area, which was no big deal.
Having an active SPC license killing access control through the web UI and forcing you to the Orbi app to SPC however is trash.- DaLynch1AspirantYes, I’m opinionated about ALM.
- FURRYe38Guru - Experienced User
Heres what I'm seeing with mine: