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Forum Discussion
Sneaky Teens foiling Orbi Mesh Parental Controls
I paid for Parental Controls and created multiple profiles and then assigned my teenager's computer to a profile with "bedtimes". His computer keeps reappearing in my main Home profile that is always on. To date, his one computer has appeared as 40 different devices! - I am sure he is doing something to create new device names to circumvent the "bedtime" setting. Any advice?...I'm tired of checking every hour at night and to see if his computer reappeared in the home profile and reassignment it to his profile!!
4 Replies
Would help to know which specific model of Orbi WiFi router you have.
It would appear that the teenager is changing the MAC address of the computer, which creates a new identity. If this is the case, then the Orbi web interface, Advanced Tab, Security Menu, Access Control can prevent this.
Enable Access Control and choose the option "Block all new devices from connecting"
(In my opinion) Access Control has one significant negative side-effect. Every time you want to connect a new device to the network, it has to be permitted. When cousin Jane comes over and wants to show the wife a picture on her Facebook feed, her iPhone won't connect to WiFi. "Honey, the WiFi isn't working!"
Also, I have zero experience with Smart Parental Controls (having no need to control my parents) and I seem to recall seeing comments on the forum that some Orbi models have disabled Access Control in the web interface. When the user connects to Access Control, there is a comment, "Use Smart Parental Controls for this."
Be aware though, both Android and Apple devices and MAC Address Randomizers which may negate these controls.
FURRYe38 wrote:
Be aware though, both Android and Apple devices and MAC Address Randomizers which may negate these controls.
My sense is that MAC randomizing is simply incompatible with Access Controls. If Access Control is enabled and new devices are not allowed, then any time a WiFi device changes MAC address, it will be blocked. i.e. if the control works as designed, this will create chaos when devices change MAC addresses.
