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Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Now Available

BretD
Admin

Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Now Available

Click Here for details on installing Circle with Disney on your Orbi WiFi System.Circle on Orbi WiFi Systems and Nighthawk RoutersCircle on Orbi WiFi Systems and Nighthawk Routers

NETGEAR is bringing peace of mind to parents by managing not only access to appropriate online content but also limiting the time that children are spending online.

Circle with Disney is the smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. With the easy-to-use Circle app – available for download on both iOS and Android™ devices – parents can easily create unique profiles for each family member. This includes creating daily time limits for apps and websites, setting individual filter levels for each family member, scheduling BedTime for each family member and their devices, and pausing the internet by device or by user with the press of a button. You can even manage your family’s mobile devices outside the home through Circle Go.

You can use Circle with Disney now on supported Nighthawk Routers such as the R7000P, R7000 and R6900 and soon it will come to the Orbi WiFi System.

Click Here for details on installing Circle with Disney on your Orbi WiFi System

circle-icons-2.pngTo check if Circle with Disney is available on your Nighthawk Router or Orbi WiFi System download the Circle app from the App Store or Download Circle with Disney from Google Play.

Read the Full Press Release: Netgear Partners With Circle Media Labs To Provide Smart Parental Control Of Your Home Network

Visit the NETGEAR Circle with Disney Smart Parental Controls page for more info.

 

Discuss Circle with Disney in the Nighthawk Routers forum and Orbi WiFi Systems forum.circle-teen.png

 

 

 

Message 1 of 38

Accepted Solutions
TeddyOH
Guide

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

The most useful review on this thread by Frank. He gets it.

 

I just dumped my traditional router for Orbi. 100% of the reason for choosing Orbi is the performance of the system. Every review clearly states it is #1 as a MESH solution, and they are correct. There isn't anything else close for a larger home. Trust me, I have tried many router, extender, dual router and MESH options.

 

That being said, the parental controls are actually a nice bonus. I had looked at Circle for a year, but just couldn't bring myself to set up a new account and buy a piece of hardware. The fact that it was integrated into Orbi is great. All you do is sign up.

 

Frank gave an excellent account of the free Circle features. That is good enough for 99% of parents, and better than any other router parental controls I have used. It's also better than a couple subscription services I have tried due to ease of use.

 

My one complaint was touched on above. The basic features (pause internet, filter content and services by age, monitor usage) are great. I wish Netgear/Disney would offer an option to install the basic features on 4G/LTE using the MDM/VPN solution. I just want to extend the basic features to my kids' phones when not on WiFi. Call it Circle Go Light! I would happily pay $4.99/mo for that, but it is a bit of price gouging to require $4.99/mo to ENABLE THE ABILITY to pay extra for Circle Go!

 

I respectfully request that you offer this in a future update. Just do it an squash the competition!

View solution in original post

Message 31 of 38

All Replies
PJBannerman
Initiate

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

This is good news for Orbi owners. The Circle functionality works well. However, having just purchased the Circle hardware ‘cube’ only 5 weeks ago, I am really pissed that I have just forked out $90 for something I will shortly have on my Orbi for free. I have been in touch with the manufacturer and hope they do the decent thing by their customers.

Message 2 of 38
brandong123
Tutor

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

So what about for smart kids who will simply turn off Wifi and use the carrier's LTE to access texting, browsing, apps?

Message 3 of 38
psimondo
Star

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

I sure hope it works better than the Netgear OpenDNS parental controls which do not work at all.
Message 4 of 38
OrbiExpert
Guide

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

For smart kids Circle has Circle Go which extends all of Circle’s settings on your home Wi-Fi to your kid’s mobile device 4G connections, and any other Wi-Fi network they join. You can use the MyCircle app to install Circle Go on your kid’s mobile device.

 

OrbiExpert

Message 5 of 38
brandong123
Tutor

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

Thanks - can they delete the Circle Go app from their phone, or is there any other way around the parental control features on the kids' phones?  I have teenagers.

Message 6 of 38
vcdx71
Star

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

Circle Go is for iOS devices only. It works by installing a MDM profile onto the device. When the device isn't connected to its home wi-fi a VPN connection kicks in and connects to a Circle VPN server where the profile of the user is enforced. If they disconnect the VPN it auto-reconnects. If the VPN can't connect they can't access the Internet.

 

If the are smart enough though they can delete the MDM profile, but you get an alert from the Circle app if they do. After Circle Go has been setup the My Circle app can be deleted from the device.

Message 7 of 38
brandong123
Tutor

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

Thank you very much.  This is what I was hoping to hear.  So when can we expect Circle to be available for the Orbi?

 

Thanks again!

Message 8 of 38
PJBannerman
Initiate

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

So, kudos to Circle for Disney - they will accept a return on the hardware which I will shorty not need. Good customer service.

Message 9 of 38
GijsZePa
Initiate

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

Soon ? 

 

As in several days, weeks, months ?

 

I purchased the Orbi this weekend because (reading some tests with devices already having the Circle option) I thought Circle was already inside. Having a Synology 1900 AC (with great parental controls and other apps, but bad Wifi) I assumed to have a smooth transition. The current OpenDNS parental control is a farce. I can't figure out how to set a timetable for my teenage kids for specifice devices for example.

 

Hope to work with Circle as soon as possible.

 

Martin

Message 10 of 38
CMOrbi
Initiate

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

Currently there is no way to set timelimits on the Orbi/Genie and it looks like Circle will charge you $5/month to use this feature ? 
Parental Controls is an important feature for me and with Netgear making the Timelimits/Usage an upgrade/Premium feature - that another $60/year on top of $350+ Orbi router. Ouch...

Message 11 of 38
BretD
Admin

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon


@GijsZePa wrote:

Soon ? 

 

As in several days, weeks, months ?

 

I purchased the Orbi this weekend because (reading some tests with devices already having the Circle option) I thought Circle was already inside. Having a Synology 1900 AC (with great parental controls and other apps, but bad Wifi) I assumed to have a smooth transition. The current OpenDNS parental control is a farce. I can't figure out how to set a timetable for my teenage kids for specifice devices for example.

 

Hope to work with Circle as soon as possible.

 

Martin


You can now update your firmware manually on Orbi to include the updates Circle with Disney on Orbi OS 2.1, updating automatically will be coming soon. https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Announcing-availability-of-OrbiOS-2-1/m-p/1447612 

Message 12 of 38
aaz
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

I am really kind of pissed about the way this was announced. It seems like you get circle but what you really get with this integration is a marketing button for a partial circle premium experience. $4.99 a month for anything more than what Genie with OpenDNS provides, and if you want Circle actual premium then that is another $4.99 a month (so with netgear pay an additional $9.98 a month for actual circle premium) This is a marketing fail.

Message 13 of 38
GijsZePa
Initiate

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

What ? 

 

I was willing to pay $4.99 for premium features. But almost $10 for features that most competitors have standard ? My previous synology RT1900ac system did that without extra fees...

 

Is this really true ?

Message 14 of 38
vcdx71
Star

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon


@GijsZePa wrote:

What ? 

 

I was willing to pay $4.99 for premium features. But almost $10 for features that most competitors have standard ? My previous synology RT1900ac system did that without extra fees...

 

Is this really true ?


No, $4.99 is for the premium featuers which gives you all of the features you get with the $99 circle device. The extra $4.99 a month is if you want Circle Go, which I pay as someone who owns a hardware Circle device. Go allows the same filters to appy to iOS devices no matter what network they are on, cell, other wi-fi, etc. This works by establishing an on-demand VPN connection to Circles servers anytime the device isn't connected to the home network and enforcing the same settings for that profile. If you don't need/want Go you don't pay for it.

Message 15 of 38
psimondo
Star

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

Well I tried it out and subscribed for the $4.99pm full version (1 month free). I am impressed. It actually works and is easy to use. My kids now hate me and I'll definitely keep paying for it.

 

I certainly cannot say the same for the previous Netgear OpenDNS Parental controls which were absolutely broken. For $4.99pm I can also use it for a while and see if it's worth just going for $99 device as a once off payment. I think that's pretty fair actually. No router I've seen has Parental Controls this good (they are all DNS based and hopeless for any fine grained control).  Sure a Synology NAS with a proper OS may have something better, but for a router I think this is pretty great.

 

 

Message 16 of 38
aaz
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

I know my ASUS AC8700 router before had this kind of categorized control over specific devices and you can set access times on each device seperately. Circle is definitly better than what ASUS has but not much better, and the ASUS control was free in the router. 

 

While it's certain that they have to use a third party DNS service to have the categorized control they could have done much better with integrating their app to have time limits for specific devices and combine that with different levels of control to get almost a circle like experience with just some software development on thier end.

Message 17 of 38

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Now Available

What a stupid piece of crap!!! Wish I had never purchased this router - no parental controls included??? Sub out this to Disney so they can gouge you on a monthly subscription???   Netgear should be embarrased that they can't provide basic parental controls.

Message 18 of 38
vcdx71
Star

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Now Available

Circle is awesome and worth the premium. If you don’t need the advanced features of it there is no monthly fee.

As someone who has owned the standalone circle device for over a year moving the functionality into the Orbi is great and well worth the little bit of money circle wants a month.
Message 19 of 38
jal1996
Aspirant

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Coming Soon

They can download a VPN app on their phone to avoid Circle. You'll need to look at their downloaded apps on their phone up and/or set up an alert for their mobile data usage to catch it.
Message 20 of 38
jal1996
Aspirant

jal1996@yahoo.com

We already have the $99 Circle device. We purchased the Orbi in Nov 2017 & it worked with our Circle. Since the firmware update for Orbi that includes the Circle software, Orbi is blocking our access to our Circle device. Our only option to get the services we were receiving with our Circle device is to subscribe to the $5 a month service. That is unacceptable! Unblock my Circle device!
Message 21 of 38
chlo
Initiate

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Now Available

I just purchased my Orbi system and I'm shocked that I have to pay a subscription rate for basic funtionality that my Asus router had built into it's firmware.  I'm returning my Orbi for a mesh kit that doesn't price gouge its customers.

Message 22 of 38
mjwelters
Tutor

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Now Available

We have an Orbi Wifi Router with Cricle and Circle Go enabled.  My teenager has Circle Go on her IOS iPhone.

 

I had "not allowed" facebook but allowed instagram for my teenager.  When she tried to use instagram, she could see some things but not load pictures or videos from her contacts.  I tried "unmanaged" but no improvement.  It then occurred to me that instagram is owned by facebook, so I "allowed" facebook, and then her instagram worked properly.  

Message 23 of 38
BretD
Admin

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Now Available


wrote:

We have an Orbi Wifi Router with Cricle and Circle Go enabled.  My teenager has Circle Go on her IOS iPhone.

 

I had "not allowed" facebook but allowed instagram for my teenager.  When she tried to use instagram, she could see some things but not load pictures or videos from her contacts.  I tried "unmanaged" but no improvement.  It then occurred to me that instagram is owned by facebook, so I "allowed" facebook, and then her instagram worked properly.  


For detailed support for the Circle integration, you should check the help topics on the Circle website.

I found a Circle article that might help regarding Instagram.

 

Is a family member's Instagram account not loading correctly? 

If so, you might have set Instagram to "Allowed", but Facebook to "Not Allowed". Instagram is a service that is now owned by Facebook, and both services are heavily reliant on common server addresses (for example, Instagram now uses Facebook's content/media servers). If you set Facebook to "Not Allowed", it's likely something might break in Instagram as well.

You can change the Facebook platform in Circle Home to "Allowed" if you want this content to load properly. Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to differentiate appropriately between the two services for the reason listed above.

Message 24 of 38
Valkinator
Initiate

Re: Circle with Disney Parental Controls On Orbi WiFi Systems Now Available

Purchased Orbi AC3000 in place of a Linksys AE8500 due to the capability to have one on each level of my home. Linksys offers FREE the parental control future where as for Netgear you have to pay Disney a monthly fee. If you want my opinion NEtgear should offer as a FREE service or drop Disney. If not,  you will continue to lose business like mine. Returning today! 

Model: R7900|Nighthawk X6 AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Message 25 of 38
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