I certainly appreciate the work around you suggest and the time you have taken to respond.
Practically speaking the additional expense and complexity will not be undertaken by the average average modem purchaser.
You have address the technical consideration.
Optus needs to consider their ethical and social responsibilities:
Optus is compromising the standard software which modem manufacturers ship with their modems. It removes basic and critical safety functions which guardians would otherwise use to protect their children or other vulnerable internet users .
The importance of this functionality has been recognised by socially responsible companies like Netgear which is why they have written it into the standard firmware.
Optus “re-packages” the "stolen" functionality for profit:
Optus offers back the basic parental control functions for more than the cost of the original modem via an ongoing subscription.
To add insult to injury Optus says it is just a service provider and parents need to make their own arrangements for protecting their children.
Minimum Safety Standards - Where Children Are End Users
Any product or service which is going to end up in the hands of children should be shipped with a minimum standard of "safety equipment". Indeed this is what the socially responsible modem manufactuers are doing.
Not to exaggerate the matter but I cannot see the difference between this and a bicycle reseller taking the brakes off children's bikes and then offering them as optional extras – arguing that it’s the responsibility of parents to make sure their children can stop in time!
