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Forum Discussion
Circle 1st Gen vs Circle on Netgear vs Circle Home Plus
Writing this for 2 reasons: 1: I hope someone will tell me I'm wrong and have missed something 2: If not, maybe it'll make it clearer for others in the future. Background: We've had a Disney ...
Just a quick update. I connected my 1st generation Circle device to my new Orbi router and everything just worked. No need to do anything at all, since I didn't change my network name. The devices managed by Circle are limited to 100Mbps since the Circle device doesn't support gig ethernet, but that's fine with me. I could setup Circle on the Orbi and get better speeds but that requires a monthly subscription and lots of setup.
I also connect my 1st Gen Circle to my Orbi so I don't have to pay for the subscription. Still works fine at home. But since Circle Go went away, coupled with the fact that Circle does not cover laptops away from home, I've had to come up with some other solution (which I'm still not happy with) to cover their devices when away from home. I subscribed to NetNanny for the cell phones and laptops but now when the kids devices are home, both Circle and NetNanny are controlling the devices and makes it difficult to determine which service is causing a connection problem. NetNanny's parental controls are not as good as Circles nor does NetNanny provide history or usage like Circle.
Because I am not happy with the NetNanny solution, I have two questions...
1) Is going with the premium subscription (using my Costco Orbi or buying a 2nd Gen Circle Cube) the only way to monitor the cell phones away from home using Circle?
2) Any recommenders on how to monitor the kids windows laptops when away from home? Thanks for the previous posts. It is very helpful!
Sadly, we just broke down and got the new Circle device. Really, it has been incredibly simple and easy to use. Of course, for the extra $$$, I should hope so! Ultimately, it's the easiest to use to monitor the kids' activities home or away and that piece of mind is most important for us. I just wish that they had handled the migration/handoff better.
Good luck!
I am facing a similar situation but couldn't find the best conclusion from this post yet. I am testing Orbi AC2200 (1 router + 1 satelite).
right now the 2nd gen circle home plus is on sale with 20% off. so $239 with lifetime subscription.
I have 3 options:
1) Netgear Orbi + built-in circle premium ($50/year)
2) Negear Orbi + 2nd Gen Circle Home Plus ($239 lifetime)
3) Other Router + Circle Home Plus ($239 lifetime). (e.g., TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, $199 at costco for 3 units)
I dont know what's the difference between option 1 and 2 in terms of: a) parental control performance, and b) impact on router speed. plan to use it for ~7 years. any comment on this?
in addition, is Circle Home Plus compatiable with TP-Link Deco M9 mesh system? if so, the free security software from TP-Link is attractive as Negear Armor is not free.
