Having their kids freely roam around the World Wide Web is every parent’s worst nightmare. Although the internet is a great place where kids can make new friends and learn new things, it is still filled with damaging and dangerous content.

Luckily, nowadays, parents can purchase various routers that come with great parental control options to ensure that their children’s internet safety when browsing the web. Take a look at our top parental control router picks.

What is the best router for parental control?

When choosing the most suitable parental control router, you need to define its primary purpose, and then make a decision accordingly. Here is a short rundown of best routers by different categories and needs:

ASUS AC3100 offers outstanding Qam technology, a powerful dual-core processor – 1.4 GHz, as well as ASUS protection powered by MicroTrend. This powerful device combines the best of both worlds – performance and safety.

Eero Pro is a whole-home WiFi system that is compact, stylish, and easy-to-use. It is powered by proprietary TrueMesh technology, which leverages multiple wireless access points and provides users with a reliable internet connection.

Linksys EA7300 can provide up to 1,500 sq ft of internet coverage for more than ten devices. It is very cost-effective, and it is jam-packed with great features.

Gryphon is a potent device that offers up to 3,000 sq ft of wireless coverage. It offers some of the best parental control features on the market.

Netgear NightHawk AC 1900 can be used to connect up to 30 devices and offers up to 1,800 sq ft of internet coverage. It supports WPA2 security protocols, and it comes with a lot of additional features, such as Firewall, DoS, and VPN.

Circle enables parents to filter online content and limit online screen time. It is a light-weight, easy-to-use device that is perfect for individuals that aren’t tech-savvy.

ASUS Dual-Band Gigabit Router AC3100

ASUS Dual-Band AC3100 is an outstanding home router with content filtering. It offers ultimate performance, the best internet browsing speed, and it can reach up to 2100 Mbps.

It looks very futuristic, and it has four high-performance antennas that enable this dual-band router to offer a staggering 5,000 sq ft. of coverage. It is equipped with special AiProtection features that deal with advanced parental control settings.

AC3100

+ Powerful 1.4 GHz processor that can handle demanding tasks It’s quite expensive
+ Amazing speed and coverage It’s bulky
+ Advanced cyber threat protection It has a weaker range
+ Eight-gigabit ethernet ports  

Buy on Amazon

Netgear Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router AC 1900

Netgear Nighthawk AC 1900 is an excellent wireless router with parental controls and time restriction. It comes with dual-band, and it can reach up to 1.3 Gbps.

It is jam-packed with advanced technology, which includes a powerful 1 GHz dual-core processor, dynamic QoS, Beamforming +, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant voice commands, etc.

It’s ideal for the simultaneous streaming of HD content because users can connect multiple devices. They can also filter content, view usage history, and pause the internet access.

netgear nighthawk ac 1900

+ Great performance Coverage is not that great
+ Great parental control features It’s not easy-to-use
+ Offers great threat protection It’s expensive

Buy on Amazon

Gryphon Secure Smart Mesh System

Gryphon Secure Smart Mesh System is one of the best-looking routers you’ll come across. It’s a full package because it has an abundance of great features to complement its looks.

It features intelligent mesh technology with tri-band wireless that covers up to 3,000 sq ft. It’s very easy-to-use and has stellar parental controls.

Parents will be able to control content and screen time, view browsing history, enforce safe search, and suspend internet access – all through Gryphon’s smartphone app that can be installed on tablets smartphones and computers!

gryphon router

 

+ Powerful CPU Some features require a subscription
+ Comes with a smartphone app It’s less advanced than other routers on this list
+ Good WiFi throughout your home It’s expensive

Buy on Amazon

Circle with Disney

Circle with Disney is a very cool, innovative router with a very sleek design. What’s great about it is the fact that it can be used either as a router, or it can be connected to your original home router and used only to enforce parental controls.

Parents will be able to set time limits, set off-time, keep track of their kid’s mobile devices, and send kids rewards for extra online time. If you’d like to control your home network effectively, then this might be a perfect choice.

circle home plus

+ Affordable The set-up process is time-consuming
+ Easy-to-use Disney ads that can’t be turned off
+ Comes with a dedicated app  

Buy on Amazon

Eero Pro Mesh WiFi System

Eero Pro Mesh is a very reliable device that acts as a whole-home WiFi system. It is powered by proprietary TrueMesh technology that leverages several access points to enforce an extremely stable internet connection.

It offers about 1,750 sq ft of coverage, a second, 5 GHz radio, tri-band and MU-MIMO technology.

eero Pro mesh WiFi system

+ Real-time malware protection Users have to purchase a monthly subscription to enable content filtering
+ Great content filtering features No URL blacklisting option
+ Easy-to-use  

Buy on Amazon

Linksys EA7300 Dual-Band WiFi Router

Linksys EA7300 Dual-Band router is a great affordable option that offers impressive features. It can reach up to 1.7 GHz of internet speed and comes with MU-MIMO for lag-free gaming.

Users can connect up to ten wireless devices and use the device for uninterrupted video streaming and chat without buffering. It also comes with an app that has parental controls for users who would like to block any unknown devices and filter content.

Linksys EA7300 Dual-Band

+ Affordable The internet connection is a bit slower
+ Comes with an app No recent firmware updates
+ Has MU-MIMO support  

Buy on Amazon

How to use your router’s parental controls?

Although setting up parental controls on routers comparing to Android might seem like a tedious task comparing, it’s not that complicated.

Below, you’ll find out how to control WiFi usage at home and how to access different types of controls to ensure that your kid is safe online.

How can I block inappropriate sites on my router?

This is usually done either through the router’s dedicated app or through the manufacturer’s website.

Netgear Nighthawk, for example, uses an OpenDNS-powered app that allows users to block specific URL addresses and create custom filters.

How to set time limits on a WiFi router?

Setting time limits can either be done through the router’s app, or the router’s set-up page. Parents can choose to automatically turn off the internet at specific times or select specific devices that should be cut-off from the internet.

How to access your router’s settings?

Again, this can be done either through the app or the router’s online set-up page. Users should type in the router’s IP address, which is usually 192.168.11 for most devices. If that’s not the address, Windows users can right-click the internet icon and find it through the settings page.

Mac users should click the WiFi icon and locate the Open Network Preferences option.

Then, they should just enter their credentials, which are either printed on the back of the router or can be found in the instruction manual.

Besides offering the basic parental control features, your router must come with excellent malware protection and a range that can cover your entire property.

With so many different brands, it can be challenging to decide which routers are good and which aren’t.

Because of that, make sure to research every device before making a final purchase thoroughly. The internet can be a scary place, so keeping their children safe should be every parent’s top priority.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *