Best Router for Parental Controls – If you already have a router, but it doesn’t have this function there is still a way how to protect your kids from specific online content.
There are easy-to-use add-on devices out there to help you. The most common router accessories parents are using (we also mention them in the article) are Router Limits and Circle With Disney. Just connect them to the LAN port of your router and they give you the option to manage your internet access and set rules for multiple connected devices.
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1.ASUS AC3100
Earning first place on the list of best wireless routers with parental controls, the Asus AC3100 (RT-AC88U) is a wireless router that rules them all. This is an absolute beast. This router has no issue to cover very large homes with Wi-Fi signals and is packed with tons of useful features.
RT-AC88U by Asus comes with MU-MIMO (Multiple-In, Multiple-Out) technology that gives every device its own full-speed Wi-Fi connection. With this new technology, it doesn’t matter if someone is watching Netflix, another person is streaming YouTube video and someone other is playing online games at the same time.
2.Linksys AC1750
Buying a router can be expensive, as you can see with our top pick, but if you need good performance for an affordable price, Linksys AC1750 is for you. Honestly, total parental control functionality is a little bit pricey, and routers with this feature arent exactly so affordable as you think, but Linksys AC1750 can be found for a price under $100.
With this dual-band Wi-Fi router, you get relatively fast performance, good Wi-Fi coverage for smaller homes, MU-MIMO feature and smart device prioritization. And it is a wireless router with parental controls and time restrictions.
3.NETGEAR AC1900
The Netgear Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 is truly built for modern smart homes. With Beamforming and built-in high powered amplifiers and external antennas, the Nighthawk AC1900 is ready to deliver fast, reliable Wi-Fi to every corner of your home. And it works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can control your home network using voice commands.
It also features Dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) that is an excellent tool allowing your router to set priorities for certain devices or types of traffic. For example, your video streaming or online gaming will not freeze and stutter because somebody is downloading files, watching Netflix or is web browsing in your home at the same time. For a regular router without the QoS feature, all of this has equal priority.
4.Gryphon
The Gryphon Secure Mesh Router combines strong performance, a one-year anti-malware and antivirus subscription powered by ESET Technology, and extensive parental controls. Extensive is the right word. The Gryphon router is an excellent choice for parents who want to have more control over what their children are doing online.
The parental controls of this router are built around user profiles. They can be created by filling in a name, age group, and a photo. After that, you get access to functions such as web filter, SafeSearch, browsing history or set a bedtime for each device or kid.
5.NETGEAR – R7000P-100NAS
The Netgear Nighthawk AC2300 (R7000P) was the first router to offer Netgear Armor. A cloud-based security solution powered by Bitdefender designed to protect all connected smart home devices such as thermostats, smart locks, light systems and more.
The Nighthawk AC2300 also provides advanced parental controls, powered by Circle With Disney, that allow parents to filter internet access based on age, time or content. Unfortunately, Circle With Disney premium plan requires a subscription for $4.99/month (1st-month free trial).
6.Synology RT2600ac
The feature-packed Synology RT2600ac offers excellent wireless range for average-sized homes and great security features. And as our product tester Jeremy noted, “This router is worth a look if you want something that’s easy to set up but hides a lot of hidden potential under the hood.” Best of all, the parental control features, which you can access via an app, are free to use, so you won’t need to pay any subscription fees to keep your kids safe online with this router.
The RT2600ac is a dual-band Wi-Fi router, which means if you have a mix of older and newer gadgets at home, your family can connect to both wireless channels to avoid connection problems.
7.Amazon eero Pro
The Eero Pro is a mesh Wi-Fi system, which means it uses a single Eero Pro unit as the primary router and additional units (or beacons) throughout your house for extended coverage. The central station offers tri-band Wi-Fi or three Wi-Fi signals (one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands), and each beacon uses dual-band channels (one 2.4GHz and one 5GHz).
Once you connect a device to your network, the multiple signals work behind the scenes to help evenly distribute the traffic from your devices. That means you shouldn’t experience any drops in Wi-Fi signals or slow connectivity with many devices connected at once.
WRAP UP
Best Router for Parental Controls – We live in a world where many of us have internet access 24/7. That’s great—but if you have kids, that can be a serious concern. There’s content on the internet you never want them to see, predators who might target them through social channels, and the potential that they might spend their waking hours online.
Parental controls empower parents to protect their children. Ideally, they let you choose the types of content your children see, limit the hours they can go online, and provide you with detailed reports of the sites your kids visited and how long they spent there.
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