Parental Controls for Home WiFi

Your home WiFi network is only as safe as you make it. But that can feel like a lot of work. You can learn more about proper WiFi security protection from Actiontec’s WiFi security resources. In this article we are focusing on why parental controls should be included in your home network security setup.  

As a parent, you have young ones to monitor at all times – not to mention the rest of the household. Being full-time manager of your child’s online activity can feel like a big chore. But we all know that it is necessary.

While we know that it is necessary, did you know that parental controls can go beyond a few websites or Netflix accounts? Yep. You can set up parental controls on your entire WiFi network (and you need to).

Here’s why:

Why you need parental controls on your home WiFi network

There are three key reasons to set up parental controls on your home WiFi network:

1. Controlling devices and content access
2. Setting time limits on daily Internet usage
3. Customization for your home network

Setting up parental controls on your home WiFi helps you monitor your child’s (and their friends’) online content access as well as device usage. With parental controls set on your entire WiFi network, you control everything.

Overall, these settings let you know exactly what everyone is doing on your network and when (because you customized it!).

Here’s how to set them up:

How to set up parental controls on your home WiFi network

Setting up parental controls for your WiFi network is easier than you might think. Often you can just log into your account and configure your router with the parental control settings.

Since your router is the center of your entire network, you can filter the web for any or all devices that are connected through it. This means you can control your child’s computer, smartphone, tablet, gaming console, you name it.

If your router does not have these settings by default, consider investing in a newer model that does. This will make WiFi security much easier on your part. Don’t want to have to manage all of this yourself? No problem. Managed WiFi exists.

As the name suggests, managed WiFi helps keep your whole WiFi network under control for you – including WiFi protection and parental controls.

Parental controls for managed WiFi

First, what is managed WiFi? Managed WiFi is a solution that controls internet and WiFi access for your household and guests so that you don’t have to do it yourself manually. Managed WiFi is a cloud-based software platform that takes over tedious and overwhelming tasks like updates, optimization, troubleshooting, maintenance and monitoring, upgrading and more for your whole network.

A managed WiFi system like Optim offers all of the above. It takes the guesswork and stress out of home networking. Optim offers comprehensive WiFi protection and lets you visually see the security your home network, smart appliances and connected devices need through an easy-to-understand dashboard.

One of Optim’s best features for ultimate parental control is Optim Security, which is powered by security experts. Optim Security is a safeguard for your network against web pages, hacking, spyware, phishing and other threats. You gain the fullest protection from Optim with things like:

• SmartHome protection
• Browsing and privacy protection
• Stop unwanted tracking
• Device recognition
• Virus and botnet protection

Think of Optim Managed WiFi Solution as the end-all-be-all parental control for your entire network. And the best part is that Optim manages your children’s online activity without blocking you from yours and while protecting everyone.

Looking for more parental controls tips or more content like this? Check out Actiontec’s Industry Articles and the Actiontec blog. We’ll meet you there with more WiFi security tips, information and updates.