The Complete Guide to Wireless Routers Parental Controls
**Hey! We’ve published a comparative chart of popular routers here:
Router parental controls are really important. A vast majority of homes do not filter or monitor their wireless router. This allows babysitters, sleepover guests, and visitors to obtain unfiltered internet access in their homes.
Getting the router right might be one of the most critical internet safety steps you have.
Some routers come with their own set of parental controls in their dashboard. Here are a few routers that we recommend, which take parental controls seriously:
- Gryphon Advance Security & Parental Controls router. We have really enjoyed the Gryphon. Top-notch set of parental controls. This is the router used by our CEO, Chris, with his four children. It gives you time control, YouTube Restricted Mode, and more. Easy set-up and a parent app that allows you to pause the internet with one touch.
- Circle with Disney acts as an accessory to your router, giving you stronger parental controls over your home’s network. It’s not a router, but connects to your router. Easy-to-use app for you to exert screen time and app control over your kid, but weak on content (porn) with a motivated kid.
- If you’re a gaming home, then the Asus AC3100 is your beast. Fast. Powerful. Parental controls included.
If you don’t have one of the routers above and want more protection from the router you do have, then please consider blocking porn with clean DNS. We recommend CleanBrowsing, explained further here: How to Protect Porn on Any Device. For Free.
How to use CleanBrowsing with your wireless router:
- Log into the router’s dashboard [here’s a comprehensive list of instructions for accessing the dashboard on various brands].
- Find someone with a touch of IT knowledge (or a middle schooler, whoever is closer!).
- Follow these very detailed wireless router instructions from CleanBrowsing.
Once you have those two things, you’ll enter the clean DNS IP addresses above that you want. Also, make sure the router’s dashboard is password protected.
**Special note for AT&T U-verse families (and anyone else with a router from an Internet Service Provider who won’t let you change the DNS settings). Unfortunately, those darn 2-Wire routers from AT&T and others are NOT configurable. This great (but very technical) article from CleanBrowsing explains how you can purchase another router, like the Gryphon Guardian, and use it in tandem with the U-Verse router.
