Here's How to Access Your Router's Hidden Parental Controls

As my boys become older, they become savvier at working their way around the parental controls on our devices. Time limits are tampered with, and apps I thought were deleted from our iPad suddenly reappear. I know they're not accessing dangerous content, but it's only a matter of time until they do.

Most routers have parental controls included, allowing concerned parents to put controls over all the devices that rely on wifi to ensure they don't go to dangerous sites. If you're looking for a way to control what your family can access on the internet and how long, below are instructions for the three of the most popular router brands.

How to set up parental controls on a TP-Link router

TP-Link has slightly different steps depending on your particular router type. The following applies to a wide range of their routers, but if you have a newer router, particularly an Archer model, you may need to follow these steps instead, or try the app.

1. Start by logging into the router's configuration page by entering your web browser and typing in the IP address (192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) or http://tplinkwifi.net in the address bar.

2. When prompted, enter the router's username and password. The default for both is admin.

3. A menu will appear on the left side of the screen. Click on Parental Controls, then choose Enable to turn on the setting.

4. You'll need to type in the 12-digit MAC address of your primary home device. See steps five (Mac) and six (PC) for locating your device's MAC address.

5. To find the MAC address on an Apple device, go to System Settings, then Network, then Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then Advanced.

6. For a Windows computer, open the command prompt, type ipconfig /all, then scroll down to your network adapter and look for the physical address.

7. Click Add New to create a rule that will affect what websites and domains you want to allow and when.

8. Press Time settings, highlighted in red on the top right corner, to set the router time. Then click Save and return to the previous page.

9. On the bottom right corner, click Schedule, highlighted in red, to control when your children can surf the web. Afterward, click Save and return to the previous page.

10. From here, you'll need to enter the MAC address of your child's device (refer to steps five and six), then enter the sites you'll allow them to visit. Choose the scheduled time you set up in step nine.

11. Check Enable to make the setting take effect, then click Save. You'll return to the Parental Control page and see a list of settings you've created.

How to set up parental controls on a NETGEAR router

A NETGEAR router has two tiers of parental controls. Their free tier allows you to pause internet use across multiple devices and assign devices your kids can use to access the internet. The paid tier, Smart Parental Controls Premium, allows you to set daily bedtimes, filter content, view browsing history, restrict websites, and more across multiple devices. There is a 30-day free trial; plans range between $7.99 a month and $69.99 a year.

1. You must download and launch the Orbi or Nighthawk app to get started.

2. Press the Parental Controls tile, then Add New Profile > Set Up. You can set up a profile for each child in your household.

3. Type the name of the child for whom you want to set up the profile and tap Continue. A list of devices connected to your router, both online and offline, will appear.

4. Choose which devices the child you are setting up the profile for can use to go online. For example, if you want them to use only their tablet to surf the web, select it from the list.

5. Tap Continue, and a confirmation will appear. Then tap START 30 DAY TRIAL. You won't have to enter any payment information.

How to set up parental controls on an ASUS router

Like NETGEAR routers, ASUS offers two tiers of parental controls: AiProtection Classic and AiProtection Pro. Both tiers are free for the life of the router, but the protection tier varies depending on the ASUS router model you purchase. Generally, routers on the lower price points come with the Classic tier, and since each tier is designed for the specific model you've bought, you can't upgrade to Pro.

1. You must update the router's firmware and download the ASUS Router App to your smartphone.

2. Once in the ASUS Router app, you want to go to Settings, then Family.

3. Here, you can create a profile for each family member. Start by choosing the appropriate level of protection.

4. Write the name of your family member's name and click Next.

5. Select the name of the device you are protecting and click Next.

6. You'll be asked to select Setup Offline Schedule (setup schedule when the internet is off) or Setup Online Schedule (setup schedule when the internet is on). Select one, create your schedule, and click Next.

7. You'll then be asked to select which content to block, such as pornography or video streaming. Choose what you'd want to restrict and allow, and click Apply in the top right corner. The parental controls should do the rest.

ASUS also offers a Reward Time feature, which allows you to give your kid extra screen time for good behavior. You'll see the feature when their profile is set up on the ASUS Router app.

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