Internet security is a must. With the rash of hackers, viruses, and malware you can never be too careful. This goes double when your kids are involved. My kids have their own computer which is stationed in my girls room. I have it locked down pretty good with Windows Parental Controls, but you can never do too much. There are many different nanny software packages that can be installed, but some are thought to bog down your computer. But, of course you want to make sure that your kids are protected.
My kids know how to visit several of their favorite websites themselves. This includes sites like PBS Kids, Disney, and other kid friendly sites. My girls also like to browse YouTube for their favorite music videos.
A great alternative to installing nanny software on all of the computers that your kids touch is to use a router that has this protection built in. This way it covers the whole house, and you do not have to roam and configure software on every computer. This is very useful for me since I have 4 kids that often borrow my laptops for their own little LAN party.
That is where the NetGenie Wireless Router comes in. The NetGenie Router provides:
- Multi-Device Wi-Fi Security
- Parental Controls
- Security
- 3G ready
- Threat-free Wi-Fi
- Browsing Reports
- Web-based GUI
The many options in the parental controls is reason enough to get this router. The options are some of the best I have seen. One of my favorite features is the ability to setup users and set an age for appropriate browsing. More on that below. Other features include:
Website Filtering & Application Filtering
- Identity Based Internet Access
- Block offensive and inappropriate websites and applications
- Age-appropriate Internet Access
- Website and Application Control – Block or provide scheduled access to websites and applications (like games, Facebook, Chat etc)
- MAC address white list
As stated in my below video having just hooked up a new router of my own not too long ago I decided to setup the NetGenie wireless router on the top level of my home as a secondary router and ensure that the computers that my kids use connect through that connection. Setting up the Netgenie was fairly easy. After plugging in the power, I then plugged in an active Ethernet cable into the WAN port on the router. I plugged a 2nd Ethernet cable in my laptop's Ethernet port. The web browser immediately opened to the NetGenie welcome page proclaiming “You're enjoying a secure Internet experience, safe from viruses & hackers, with NetGenie!” There was no reading on how to get to the admin screen, it did it for me which was a nice touch and makes it easy for wireless router newbies.
I clicked on the Administrator login link. Family Protection setup started which allowed me to setup a master user in my household. It could not have been easier. Once the basics are done and the router is setup on wireless you are free to explore the many options for *locking down* your household computers.
You can setup accounts for users in the household so that each browsing experience is customized for each user. For example, your teenage son can have a bit more leeway than your 8-year old daughter when it comes to web browsing. Once the login is setup, devices can be white-listed* so that the login is not required each time. This is very useful.
Pros
- Easy to setup
- Many options
- Good Wi-Fi range
- Ability to customize browsing experience per user
- Ability to specify allow/block list for certain websites and applications
Cons
- *In some setup scenarios, users are required to login to access the internet
- After only a few days of running the router, it disconnected a few devices repeatedly. A router restart fixed the problem.
View the video below for my unboxing and brief explanation of setting up the NetGenie wireless router:
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