[Closed] Home Wireless Router with access control

Change the admin password? My bt router has built in time control and I'm sure so does the plusnet one. On the router itself though not using the bt parental controls.

Don’t take devices to bed? Leave them downstairs?

The BT/Plusnet admin passwords are easily overidden by pressing the reset button on the router and typing in a new password.

Kids have mobiles, Ipads, laptops, pc's which are in the most usuful its not practical to confiscate them each evening.

I have a TP-Link Archer that has parental controls that covers this sort of thing. I don't use it myself but I think you can restrict connectivity per device or the Internet connection as a whole. It's probably a standard feature on most home WiFi routers. Relies on an admin password for the settings so that bit's up to you - probably not 100% kid proof in that I imagine a factory reset would reset the admin password to default (along with everything else) but you'd know about it unless they set everything up identically.

Just unplug the router and take it to bed with you?

As above, you might not find a device that can be reset with a physical switch at the back, your kids will know this.

Whilst a new router might help, are you looking at a technological fix for a no-pudding problem?

Mmm possibly, I suppose they will all need somekind of reset.
I can tell when its been reset so the option is somekind of consequence when that happens.
Trouble is though thats an ongoing thing I would need to check the password daily and needs managing when I'm not there.
I was looking for something to make it a non issue permanently even considered a locked plastic box for the router!!

could you disconnect the reset switch?
would be a PITA if you ever needed it, opening up the device, but hopefully that'd be rare

Can you change the DNS on the router? theres various DNS services which include access control.

If your kids are going to the lengths of resetting the router, then your suggestion of locking it in a box is the best option. Or removing its power cable after hours.

TBH, if my kids were doing this, they would be losing their devices.

I use a Raspberry pi to solve this exact problem.

It acts as the NAT router, so all traffic goes through it. There is no reset button, so you can't defeat it that way. A very tech savvy child could bypass it, but that's never happened. If they did, they would lose all of their devices.

Iptables rules enable or disable traffic for everyone, or per-devuce, based on time of day.

I still get the huffy mardy grumpy teenager treatment from my kids though, so it doesn't really solve the problem.

Something like this maybe?
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Nice and low tech. Unfortunately it'd be down to you to switch off and secure the socket, and there'd be nothing to stop them plugging their own power supply into the back of the router anyway!

Resetting the main router would still defeat the raspberry pi solution.

There is no technical solution. That’s just the way it is. Tbh even if you put the router in a box, all they would have to do is disconnect it and plug another one in.

Rachel

We use unifi wifi stuff - kids aren't old enough yet for it, but you can have multiple SSIDs, and they can have timed schedules.

Put most things on one SSID (that only parents know the password to), put kids stuff on another, that stops working at the times they should be sleeping.

There's physical reset buttons (as everything has) but it won't reset into a working state like a typical home router would.

The solution to most of these problems seems to be a dab of epoxy resin, one on reset switch, two on wall socket->router socket cable 🙂

I would say once it's at the stage you're looking at locking it up/preventing access to the reset button then it's time to address it from the punishment side. No pocket money (who pays for the phones?), no devices etc.

For tablets and phones we use a tool called screentime... subscription per month, but it logs how long they spend on different apps and lets us lock stuff down as needed (we don't lock much down, but use the stats as a basis for discussion...)

Whilst a new router might help, are you looking at a technological fix for a no-pudding problem?

TBH, if my kids were doing this, they would be losing their devices.

I would say once it's at the stage you're looking at locking it up/preventing access to the reset button then it's time to address it from the punishment side. No pocket money (who pays for the phones?), no devices etc.

I'd have to agree. If they're prepared to openly disregard your instructions you may have to start taking the kit away, and not just overnight. How old are they?

Which ISP do you use?

Perhaps the only way is to control it via their portal - do they offer access control?

I'm with Plusnet and they have something called SafeGuard which allows sites and services to be blocked during certain hours of the day. This, or something similar, might work and even if the router was reset access would still be restricted.

Let me get this right, they are told not to use it at night, you set up Parental controls as well... Your kids then defy you and bypass or reset the controls?

I would've confiscated their devices if this had happened, there is no way they would try that shit with me. You haven't mentioned how you reprimand them so I'm thinking you are a push over and your kids know it.

I suggest a big hammer..
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Thirteen into their twenties, yes I agree its a discipline issue however I would like the right consequence otherwise it just becomes parent huff and puff.

I like the epoxy idea, seems the simplist solution un plugging doesnt put it in password reset mode just pressing the button. I'll combo a discusion on why its going off with disabling the reset facility. Possibly a stroppy weekend! Ta all.

Thirteen into their twenties

That's a bit tricky then IMO. Thirteen needs to stick within the clear boundaries you set but I'd expect twenties to behave like adults and be largely self-regulating. If they didn't I'd be happy to let them suffer any consequences, I don't think I'd be policing their use. Which leaves the problem of treating them differently. Even though it's quite appropriate to do so I'm sure a 13 year old won't see it that way!

The 20-somethings surely must understand why it is inappropriate for their younger sibling to have unrestricted internet access after hours.

If they, as adults, want access when he isn't allowed it, they can buy a 4G contract and pay for it themselves.

I'd be locking away the router somewhere rather than filling in the factory reset button. You may actually need to reset it one day!