Decide who sees what and when with Netgear and Circle’s parental controls

By Lulu Chang Published November 16, 2017

modem vs. router — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The internet is a bit like the Wild West, but much to the relief of concerned parents, there is a new sheriff in town. Netgear partnered with Circle Media Labs to provide smart parental controls of your home network. While it may not be a solution when it comes to determining what young internet users can and can’t see across the board, at the very least, it allows parents to control what goes on under their roof.

With this new partnership, Netgear’s flagship Orbi Tri-Band Home Wi-Fi systems and Nighthawk Smart Wi-Fi routers will include Circle with Disney software. This, the company says, will give the heads of a household the ability to manage not only content but also the amount of time users can spend online. Everything can be controlled by the Circle app (free to download on both iOS and Android devices), and parents will be able to create individual profiles for individual family members, customizing what is available and for how long. Parents can even schedule BedTime for each family member and their unique devices, or pause internet use with the touch of a button. What’s more, Circle claims that you will even be able to keep tabs on a family member’s mobile device outside of the home through Circle Go.

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Because Circle with Disney will come pre-installed on Netgear hardware, there is no need to add any additional equipment to ensure user safety. As part of the free app offerings, you will be able to set individual filter levels, pause internet access by device, user, or the whole home, see a full web history, turn on safe search, and filter out ads. If you opt for the premium service, which will set you back $5 a month, you will also be able to set time limits, BedTime, and enjoy Amazon Alexa connectivity, which will allow you to ask Alexa about your family’s usage, time limits, and more.

“We find it so gratifying that Circle is already helping so many families, and we have seen that the sooner parents are able to set some limits and reward online behaviors, the better it is for the family,” Circle Media Labs CEO Lance Charlish said in a statement. “By partnering with one of the most trusted router brands to offer our technology on their products, we are thrilled to be making Circle accessible to even more families.”

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