The internet is a great resource for learning and growing. Kids today can find anything that they’re curious about in seconds with a simple Google search. 

However, there are also lots of websites that a young person shouldn’t be visiting. If you’re a parent, you probably already know exactly what you’re comfortable with your child viewing and what you’re not. 

One way to prevent them from seeing harmful or negative things is to set parental controls on your Linksys router. But this sometimes doesn’t work as intended. When that happens, there are a few things you can try.

If your Linksys parental controls aren’t working, first make sure that you have the latest firmware and application installed. If the parental controls still aren’t working, you should try rebooting and reconfiguring your router. If it’s still broken, you may need to take your Linksys router out of bridge mode to solve the issue.

How do Linksys parental controls work?

Linksys’ parental controls are a great way to manage the amount of time that your kids spend on the internet. The controls basically limit which devices can access your network at certain points in the day.

For example, you probably don’t want your kids browsing the internet with an iPhone during school hours. Linksys parental controls allow you to block that device from using the internet during that time frame.

There are several other ways you can use Linksys parental controls as well. For example, the service allows you to:

• Block specific internet sites on certain devices
• Restrict internet access on certain devices
• Restrict internet access at certain times

These features make it easy to stay on top of your kids’ internet usage. You can mix and match them to come up with a system of parental controls that work for your needs.

How do I set parental controls on Linksys router?

The first thing that you need to do is access the parental controls tool. To do this, start by navigating to “myrouter.local” in your web browser. The router’s default IP address is 192.168.1.1.  If this isn’t the number you see, you’ll want to figure out what your IP address is before continuing. Instructions for doing that are available through this link.

Next, you should see a Smart Wi-Fi Tools menu. Click on the Parental Controls tab within this menu. That’ll open up a dialog box that lets you alter your parental control settings. The following sections provide instructions for how to do that.

How to block internet sites on specific devices

The process for blocking specific internet sites with Linksys parental controls is pretty straightforward. You’ll find a button that says “block specific sites” in the Smart Wi-Fi Tools Menu. Click on this and simply add the URL of the websites that you want to block.

If you’d like more detailed instructions on how to do this, they’re available here.

How to restrict total internet access on specific devices

Once again, you need to open up the Smart Wi-Fi Tools Menu and select Parental Controls to start this process. Once you’re there, select the computer or device that you want to limit in the dropdown menu.

Next, you can customize the specific restrictions that you place on the device. A box will pop up asking you how you want to do this. There are options to always block access to the device and limitations you can set for specific times of the day.

How to restrict internet access at specific times during the day

The process for this is the same as it is for restricting total internet access on specific devices. Follow the instructions listed in the previous section. Then when you get to the end of the process, click on the button that says “specific times”.

Once here, you can set a window of time that a specific device will be barred from accessing the internet. More detailed instructions and examples for this process are provided at this web address.

How do I turn off parental controls on Linksys router?

The process for turning off parental controls on a Linksys router can be a bit complex. The specific instructions will vary based on the model of the router that you have. For example, here’s how to achieve this on Linksys Wireless-N routers.

First, you need to reset the router by physically pressing the reset button on the hardware. This is located on the back of the device. You’ll need a pin to press the button in. Make sure to hold the reset button for 10 seconds to initiate it.

After that, you need to uninstall Linksys Connect on your computer. The process is pretty straightforward. Just go into your system’s memory and click uninstall the program. But if you need more instructions, they’re available here.

Next, reinstall Linksys Connect. Instructions for that are available here. Note that it’s important that you do not set a password for parental controls during this process.

Once you’ve reinstalled Linksys Connect, it will automatically open a window on your PC. Navigate to Router Settings -> Advanced Settings. Then click Copy Password and OK to continue.

Next, you’ll have to enter your user name and password when prompted. Then click on Access Restrictions, Internet Access Policy (Enabled), and click OK.

Can Linksys Smart WiFi see history?

If you’re interested in monitoring your kids’ internet consumption, you might also want to see their browsing history. This will tell you exactly what web pages they’ve been visiting while online.

However, there’s currently no way to do this via the Linksys Smart-WiFi app. The only way to see your kids’ browsing history is through the browser they use to access the internet.

The exact process for this will vary from browser to browser. But usually, you need to open up the browser and find the settings option from a menu. Then there should be a pretty obvious button that says “history”, which you’ll click on to view.

Which router has the best parental controls?

If parental controls are important for you, they might influence your next router purchase. There are lots of good routers for setting parental controls. We’ll cover some of the best below.

The Synology RT 2600ac is a great choice. Setting up parental controls on the router is super easy. It also includes advanced parental control features without requiring a monthly subscription.

The TP-Link Archer AX50 is another solid option. It offers sophisticated parental control features, which make it easy to stay on top of your kids’ internet consumption. The router also provides Wi-Fi 6 technology at an affordable price.

Finally, Google Nest Wi-Fi is one of the very best routers for setting parental controls on the market. The device has a number of useful parental control features. These can also be integrated right into your Google Family account. Doing this can make it much easier for you to manage your parental control settings.

What is Linksys Shield?

Linksys Shield is a premium upgrade for households with Linksys routers. It’s a tool that makes it easier for parents to filter the internet content that their kids see.

The program includes four age-appropriate filters. You can just pick whichever one applies to your kids’ age. When you do, all web pages that are inappropriate for your child to view will automatically become restricted.

This feature can save you a lot of time. When you buy Linksys Shield, you won’t have to go through and manually set up parental controls on your own. Instead, all the web pages that need to be blocked from your kids will be blocked automatically. You just need to select the appropriate age filter to get started.

That being said, you can also customize each age filter if you want. The program gives you the ability to create further restrictions or lessen restrictions as you desire.

How do I block the Youtube app on Linksys router?

It’s pretty easy to block the Youtube app on a Linksys router. Here are step-by-step instructions you can follow to do so:

1. Access your Linksys cloud account
2. Choose the Parental Control option from the left panel
3. Select which device you want to block Youtube on
4. Click on “Add”
5. Enter the specific URL (such as Youtube.com) that you want to block your child from visiting

How do I get Linksys Connect?

You need to download Linksys Connect from the company’s website to gain access to it. Here’s the link you need to visit to accomplish this. Keep in mind, there are a few versions of the Linksys Connect program. You’ll need to download the one that aligns with the type of router that you have. Instructions for how to do this are provided at the link included above.

How do I update firmware on Linksys Smart WiFi router?

The easiest way to do this is by enabling automatic updates. If you do that, you’ll never have to worry about manually updating your router. Instructions for how to set this up are included at this web address.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin Email