The router is the part of the home network that all other devices go through to connect to the internet.  Typically it is connected to either a cable modem or DSL modem connected to your internet service provider.  In most homes today the routers provide wired and wireless connectivity.  So any device that has to use that router to get […] Read more

Parents need to understand that when we put technology into our kids’ hands we also need to accept responsibility for protecting them and that there might be costs associated with that.  However, some of the best ways to protect your family devices are free. I always recommend a layered approach to protection and these free options also happen to be […] Read more

Sensible Cyber Parenting always recommends starting home online protection with the router as the best practice, first-line defense. (see Router-based parental controls post and our Getting Started page) Sadly, however it is impossible to use OpenDNS (or other router-based parental controls) if you have AT&T U-verse without adding an additional router which involves putting the U-verse router into “bridge mode”. With the […] Read more

October 2018: The post below was from June of 2016. Mobicip has recently produced a more comprehensive parental control product which I am in the process of evaluating and I will update the SCP Mobicip information accordingly. For the most current information on their product you will want to visit www.mobicip.com.  As you can imagine, my kids have put up with […] Read more

Netgear was one of the first router manufacturers to incorporate parental controls into their routers. Some of these attempts have been more successful than others, but I applaud their efforts and commitment to keep families safe. Their latest partnership with Circle (detailed SCP post on Circle ) is their most promising effort to date in my opinion. As of now the […] Read more

The management and control that has been available for corporate networks for years is finally available to families in a simple and user-friendly product called Circle. Computer geeks with really deep pockets could subscribe to products for their home that offered the technology that corporations have been using, but that wasn’t feasible for most people. There have been a few […] Read more

In the Mac versus PC world, many companies develop products for both systems.  Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t.  Intego is a Mac-based company, so if your family has all Mac computers then it might be the best parental control software for you.  Intego is also appealing because they in addition to their home products for Mac, they also have a […] Read more

YouTube has been one of the most challenging areas for parents who are concerned with the content their kids see online. On one hand, there are thousands of worthwhile, funny and educational videos on YouTube. On the other hand, giving a child access to YouTube is like letting them play in a video minefield because of the pitiful filtering options available […] Read more

Netsanity is a parental control product for iOS and now Samsung devices that offers a significant amount of control and monitoring features. The creators of Netsanity originally focused strictly on iOS products but have recently expanded to the Samsung platform. Like many parental control products today, Netsanity is subscription-based. Currently, a monthly plan is $6.95 per month per device, making the […] Read more