Forum Discussion

Off_switch's avatar
Off_switch
Up to speed
28 days ago

Parental controls

Dec 24-Upgraded to Hub 5. Thanks VM.

Going through my settings, I have switched on parental controls to eg ban inappropriate sites. 
But they didnt work. Contacted VM,three times online,(not easy-their Bot boxes are awful).

Eventually, having switched hub off n on etc, I THOUGHT, it had worked. But if I go into PRIVATE mode when searching the www, I can still access porn sites.

is there something I havent switched on/off or is it a blind spot in the safety mechanisms?

Any advice from users or VM, much appreciated!

  • Client62's avatar
    Client62
    Alessandro Volta

    Don't consider any ISPs Parental Controls to be a reliable safety net for you or your family.

    Parental control means taking a firm hand to define acceptable time limits and usage,
    getting a grip on this is our job as parents & for us grandparents.

    Just about every ISP's Parental Controls rely on the mobile or laptop or console etc making use of the DNS provided by the VM Router.

    Any device that does not follow this will not be limited by the ISP Parental Controls,
    this includes ...

    Apple iOS devices that use Apple Relay  ( often enabled by default )
    Safari Browser in Private mode.
    Edge or Chrome or Firefox web browsers with a Public DNS enabled.
    Android devices with a Private DNS enabled.
    Any device configured to use a Public DNS.

    Combine this with mobiles and laptops having MAC Randomization which defeats Wi-Fi Pausing and you can see the idea of having control is an illusion.


  • Adduxi's avatar
    Adduxi
    Very Insightful Person

    Anything that bypasses the VM DNS servers will negate the parental controls.  It's just as simple as that unfortunately.   

    • Off_switch's avatar
      Off_switch
      Up to speed

      Thanks but I dont understand the answer. Bypass the servers? Could you explain this?

      • legacy1's avatar
        legacy1
        Alessandro Volta

        Don't use  PRIVATE mode blame the browser for keeping things  PRIVATE use a browser that is Parental safe

        https://www.techcommuters.com/top-child-friendly-browsers/