Virgin Media Community

[JimminyCricket]

A big issue for parents is to try to limit the amount of time children spend on the internet. We know from Netflix documentaries like the 'Social Dilemma', featuring the very folk who helped invent social media (and gaming) platforms, that they are designed to be addictive. So why can't Virgin do a MUCH better job of helping us?

We need the following and it needs to be simple to use:

1. The option to limit, by individual device, how much time by day each child gets to spend online and what categories of website they can see. The current approach is too basic. Once you put in place the Virgin filters and time allowance this then applies it to the whole family.  This is useless for a family with children of different ages and where parents are working from home.

2.  Why is it left to the community forum to advise on how to set up individual devices using a complex process that involves cracking into the router and messing with DHCP and IPs etc?  Most parents are not computer coders. Virgin itself, not some kind fellow user, should be telling us how to do this.

3. Why is the video on how to protect children online the last one of 66 videos on your help videos section? 

It just doesn't seem to me that Virgin is committed to helping parents keep their children healthy.  And yes, I know there are those that say it's my job to police them and educate them, but we also need to be given the tools to help us do this.

[Christy_D]

Good Afternoon

If it is a Superhub 3 which you currently have installed you can use our 'Virgin Media Connect' app found on either the google play store / apple app store. 

Once logged into the app if you go to the Broadband tab you should be able to pause and unpause all devices. 

As the account holder should be the only one with login details to the app you will have all control over what devices have internet access.

This link explains in more detail - https://www.virginmedia.com/shop/virgin-media-connect-app

Hope this may help.

Christy

[JimminyCricket]

Thanks Christy,  this is helpful but is only half a solution. It would be much better if we could set time limits and on off times as opposed to having to pause devices each day. Children do much better when they know what the limits are as opposed to becoming upset, like mine do, each time they feel I am switching off their devices. 

• If you could pass on my comments to those who decide on these things I would be grateful.

Kind regards, James

[tehwolf]

don't hold your breath for these features.

if they are important to you, do some research and buy a suitable router/system with the levels of control you are looking for. 

the hub is a dirt-cheap device built to provide little more than minimum-viable.  

[SCA1972]

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@JimminyCricket wrote:

Thanks Christy,  this is helpful but is only half a solution. It would be much better if we could set time limits and on off times as opposed to having to pause devices each day. Children do much better when they know what the limits are as opposed to becoming upset, like mine do, each time they feel I am switching off their devices. 

• If you could pass on my comments to those who decide on these things I would be grateful.

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Hi James

have you looked at the parental controls on the devices they are using?  Most consoles have screen time settings, as do iOS and Android mobile devices.  These are much better controls than anything you set at the router level, which can be bypassed by a factory reset of the router.

______________________
Scott

My setup: VM TV box, M350 Fibre broadband with Hub 3 in modem mode connected to a Netgear R7000 router. Telewest/VM user since 2001.

[M1251]

I don't know how to on please help me for child safety and for limited time games 

[SCA1972 · Accepted solution]

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@M1251 wrote:

I don't know how to on please help me for child safety and for limited time games 

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To limit game time you need to either invest in a third party router that has that functionality or use the "screen time" parental controls on the devices your children are using.  All modern game consoles, mobile devices and even Windows 10 can be configured to limit your child's "screen time". Plenty of guides online and you can use your preferred search engine to find them.

______________________
Scott

My setup: VM TV box, M350 Fibre broadband with Hub 3 in modem mode connected to a Netgear R7000 router. Telewest/VM user since 2001.

[JimminyCricket]

Thank you. The router solution seems to be the best. It's too challenging to set up things on every device, especially when different aged children  are sharing devices etc. 

[SCA1972]

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@JimminyCricket wrote:

Thank you. The router solution seems to be the best. It's too challenging to set up things on every device, especially when different aged children  are sharing devices etc. 

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The router solution is the simplest to setup, but also the simplest to defeat by factory resetting the router.  If you can stop the kids doing a factory reset by physically limiting their access to the router then that is fine. The closest I have seen to tamper proof is Disney Circle which with some of their kit has an option to text you if the router or wireless access point has been factory reset.  Doesn't prevent it but at least gives you an alert.

If different aged children are sharing devices then the router level settings would have to be set to limit all ages, it doesn't know who is using the device, whereas different logins on a PC or console can have individual parental control settings.

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Scott