topic Re: Business hub - need to install parental controls as kids on internet for schoolwork in Broadband

Business hub - need to install parental controls as kids on internet for schoolwork

Josie1 — Sun, 10 May 2020 21:28:56 GMT

We run our business from home on BT business FTTP. With Covid-19 requiring all the schools to be closed, our kids are now doing their schoolwork from home, via the business hub. There doesn't seem to be any way to set parental controls at all. Searching the forums I see this question has been asked before (2016 and 2018) but is there really still no change on this? Many home-running businesses must have the same issues, especially at the moment.

I need a simple way to sort this out quickly before we have a problem. I''ve read about installing a second modem but need guidance on how to do this please.

Thanks in advance,

Re: Business hub - need to install parental controls as kids on internet for schoolwork

RyanJames — Mon, 11 May 2020 14:27:17 GMT

HI Josie

Unfortunately there are no current plans for parental controls on the BT Business hubs, though I fully appreciate the need, especially in the current climate, I do apologise about that. I know you can get various parental control software for most devices but I honestly wouldn't be sure as to which the best ones are or what ones are most trustworthy etc. I'm sure there should be a viable option for this however somehwere.

Again, sorry that we could not be of more help with the BT router - but I do hope you can find a solution to this one!

Regards

Ryan

Re: Business hub - need to install parental controls as kids on internet for schoolwork

Josie1 — Tue, 12 May 2020 12:14:57 GMT

Thanks Ryan, though that doesnt really help me! I cant use device-installed software as the kids tablets are managed remotely by school, although some of the controls on there are dependent on a restricted internet access in the building they are in.

Can i use a BT homehub on the business FTTP instead?

Also, I read somehwere I might be able to use another router plugged into the business hub and apply some cotrols there. Do you know anything about that?

Re: Business hub - need to install parental controls as kids on internet for schoolwork

RyanJames — Wed, 13 May 2020 13:04:29 GMT

Hi again Josie

Using a residential router or a third party router is an option. You can substitute your BT router for a third party one iwth parental controls enabled - you would have to ensure that the router would be enabled for a fibre connection however. Personally I only really have experience with the BT business routers - but the most common alternate routers I find customers using are Draytek and Netgear. I wouldn't really know much about the specific specs of their routers - but you will likely find more info on their websites to see if there are any viable options for you.

I do apologise again about the business router not doing what you need it to - you are not the first person to feed this back, so perhaps something will change in the future - but as it stands the only way around it other than device specific parental controls would appear to be switching to a different router.

Regards

Ryan

Re: Business hub - need to install parental controls as kids on internet for schoolwork

paulatdunedin — Fri, 15 May 2020 12:09:06 GMT

Hi. If you have BT Business Hub you could set up the Guest Wi-Fi. Users connected to the wi-fi are outside your home/business network (so no printing to your local printer or access to local machines). It seems to restrict access to a lot of unsuitable web sites and it seems to enforce Google SafeSearch. Unfortuantely it doesn't do the same for Bing or DuckDuckGo so image searches are a problem.

Alternatively, you could change your hub's DNS server settings, see

https://www.howtogeek.com/79998/protect-your-kids-online-using-open-dns-2/

How effective this is depends on whether the new DNS also has setting to enforce the major serch engines' search settings.