Guide G.09 · Updated April 2026

Setting up your home Wi-Fi as a safety layer.

Router-level controls protect devices you don't own — friends' phones at sleepovers, smart TVs, old iPads — where you can't install software. Think of this as the last safety net.

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Router controls are a net, not a wall. They help a lot, but kids can bypass them with mobile data, a VPN, or by using a friend's phone. Use them alongside device-level controls, not instead of.

  1. Get into router admin

    Usually by typing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into a browser, or via your router's app (Eero, Google, Asus, etc.). Password is often on a sticker on the router itself.

  2. Change the default admin password

    If you've never done this, do it first. Default passwords are public knowledge.

  3. Enable family/safe-browsing DNS

    Router → WAN/Internet → DNS. Set to OpenDNS FamilyShield (208.67.222.123 / 208.67.220.123) or Cloudflare Family (1.1.1.3 / 1.0.0.3). This filters adult content and malware at the network level.

  4. Create a profile for each kid's device

    Most modern routers group devices into profiles. This lets you set bedtime and content filters per kid, not per device.

  5. Set bedtime schedules per profile

    Kid profile → Schedule. Common pattern: weeknights 9pm–7am, weekends 10:30pm–8am. Devices on that profile simply lose internet during those hours.

  6. Enable content filtering per profile

    Most routers offer categories: adult, gambling, social, chat. Start conservative; loosen as your kid ages up.

  7. Put IoT / smart home on a separate network

    Guest network. Cameras, doorbells, TVs, smart speakers go on guest; phones/laptops on main. If an IoT device is compromised, it can't reach your main devices.

  8. Turn on Wi-Fi security (WPA3 or WPA2)

    WPA3 if your router supports it; WPA2 if not. Never WEP; never open.

  9. Check the connected-devices list

    Once a month, look at every device on your network. Label them. Unknown devices get kicked; they're often a neighbor or a forgotten old gadget.