Limit tech time for kids
Discussion
3 school kids, with a variety of handheld devices, mainly Apple, some Android. I know in IoS you can set time limits, and Google have something also.
But.. what are a viable other options? And not going around hiding all the devices, need something hands-free. Dont mind paying (a bit)
But.. what are a viable other options? And not going around hiding all the devices, need something hands-free. Dont mind paying (a bit)
Alorotom said:
All Apple household here and I do use the Apple screen time feature but I also have profiles setup within our Eero mesh wifi system that effectively disconnect all wifi devices at predetermined times of the day/week.
Seems to work well so far and is free.
I've got Gigaclear which uses a Linksys app. Potentially I could do something like that, but device names in the app are unclear; with 60 ish potential devices on the network it would be a lot of trial and error to sort which is which. Though, if I could it might be great. Going to contant Linksys to see if there's a way to ping a device to clarity the list.Seems to work well so far and is free.
Edited by EdT on Tuesday 6th September 16:30
I have about 60 devices on my network, all with DHCP reservations based on their real MAC address. I then turn the range for DHCP to one fixed machine and no new devices can come on the network.
It gets a little easier with a 17-year-old (read: we give up to an extent) but he has had to ask to put new devices on the network and his devices do have time limits after which they don't work. Parental controls on the device worked when he was 12/13/14 but not any more.
It gets a little easier with a 17-year-old (read: we give up to an extent) but he has had to ask to put new devices on the network and his devices do have time limits after which they don't work. Parental controls on the device worked when he was 12/13/14 but not any more.
EdT said:
I've got Gigaclear which uses a Linksys app. Potentially I could do something like that, but device names in the app are unclear; with 60 ish potential devices on the network it would be a lot of trial and error to sort which is which. Though, if I could it might be great. Going to contant Linksys to see if there's a way to ping a device to clarity the list.
Or you could just look on there devices get the IP address’s, go to the router look at the dhcp lease table & match the IP’s, then use dhcp reservations so those devices always get the same IP address, name them so you know what they are & then apply the parental controls. Edited by EdT on Tuesday 6th September 16:30
bigandclever said:
Could you connect each device you're interested in to the Guest network, instead of your main connection (so there'd only be one device at a time connected) and just work through methodically? Then you can do all your renaming for a known device.
Connected 1 tablet with Guest Access... all fine. Now stuck , as I cant see any list of connected devices in the 'guest access' part of the App. Googling..._-XXXX-_ said:
Out of interest, how on earth do you end up with 60 devices?! I can't even think of 20 devices that my kids would need WiFi access for....
3 kids and two adults;Phone, tablet, laptop each, TV in each bedroom and the living room, games console for each kid, maybe a Switch each too… there’s 26.
Add laptops, printers, smart plugs, ring doorbell, Nest thermostat, Sonos speakers, soundbars and subs, Various Alexas or similar and you won’t be far off.
ETA - Apple Watch, Garmin for the bike rides…
60 in a 5 person household is probably not far off the average.
Edited by Robmarriott on Wednesday 7th September 15:19
Robmarriott said:
3 kids and two adults;
Phone, tablet, laptop each, TV in each bedroom and the living room, games console for each kid, maybe a Switch each too… there’s 26.
Add laptops, printers, smart plugs, ring doorbell, Nest thermostat, Sonos speakers, soundbars and subs, Various Alexas or similar and you won’t be far off.
ETA - Apple Watch, Garmin for the bike rides…
60 in a 5 person household is probably not far off the average.
Pretty much that.. nearly everything seems to be WIFI enabled in the house.. outdoor/indoor cameras, phones, tablets, TVs, laptops, desktops, watches, consoles, Alexas...Phone, tablet, laptop each, TV in each bedroom and the living room, games console for each kid, maybe a Switch each too… there’s 26.
Add laptops, printers, smart plugs, ring doorbell, Nest thermostat, Sonos speakers, soundbars and subs, Various Alexas or similar and you won’t be far off.
ETA - Apple Watch, Garmin for the bike rides…
60 in a 5 person household is probably not far off the average.
Edited by Robmarriott on Wednesday 7th September 15:19
Our tactic is to chuck heaps of time / cash at a variety activities (riding lessons, guitar lessons, piano lessons, 9 holes of golf, park over the road, local pub 
etc)
Some of these are most enjoyable. Clearly you cant do these all day, but this gets our 3 off tech for a while, and chatting with us. I'm no spring chicken (50s, kids all young) and we both work fulltime so it can be tiring.
Agree that best way is to physically take devices.. we try to do this nightly, but sometimes forget
etc) Some of these are most enjoyable. Clearly you cant do these all day, but this gets our 3 off tech for a while, and chatting with us. I'm no spring chicken (50s, kids all young) and we both work fulltime so it can be tiring.
Agree that best way is to physically take devices.. we try to do this nightly, but sometimes forget
I just use Family Link from Google for this. Then both my wife and I can control access to a certain extent, for an Android Phone. Family Link is free and can be controlled from iOS and Android devices.
Laptop + Xbox wise it is Microsoft's access control for those two.
Television I connect it to the Mesh and then control some access there as well. Plus most providers enable you to add children's accounts + age limits.
As others have said once they're 14/15+ it isn't really achievable and hopefully they have learnt some self control by then!!
Laptop + Xbox wise it is Microsoft's access control for those two.
Television I connect it to the Mesh and then control some access there as well. Plus most providers enable you to add children's accounts + age limits.
As others have said once they're 14/15+ it isn't really achievable and hopefully they have learnt some self control by then!!
4 kids in my house, all with tablets, the eldest just got a TV and Xbox in his room. All tablets are on Google Family Link, where they have to send a request to install a new app, screentime can be limited, bedtime set etc, works great.
Xbox is setup as a kids account, where again he has to send a request to install anything. Again, time limits setup.
I also have his Xbox/TV on a smartplug, which turns off at bedtime and on in the morning.
There's ways to monitor/restrict any Android/IOS/Xbox/Playstation device now, just needs setting up as such.
Xbox is setup as a kids account, where again he has to send a request to install anything. Again, time limits setup.
I also have his Xbox/TV on a smartplug, which turns off at bedtime and on in the morning.
There's ways to monitor/restrict any Android/IOS/Xbox/Playstation device now, just needs setting up as such.
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