Troubleshooting Guide: Deco Parental Control Not Working as Expected

This guide helps resolve common issues where Parental Control features on Deco—such as blocked websites or time schedules—do not work properly.

The features are divided into two main categories: Content Control (Blocked Websites, Web Filter) and Time Control (Bedtime, Time Limits, Offtime).

If a profile does not take effect, please follow the steps below based on the type of control you are using.

Part I: Troubleshooting Content Control

If specific websites or content categories are still accessible after being blocked, please check the following configurations in order.

• Step 1: Disable Private/Random MAC Address on the Client Device

  • Parental Control works by identifying the device's MAC Address. If the device uses a private or random MAC address, Deco cannot consistently recognize it. Please disable this feature on the device you wish to control.

• Step 2:Review Profile Configuration

  • Check Age Group Setting-The selected age group for the profile automatically blocks predefined website categories. Verify that the chosen age group aligns with your filtering needs.
  • Edit Web Filter Categories: Navigate to the profile's Filter Content settings. Review and manually add or remove content categories (e.g., Social Media, Gaming) as required.

• Step 3:Advanced Actions

  • Manually Add Blocked Websites-In the profile settings, use the "Blocked Website" function to manually enter the URLs (e.g., www.example.com) that should be restricted.
  • Block Sites via Insight History-If a site was visited recently, you can block it directly from History Insight within the profile.

• Clear Browser Cache & Reconnect Wi-Fi-On the controlled device, clear the web browser's history and cache.
• Disconnect the device from your Wi-Fi and reconnect to ensure it picks up the latest rule updates.

Part 2: Troubleshooting Time Control Issues

If devices are not being disconnected during scheduled times (e.g., Bedtime), please perform these checks.

• Step 1: Disable Private/Random MAC Address on the Client Device

• Step 2: Verify System Time Sync

  • Go to Deco App > More > System > System Time. Ensure the app's time zone and time are correct. An incorrect system time will cause all schedules to be misaligned.

• Step 3: Check if the effective date is delayed, brought forward, or not effective at all, especially in the Day-Light Saving period.

If Problems Persist: How to Get Help

If the issue remains after all the above steps, please contact our support team or comment below with the following details to help us investigate efficiently:

For Content Control Issues:

• Which specific website(s) are still accessible? Providing the full URL is very helpful.
• On which specific device (device name and type) are you trying to block them?
• Do other devices assigned to the same profile have the same problem?

For Time Control Issues:

• Which specific time control feature (Bedtime/Time Limits/OffTime) is not working?
• For which specific device is the schedule not effective?
• Do other devices under the same profile have the same issue?

Providing this information will significantly speed up the troubleshooting process.