Parental Controls not working
I have been using the deco mesh system for almost 2 years and have never gotten the Parental Controls to work.
I have even paid for the Premium Homeshield package to get Advanced Parental Controls- still no luck!
The deco system is able to block devices, but it works intermittently.
I have to manually add and remove devices from my child profiles in order for them to access or be blocked from the internet.
The scheduled block times may block a device, but then when the scheduled downtime ends, it does not unblock it.
I have to delete the device from the child profile for it to regain access.
The behavior is not the same all of the time either.
Right now, in an effort to figure this out, I have just factory reset my main deco and started over.
The parental controls will automatically block a device as soon as it is added to a profile, even if there is no blocking, schedule, or time limit.
Has anyone had success with Parental Controls?
Thanks for any ideas!
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@Pinky-12 I have been troubleshooting this with the TP-link support team since October last year. One person left and the case sat idle, but I finally got their attention again. They have not solved it yet. We tried a special firmware test but no luck yet. I honestly don't understand how this can exist in the marketplace and not function. Are we the only people using parental controls?! That is impossible. My hunch is that people struggle with it and don't understand whether it is working or not.
attention TP-link- please do not send me instructions on how to use the parental. Believe me, I know exactly how they are supposed to work and how to use them.
just please fix the issue.
It should be very easy to replicate.
Here is an example of a recent test attempting to isolate the issue using a separate network configured with one deco that we factory reset to test a firmware update:
Here were the steps I took:
- Reset one of my current satellite Decos that is v1 model
- Set this up as a new main deco directly connected to the modem (connecting by ethernet to the other main deco was not recognized)
- Connected Chromebook device to the new network - CONNECTS TO INTERNET
- Created a test profile on the new network
- Added the device to the profile: STILL CONNECTS TO INTERNET
- Added future Bedtime (all other restrictions disabled) STILL CONNECTS TO INTERNET
- Changed bedtime to now: SUCCESSFULLY BLOCKS INTERNET TO DEVICE
- Changed Bedtime back to Future FAILS TO CONNECT TO INTERNET
- Tried rebooting the Deco, FAILS TO CONNECT TO INTERNET
- Removed device from the test profile: ABLE TO CONNECT TO INTERNET
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I see that in your initial post you mentioned a FW release for HW v1.60 - 1.2.8 Build 20230901 Rel. 36505
Looking at the support portal I see a pretty new FW release - Deco XE5300(US)_V1.6_1.3.2 Build 20240119 with optimized HomeShield function.
Have you tried to do the same test that you've described with this new FW release ? What is the FW version of your HW v1 unit ?
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I am experiencing this same issue as of May 2024
Not time constraints working for kids and no traffic hours showing. Have had the kids devices set up this way for 2 years. Removed a device and added back to test and still does not report hours used. I had turned on iOT network in May, but after seeing this issue turned it off. Still have no tracking of hours/devices for parental controls. I can see the devices under parental control if a child is online, but nothing more.
Model: X20
Firmware: 1.2.4 build 20231206 Rel. 32618
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@SouthTech I have 2 X20 decos and the parental controls do not work.
they do not block websites and bedtime, web filter and off time do not work, and adult websites are not blocked when profile is set for 6 year old.
So a useless product sold to the masses by Onenz (Vodafone nz)
Trying to get support is a waste of time, I wasted weeks talking to different support people with no results.
Do not buy this product if you want to keep children safe.
If anyone at Tplink wants to help by sending me a product that works I will update this post.
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@KiwiJ I just received my Deco X50 today from One NZ as i was having terrible internet connectivity issues. I have been trying all day to get the parental controls to work but with no luck. I have turned off the Private WiFi address options on our ipads and iphones but adding a device to the block list, or blocking a profile, doesnt work. No matter what i do everyone that is joined to the network continues to have internet access. After reading the large number of posts, including yours, saying that parental controls don't work I'm just feeling relieved that due to the one month free trial I haven't wasted the thirty five dollar annual subscription fee for Advanced Parental Controls. It sounds like there is no hope of fixing so I'm cancelling my subscription now!
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