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Circle with Disney (Wi-Fi Parental Controls) $99 + Delivery @ JB Hi-Fi (Online Only)

200

Not for everyone but for people who want a magnificent simple internet filter with no need to understand network configuration, look no further.

We use this at home (on a vlan & wifi network just for 'family' use) to ensure the (young) kids don't accidentally get shown anything problematic.

Allows per-device filtering with fairly granular control

You can pause someone's access to the internet, set time limits, and give extra time.

Normally $169

Happy to answer any questions.

Looka like there may be a $5 freight fee. My local JB stocks them so might be able to go into store and ask them to match with online.

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closed Comments

  • +1

    Big brother

  • +2

    "with no unread to understand network configuration"? whuh?

    • +3

      I think you did not derstand because you read it.

      • +1

        Sorry guys - typo. fixed

  • What’s the bargain?

    • +2

      Normal price appears to be about $169

  • +5

    I use OpenDNS. I set it on my router. Filtering is done on the DNS side. And it's free. Just one other option if people aren't aware of it.

    • +2

      I use pihole, but I couldn't find a good list of sites to block (you wouldn't think it would be hard to find a list of porn sites). Plus how to you block Google images, and all the other workarounds? And does this Disney thing do that anyway?
      But I would never put Disney in charge of what my kids can see on the internet.

    • We use OpenDNS too, on all of our VLANs.

      But OpenDNS and other DNS-based filters really just block access to content across a whole network.

      The Circle (and similar ARP spoofing devices) can be used to block access to the internet as a whole (eg. "you've watched netflix for 30 minutes on the ipad, so now the internet goes off until tomorrow") or to specific content for specific users (eg. "you can't access Facebook, but mum and I can").

      • +1

        That's when I just walk around, yell at people, and turn devices off. I'm not well liked at home.

    • sadly my current router does not support OpenDNS

      • Just OpenDNS? It should though. As long as you're able to put in DNS details, you can specify any DNS. As far as I'm aware. I'm not a networks person.

  • Only product I've ever seen on JB HiFi's website with reviews!

  • +4

    So, this is a Disney owned product that people willingly put on their routers- and it monitors all of your internet traffic. This is a sick joke right?

    • -1

      You obviously don't have kids…

      • -2

        What a bizarre response.

  • +3
    • ~$67AUD + maybe new power adapter?

      • No, it uses microusb so it would be legit to import from US.

        • So why would it start fires and invalidate your insurance?

            • +2

              @mingofmongo: Don't mind him. Sleep deprived new dad as per his username.

            • +1

              @mingofmongo: Never mind me.

              Most times that someone mentions importing electrical devices that aren't officially AU approved, someone responds by claiming that it's illegal, starts fires, invalidates insurance and just generally brings about the end of the world as we know it. I was trying to preempt that discussion.

  • +3

    I have been using this for over 9 months and can highly recommend it.
    We use it to limit how much Internet the kids use. It is very easy for parents to enable and disable access.
    It also has a fairly good content filter, which can monitor usage and restrict access to sites and applications.

    There is no ongoing subscription to use the device.

    For anyone wanting to know how it works, they user ARP Poisoning to block. It has not affected the performance of my network.

    • Can you bypass the Circle by adding a static ARP entry for the gateway? That's the first defence against ARP spoofing and so easily done.

      • +3

        you can do this. you can also exclude devices from the Circle. It is not perfect, but it makes it easy for my wife and myself to stop most things.
        My son tried using a VPN to bypass it, but it was also blocked. Being a network engineer, I know how hard it is restricting kids, but also making it easy to manage.

        • +4

          Found this YouTube guide and its sequel on how to bypass the Circle on Windows with ARP static entry. The comments are filled with 16-year olds asking for help and sharing ideas. The most ingenious one I've seen: gut the Circle but leave behind a functioning LED.

          • -1

            @alvian: the circle will tell you most things on the network.
            If they add a new device to the lan or wifi
            if they turn it off, reset it or disconnect it.
            It has a small battery backup and is connected via wifi and LAN.

            So far my kids have not managed to bypass it, but if they did, I would just block them on my enterprise firewall.
            There has to be a level of trust and also be easy to manage. I have found this to be the best so far and I run a Watchguard firewall with total security suite, so I can do a lot if I want to, but it is painful to manage everything.

    • +4

      There's a good review of it here: https://lifehacker.com/circle-is-the-parental-control-for-th…

      Certainly not perfect, and kids aged 12 or older with some networking prowess will likely be able to bypass it. But $99 one-off is worth it for a couple of years' peace of mind.

      My daughter learnt in school about how chicken eggs are warmed using heatlamps to keep them alive. "Do they ever get too hot?" she asked. A search for "hot chicks" brought up the expected results….

  • Fyi I Updated my Netgear router firmware the other day and got this service spammed at me. I think there's a dedicated button in the genie app. Probably a subscription service.

  • +1

    Bought one thanks OP.

    Only question I had was around speeds. There seems to be a bit of conjecture around the web if this slows the wifi network down – from what ive seen people reckon it is anywhere from nothing (like 0.5 Mbps) to halving their speed. Any feedback?

    • I have had it for 9 months and have a 100/40 NBN. Have not noticed any slowdowns, but I do reboot it about once every 2 weeks as it can wig out at times and stop everything.

      • Same here, haven't noticed any impact on our 50/20 NBN.

        Good suggestion to reboot it though; not sure ours has been rebooted…. Ever. Probably should!

  • +1

    Thx op. Bought one from Amazon for $78.

    • +1

      Same here. Bought one from Amazon for ~$77.11 (Paid by Citibank Plus). Should arrive on 5/3/19. Thanks op. : )

    • Got a link?

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