Parental Controls and Network Map have their wires crossed ...

[zero7404]

386.4_0:

if parental controls has filters setup for devices in time scheduling section .... even when the feature is switched off .... a device still shows up as blocked from internet access in the Network Map list.

never been able to figure out the aweful layout of how Parental Controls/Time Scheduling works and the confusing options of 'Time' 'Block' 'Disable', the latter 2 sound like the same effect, but not sure about that. Either way, whichever one is chosen, if the main toggle is turned on it doesn't matter whether the toggle for each specific device rule is on or off - the device is blocked from internet access.

going over to Network Map, clicking on the device and toggling OFF 'Block Internet Access' will not bring the device back online, because of some issue interpreting the Parental Controls.

bug or otherwise, posting it here to make merlin aware.

i just want a quick and easy way to get into the router and shut off internet access to specific devices in my LAN. I have some internet binging issues i need to control at home.

 

[jata]

The Asus UI is a bit unintuitive in regard to parental time controls but I have this all working in merlin 386.3 and will check 386.4 as kids are back at school and I have similar issues with screen time!

I don't piss around with the mobile app and do all the config on the main web based UI for the router.

For Asus parental controls - here is my approach...

• Disable = time schedule control is disabled so full access for these clients with no time restrictions - This is how I set devices during school holidays
• Time = time schedule will be applied as per rules on these devices
• Block = block access 24/7 (kids in big trouble)

You can set and apply multiple time rules by client/device - I have a week day rule and a weekend rule for kids devices
Each rule can be independently enabled by client/device
If you need to temporarily allow access, just select the client and set control to 'disable' and Apply setting

Key thing is to apply changes at the client config page and then on the main page for everything to be applied.

In addition to this, I also use nextDNS and use the parental controls to block/limit specific apps.

And in addition, I use 'screen time' on their apple devices to stop them switching from wifi to mobile

Kids hate me. lol

Update - just switched kids devices to 'Time' from 'Disabled' and this updated the icon for the device in network map. If I open client settings from network map, everything looks correct - Time scheduling set to on

 

[zero7404]

The Asus UI is a bit unintuitive in regard to parental time controls but I have this all working in merlin 386.3 and will check 386.4 as kids are back at school and I have similar issues with screen time!

I don't piss around with the mobile app and do all the config on the main web based UI for the router.

For Asus parental controls - here is my approach...

• Disable = time schedule control is disabled so full access for these clients with no time restrictions - This is how I set devices during school holidays
• Time = time schedule will be applied as per rules on these devices
• Block = block access 24/7 (kids in big trouble)

You can set and apply multiple time rules by client/device - I have a week day rule and a weekend rule for kids devices
Each rule can be independently enabled by client/device
If you need to temporarily allow access, just select the client and set control to 'disable' and Apply setting

Key thing is to apply changes at the client config page and then on the main page for everything to be applied.

In addition to this, I also use nextDNS and use the parental controls to block/limit specific apps.

And in addition, I use 'screen time' on their apple devices to stop them switching from wifi to mobile

Kids hate me. lol

Update - just switched kids devices to 'Time' from 'Disabled' and this updated the icon for the device in network map. If I open client settings from network map, everything looks correct - Time scheduling set to on

that Block option looks good to me ... lol
i used to mess around with setting chunks of time where they are/are not connected to the internet. my approach at home is that if they'd rather binge their tablets or other devices when they have chores/hw/etc. to do, then i'll just cut-off internet access since most of what they use them for is streaming.

but back to my initial point and related to your last statement -- in the Network Map section of the router, those devices that appear with the red dash (Blocked from internet access) .... one cannot simply click on the device in Network Map and toggle the Block internet access switch .... because i think that parental controls (enabled) overrides the switch. That was my observation. and i'm not exactly sure that toggling the switch in Network Map might inadvertently toggle on/off the Parental controls enabler ?

going to mess around a little with one of my devices to see if I can find some quick/easy way to flip the switch rather than dig thru a few screens within the router toggling things to get the end result.

much easier to go to the Network Map click the device, toggle the block there.

 

[zero7404]

messed around with this a little using a clean slate, here's what i found out:

1. no rules or devices present in 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' ... clean slate, like a new device.
2. confirm 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' master switch is set to OFF/disabled. there is also an 'Enable Block all device' switch there, but wouldn't touch that unless my home LAN is being nuked in real-time.
3. 'Network Map/Client Status' main page: go here, pick a device and toggle 'Block Internet Access' (enable it).
4. go back to 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' ... you will see the master switch was turned on/enabled (due to the action taken in step 3).
5. you will also note that the client device list now shows the device you blocked in step 3 and the pulldown is set to 'Block' for the client.
6. if you backtrack and turn off 'Block Internet Access' in 'Network Map/Client Status', the master switch in 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' remains on, but the client listed goes from 'Block' to 'Disabled'.

repeated these steps a few times, to make sure i was seeing things straight, and also added a second device in this same manner. so in short, it looks like i can go in and quick&dirty toggle the block switch per device in Network Map to shut down internet access to the device, and it adjusts the setting in Time Scheduling between 'Block' and 'Disabled' automatically per device.

NOTE: when in 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' pane, clicking the pencil next to a device listed, there are offtime schedule items listed (at least for me), not sure if those are items remembered from a previous time filter i setup since it's been a while since i messed with that. but the toggles on those are turned off when the device is actively blocked in 'Network Map/Client Status'.

aside from taming my kid's habits, i need the feature to be able to kill internet access to my NAS -- with all the Deadbolt stuff going around and all

aside from some automatic behaviors in the background, it seems easy enough to just use block internet access. when i have more free time to tinker with these settings i could configure per-device access in more detail.

 

[DiliMe]

And in addition, I use 'screen time' on their apple devices to stop them switching from wifi to mobile

How did you do that on iPhone?
In "Screen Time" -> "Content & Privacy Restrictions" I only see "Mobile Data Changes", which I presume it doesn't permit switching On/Off the "Mobile Data".

 

[jata]

How did you do that on iPhone?
In "Screen Time" -> "Content & Privacy Restrictions" I only see "Mobile Data Changes", which I presume it doesn't permit switching On/Off the "Mobile Data".

Sorry I missed this post as been away on holiday

There is an apple screen time setting called 'downtime' and I use this to block their devices in the evening through to the morning. You can set exceptions so certain apps are always allowed. This approach is getting more challenging as the kids are getting older.

 

[jata]

messed around with this a little using a clean slate, here's what i found out:

1. no rules or devices present in 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' ... clean slate, like a new device.
2. confirm 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' master switch is set to OFF/disabled. there is also an 'Enable Block all device' switch there, but wouldn't touch that unless my home LAN is being nuked in real-time.
3. 'Network Map/Client Status' main page: go here, pick a device and toggle 'Block Internet Access' (enable it).
4. go back to 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' ... you will see the master switch was turned on/enabled (due to the action taken in step 3).
5. you will also note that the client device list now shows the device you blocked in step 3 and the pulldown is set to 'Block' for the client.
6. if you backtrack and turn off 'Block Internet Access' in 'Network Map/Client Status', the master switch in 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' remains on, but the client listed goes from 'Block' to 'Disabled'.

repeated these steps a few times, to make sure i was seeing things straight, and also added a second device in this same manner. so in short, it looks like i can go in and quick&dirty toggle the block switch per device in Network Map to shut down internet access to the device, and it adjusts the setting in Time Scheduling between 'Block' and 'Disabled' automatically per device.

NOTE: when in 'Parental Controls/Time Scheduling' pane, clicking the pencil next to a device listed, there are offtime schedule items listed (at least for me), not sure if those are items remembered from a previous time filter i setup since it's been a while since i messed with that. but the toggles on those are turned off when the device is actively blocked in 'Network Map/Client Status'.

aside from taming my kid's habits, i need the feature to be able to kill internet access to my NAS -- with all the Deadbolt stuff going around and all

aside from some automatic behaviors in the background, it seems easy enough to just use block internet access. when i have more free time to tinker with these settings i could configure per-device access in more detail.

Thanks for the update. Now I understand what you mean and I can reproduce this on my system so looks like it's just how it works.

 

[DiliMe]

Sorry I missed this post as been away on holiday

There is an apple screen time setting called 'downtime' and I use this to block their devices in the evening through to the morning. You can set exceptions so certain apps are always allowed. This approach is getting more challenging as the kids are getting older.

Thank you for the clarification!

 

[zero7404]

Thanks for the update. Now I understand what you mean and I can reproduce this on my system so looks like it's just how it works.

those control policies that are created when i enact "block internet access" from Network Map are good in that they are created by the firmware automatically. looking in parental controls time scheduling section it's very basic .... it just has a top level enable/disable and a list of all devices with policies setup as well as the dropdown for what to do with each device.

wondering if i could setup pools or rulesets to turn on/off certain device policies. for instance - devices 1, 2, 3 (disable/block) i would like to set to block with a single toggle. without impact to other device policies listed in time scheduling. so for example, listed devices 4, 5 and 6 the policies for those would not be enabled.

other than manually going to each device and toggling block internet access, or going to time scheduling and choosing the block for each device .... i don't see a way to do that in a more simplified manner.

in the screenshot, the circled devices i'd like to toggle a switch between block/disable for all 3 at the same time