We see every other kid using mobile devices these days and we can’t even solely blame children for this. It’s often the parents who hand over the devices to kids and later do not pay enough attention to monitoring their child’s usage. In fact, most parents want their kids to be independent when it comes to digital devices and internet usage.

However, where the internet is the ultimate source of information and knowledge, it has the power to expose kids to a lot of inappropriate content too. And that’s what makes parents concerned about their child’s internet usage.

This is why parental controls are important. They provide peace of mind to parents by protecting their children from the dark side of internet access. Using different parental controls allows you to limit downloads from untrusted and suspicious sources and promote safe web surfing. 

If you’re one of those concerned parents that are taking precautionary measures to safeguard your child’s online activities, you must take into account Internet Provider’s Parental Controls while subscribing. Almost all Internet service providers give the option to their customers to use parental controls and customize the internet usage for their kids. These controls often come free with your services but in some cases, you can buy an extra security plan for advanced protection.

The common ISP's Parental Controls can help you with:

  • Blocking chat rooms
  • Blocking websites
  • Blocking services like instant messaging
  • Allowing kids to request access to certain sites
  • Setting time limits for internet usage
  • Alerting you if someone tries to change the parental control settings
  • Viewing user activity
  • Filtering out online content

Here are some of the top ISPs in the US that offer varied packages for parental control and monitoring.

Best Internet Provider’s Parental Controls

If you want to add a layer of protection to your kid’s device, you must consider these ISP’s with the best parental controls for your home:

Spectrum

Safety is the number priority of any online surfer and keeping this in mind, Spectrum Internet offers a state-of-the-art Spectrum Security Suite that comes with 360° protection. The Security Suite eliminates all threats from your PC or Mac, resulting in a safe & protected online experience. You can enable Parental Controls with Spectrum Security Suite to ensure kid-appropriate surfing.

It will prevent your kid’s device from accessing any blocked or inappropriate content. If you’re already a Spectrum Internet consumer, all you need to do is contact Spectrum Customer Service and you’ll get every needed information about Spectrum Parental Controls and how you can use it to filter unwanted content to ensure a safe browsing experience for your kids.

Router restrictions are also available, so if you need a detailed description of how to set Parental Controls on Spectrum Router, click here.

AT&T

AT&T, without a doubt, is one of the finest internet providers in America. Along with the amazing internet speeds that you get with AT&T internet packages, you also receive 24/7 smart internet security. The AT&T internet security powered by McAfee will help you protect your devices from malware, viruses, Trojan horses, etc., and manage your child’s internet usage with the help of advanced Parental Controls.

Once you finish logging into the provider’s website and head on over to the Parental Control setting, you can limit the number of devices connected to the web at a time. You can also create a list that includes all the websites you permit for surfing, and set schedules for kids’ internet usage. The Parental Control with AT&T also helps you monitor your child’s web usage.

They also have an option of child profile, which helps you block content by categories along with the potential risky sites.

Xfinity

Xfinity is one of those providers that offer you top-notch internet security. You can get Advanced Internet Security by Xfinity free with xFi Gateway. The built-in security software provides you unmatchable protection against all cyber threats. It is easily available with all Xfinity internet packages for new customers.

The new xFi Wi-Fi platform lets you have a personalized homepage with all the necessary activity insights. Parents can access useful tools like time limits, device pausing and other advanced parental controls.

The Parental Control setting with Xfinity is not fully customizable but it will automatically reduce the risk of your kids accessing explicit material online. Only the content-appropriate material for all ages will be viewable.

Windstream

On top of providing internet speeds as high as 1 Gig, Windstream Internet is also known for offering the Kinetic Secure suite. The Kinetic Secure by Windstream enables increased internet security for safe streaming and browsing experience online. It helps you save yourself from identity theft, protects your devices from viruses and malware, and prevents your accounts from hackers. You can access advanced parental controls and device management with any of their security plans.

Currently, the service is offering three security plans i.e. Connect Secure, Self Secure, and Total Secure. All three plans provide around-the-clock premium tech support but if you’re specifically looking for the plan that offers the best parental controls we suggest you go for the Total Secure plan. This plan includes around-the-clock remote support, premium protection, and enhanced parental controls.

With Windstream Parental Controls you can monitor the activity of your children and keep them from accessing any inappropriate sites.

Parental Control Apps for Extra Protection

Choosing the right ISP that offers basic parental controls can really make your family’s access to the internet a little safer and offer you peace of mind that your kids are not exposed to anything wrong. If you want to add in some more protection, you can also use Parental Control apps that offer a comprehensive suite of tools to keep your kids safe online.

Some of the best free Parental Control apps that can help you with giving a safer experience to your kids include Qustodio, FamilyShield, KidLogger, and Spyrix Free Keylogger. These free Parental Control apps include features like content filtering, ready-made blocklists, track keystrokes, and remote monitoring.

Wrapping it up:

There are plenty of ways kids could get into trouble but that can all be managed with a little more care. Parents need to learn to work their way around Parental Controls and use them to keep their kids protected from inappropriate and problematic content online. Guardians and parents need to take advantage of the digital tools.

This is why we highly recommend that you look into Parental Controls and security kits of any ISP before choosing it for your home. That will make it easy for you to set up controls to monitor your child’s internet usage and ensure a protected online experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put parental controls on my router?

Yes, you can put parental controls on your router to limit your child’s internet access. Connect your Wi-Fi router to the computer using a LAN port or Ethernet cable. Select the device name you want to add parental controls on. You can also enable content and privacy restrictions, add your screen time passcode, and then select to limit adult websites or allowed websites only.

Which internet provider has parental controls?

Almost all popular internet service providers in the US offer parental controls. The top ISPs with parental controls are Spectrum, AT&T, Xfinity, and Windstream.

How do I put parental control on Android?

Go to the Google Play app, tap the profile icon, go to setting and select Parental Controls. Turn the Parental Control settings on. Create a pin your kids are not familiar with to protect parental controls. Filter out the type of content you don't want your kids to view and choose how to filter or restrict access.