This topic

Childs WiFi access

Mamabear — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:33:18 GMT

Every time my child resets his phone, he will get access again to the WiFi. I never had this problem before with BT access controls, he has restricted access because he plays games a lot like no sleeping! But recently I find his name again all over the place. I changed the password temporarily. I now set parental control on the BT hub. But still if I give him the password, he will have access. Is this just a glitch in the system? Or any ideas how to improve this? Thanks for any input

Re: Childs WiFi access

gg30340 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 07:22:08 GMT

There are ways around all parental controls that most computer savy children can find with an Internet search.

The only sure fire way is to take the phone off him until he learns the house rules.

Re: Childs WiFi access

licquorice — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 07:27:08 GMT

Not wishing to be rude, your child is clearly more tech savvy than you are. That being the case, trying to employ technology to impose rules will never succeed.

The reason the phone reconnects on reset is due to MAC randomisation being enabled on the phone.

He will know this and circumvent any attempt to disable it.

Re: Childs WiFi access

WSH — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 07:50:16 GMT

Set up a second wireless access point. Give him the password to that, rather than the main Wi-Fi the adults use. Unplug it when he goes to bed.

Re: Childs WiFi access

Mamabear — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:16:16 GMT

How do you do this?

Re: Childs WiFi access

WSH — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:52:21 GMT

Essentially just, buy a wireless access point. Plug it into the back of the Smart Hub. Give it a new SSID and password. Give those to the lad. Change the password on the Smart hub Wi-Fi to something he doesn’t know. Turn the access point off when he goes to bed.

If the Smart Hub is still on automatic channel selection, it should adjust to work with the new access point automatically.

Re: Childs WiFi access

Mamabear — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:07:03 GMT

Thank you. I will try this

Re: Childs WiFi access

Mamabear — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:07:50 GMT

No you’re not. I accept that they more savvy now😔

Re: Childs WiFi access

gg30340 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:08:49 GMT

All of which can be overridden with a simple factory reset of the Smarthub!

Re: Childs WiFi access

WSH — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:46:05 GMT

Well let me put it this way, if I'd have done that with my dad I wouldn't have done it a second time. If the Smart Hub is on something other than it's defaults, it should be immediately obvious that it's been reset when other things stop connecting.

Too much gentle parenting today.

@Mamabear Of course, if you can see when he's been connected, you could just levy a fine against pocket money each time he's out of hours.

Re: Childs WiFi access

gg30340 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 15:54:31 GMT

@WSH

It was obvious when he logged on previously so no change there and it all takes us back to take the phone off him until he learns the house rules!

Re: Childs WiFi access

WSH — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 16:21:35 GMT

@gg30340 Read the OP. That's not what it said.

Re: Childs WiFi access

gg30340 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 16:44:40 GMT

The post's screen print shows that the childs phone was connecting to the Internet when the parent was sure he should not have been able to.

If you think technology will win this battle between child and parent I very much doubt you will win.

Re: Childs WiFi access

Kimberlin — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:04:45 GMT

@Mamabear

There might be a sort of solution, but it comes at a cost. It is possible to buy a combination locking router box, i.e. you put the router into the box which is secured to a wall or other fixed object. This will at least prevent your child from resetting the router at their own will. The router power supply can also be isolated by replacing the socket with lockable socket. An absolute faff I get it and not one many people would even consider.

The next part is equally extreme, but once your child has gone to their room, switch the router off completely until the following morning. I accept that in many cases, this might not be possible, but with the router locked away and the power supply isolated with a suitable locking socket, it would prevent tampering once you'd turned in for the night. But then this all depends on you keeping the keys safe and secure. It's all a bit Fort Knox I know.

The problem with all of this of course, is your child is undoubtedly going to deeply resent your actions if you prevent them from accessing the WiFi. But of course you as the parent are supposed to be the one in control, not them. I'm assuming the phone they have is a smartphone and your child has everyday internet access? How is the data for the phone funded? I'm assuming you are the financial tap for this? Can you withdraw that funding or change the phone for one without any internet access at all? Of course none of this is going to prevent your child from attempting to circumvent everything you do by perhaps buying another phone on the sly, a pay as you go data package etc, but that would be expensive and chew data they could probably not afford anyway. The age of your child will clearly have a huge bearing on all of this too.

It's a really difficult position you find yourself in and I hope you can find a solution. I'm reminded however, as a child of the 1970's when there were no mobile phones or computers, life was so much simpler, but here I am almost 50 years on and the world has changed forever.

Re: Childs WiFi access

licquorice — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:21:33 GMT

Oh for crying out loud, simply take the phone away no need for all that rigmarole.

Re: Childs WiFi access

Kimberlin — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:38:42 GMT

I literally couldn't agree more. If the child were mine, they wouldn't even have a mobile phone with internet access and I would just take it off of them and that would be that. But this is 2025 and apparently, kids can make life pretty miserable for parents who won't toe the line. Discipline isn't quite how it used to be, apparently.