Parental Controls: Application Example

In this example, first the demands for parental controls are formulated, followed by a description of how to configure access profiles to meet these demands.

Point of Departure

You have three children, whose internet use you would like to control in different ways.

  • One child is seven years old, another is eight, and the oldest is 13.
  • Each of the two younger kids has his or her own PC.
  • The oldest child has a PC, a smartphone and another small device with internet capability.

Demands on Parental Control

Demands for the Two Younger Children

  • They are allowed to use the internet on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays between 5 and 7 pm.
  • On Wednesdays they are allowed to use the internet between 2 and 4 pm.
  • They are allowed to be no longer than two hours online each weekday.
  • On the weekends they are allowed to use the internet between 4 and 7 pm.
  • They are allowed to be online three hours a day at the weekend.

Demands for the 13-year-old Child

  • She is allowed to use the internet between 1 and 8 pm on weekdays.
  • She may spend no more than four hours online on weekdays.
  • She is allowed to use the internet between 10 am and 8 pm on weekends.
  • On the weekend she is allowed a maximum of five hours online.
  • All devices (PC, smartphone and the other device) must share the maximum online time each day. In other words, it does not matter which device uses the time online.

Demands for All Children

  • Access to web sites with adult content is blocked.
  • Only surfing and mail are allowed.

Setting Up Parental Controls to Meet these Demands

For the demands in this example two access profiles are set up and configured: the "children_young" access profile for the two younger children and the "child_older" for the oldest child.

The two younger children's PCs are each assigned the "children_young" access profile, while the PC, the smartphone and the third device belonging to the older child are assigned the "child_older" profile.

The two access profiles are set up with the properties listed in the table.

Name of the Access ProfileProperties of the Access Profile
children_young

Time limit

  • Period: On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays the internet can be used between 5 and 7 pm.
  • Period: On Wednesdays the internet can be used between 2 and 4 pm.
  • Period: On Saturdays and Sundays the internet can be used between 4 and 7 pm.
  • Budget: unrestricted (both children are allowed to use the entire online time within the defined periods)

Filters for web pages

  • Block web sites with adult content: yes

Blocked network applications

  • everything except surfing and mail
child_older

Time limit

  • Period: From Monday through Friday the internet can be used between 1 and 8 pm.
  • Period: On Saturdays and Sundays the internet can be used between 10 am and 8 pm.
  • Budget: From Monday through Friday the internet may be used for up to four hours.
  • Budget: On Saturday and Sunday the internet may be used for up to five hours.
  • shared budget: yes (all three devices must share the online time)

Filters for web pages

  • Block web sites with adult content: yes

Blocked network applications

  • BitTorrent
  • eMule