Premium for Circle on NETGEAR. I was about to upgrade to premium when I realized that there is a whole new Circle out there (2nd gen). weaves I agree with your statement. This feature allows you to monitor your children's list of friends along with their pictures, as well as view their status updates. I was hoping to have better WiFi in the bargain, but that hasn't really been the case. In such a scenario, Circle will not be able to block them, as it only blocks data originating from the router to which it is connected. Pros: Looks: The modern, streamlined, compact design of the Circle device is definitely a plus.At just 3.25″ square, it’s nearly invisible on a bookshelf or near your desktop computer setup. You can use this setting to block games and applications as well as decide which applications and games your kids can use and when. Instead, customers pay $99 for the Circle Home device, which grants access to all of Circle's features. To obtain full capability, you now have to purchase the CIRCLE HOME PLUS device which also includes 1-year subscription coverage for Premium Features and up to 10 mobile apps. I have seen many similar apps, but this one has the friendliest dashboard. Apart from this, they also provide you with the opportunity to prevent your kids from accessing online content, unsuitable for them. Get comprehensive details of the web activity of your kids through this tab. I'll leave it to you to determine whether Circle is better than Qustodio or not after I complete my Qustodio compared to Circle review. It is very helpful! To configure the Circle Home Plus, you first need to download the Circle App on either an Android (5.0 and later) or iOS (10.0 and later) device. Keeping these facts in mind, one has to be extremely careful when selecting such an application. • Monitoring usage, and I connected my 1st generation Circle device to my new Orbi router and everything just worked. I've tried to boil down my last 24 hours as succinctly as possible but let me know if I can clarify anything. Not compatible with the 2nd generation Circle Home Plus device. Circle Home Plus can monitor devices at the router level on your home network or through an app on your child's mobile device. While Circle is the best for use within the home, if you want to track and monitor the activities of your kids when they are not at home, I would only recommend Qustodio. I have seen and reviewed many other parental software before but this one takes the cake considering its pocket-friendly price, the number of features it offers and the number of devices that can be monitored. (e.g., TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, $199 at costco for 3 units). Works with the Circle with Disney device and supported NETGEAR routers. Model: RBK53|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi System, Model: R7000P|Nighthawk AC2300 Smart WiFi Dual Band Gigabit Router, Model: CM600|CM600 High Speed Cable Modem, RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router. 3) Connect Circle to the Nighthawk and setup a kid's profile. The application or device should have an SOS button which my kids can press to inform me that they are in danger and show me their location so that I can arrange help for them. https://kb.netgear.com/000052289/What-are-the-available-service-plans-when-using-Circle-with-Disney-... Is this only true of my RBR40? It is available for $99 and allows you to control devices at your home without any subscription. By the way, the vendor offers 30-days money-back guarantee. Fast forward to now, I've recently purchased an Orbi RBR50 with one satellite that is bathing my home in a nice warm mesh! Circle then inspects your internet traffic and either grants or denies access to certain devices. Setting Up the Circle Home Plus. The application controls show me the applications installed on the targeted smartphone and also permit me to enable or disable them with a single click of the mouse button. Circle with Disney is a small white cube that connects to your home Wi-Fi router wirelessly or by using an Ethernet cable. They are calling it the “Circle Home Plus”. From devices on your home network, both wireless and wired, to connected devices, Circle has you covered. The best value is the $54.95 per year medium plan for five devices that most families go for. Circle 1st Gen vs Circle on Netgear vs Circle Home Plus. This device is a must for families who love devices. Instead of the software solution that is more common, Circle offers a hardware solution that controls internet access directly from the router. The Circle Home Plus was very easy to set up and easy to use, once I downloaded the right app. Unlike Qustodio, Disney Circle consists of a tiny white box that pairs with your existing Wi-Fi router. It is available for a wide range of platforms including Kindle, Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows. Just like you said, I was concerned about lack of support for the new disney circle features which is the main reason for the upgrade, 2. I was amazed at this Qustodio feature that allows users to access a month's worth of usage history of the targeted device. ABOUT CIRCLE: Circle products help families better manage time spent online. I never used circle for monitoring kid's mobile devices when they were away from our home wifi, we just depended on the Verizon smart family app for managing cellular data access. Available now for iPhone and soon for Android, Circle Go extends the reach of the hardware-based Circle with Disney ($58.99 at Amazon) parental control device beyond the home network. Are you sure that your child has not installed applications on his or her smartphone, that may be harmful to him or her? It is available for $99 and allows you to control devices at your home without any subscription. Just download the Circle Parental Controls App to get started. Because I am not happy with the NetNanny solution, I have two questions... 1) Is going with the premium subscription (using my Costco Orbi or buying a 2nd Gen Circle Cube) the only way to monitor the cell phones away from home using Circle?2) Any recommenders on how to monitor the kids windows laptops when away from home? I dont know what's the difference between option 1 and 2 in terms of: a) parental control performance, and b) impact on router speed. The means only the home network features can be obtained through NETGEAR + CIRCLE WITH DISNEY. Thankfully, there are a number of excellent parental control apps, routers, and devices that allow parents to do just this, from the Gryphon Smart Mesh Router to the Disney Circle Home Plus to the Amazon eero Pro mesh network. Track the iOS or Android device of your kid on a detailed map. I didn't have too many issues with it so might as well use it. Circle offers a set of features as standard for these devices, with additional features available through a $4.99 monthly subscription called Circle Premium. Filtering content and balancing online usage has never been easier. Compared to Circle with Disney, it additionally features the ability to manage mobile devices everywhere, a faster network connection, and a new location feature to keep track of your kids through their mobile devices. What is the downside of just going with Netgear's parental controls? Unlike most of my other comparative reviews, I shall review them separately, and provide my verdict at the end. Although the initial configuration was laborious, it is easy to use and helps parents to tailor the internet experience of their kids. I want to monitor their geolocation at any point in my time. This means that you can set the internet access for one device to two hours, and allow another device to access the net for four hours. Thanks for the previous posts. You can also seek their help while facing problems in setting up the application (if any). I found the free version of Disney Circle helped, but did not have everything I want, i.e., time limits, bedtime, etc. One feature that’s unique to Disney Circle is that you can "reward” a child with more time. Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router. If the speed difference is a problem, you may want to return the Circle device. However, once I completed this chore, using the device was quite easy. Just bought an RBR50 Orbi router and have an existing 1st generation circle device. • Filtering content by age I would love to try the embedded Circle on the router with my premium Circle subscription, but that doesn't appear to transfer. If you just plugged in the Nighthawk, are you seeing 2 separate wifi networks? Many such programs exist. Unfortunately, this device did not allow me to check the Facebook activities of my kids. 11) Circle is “by Disney” – Circle has a content partnership with Disney. It isn't as feature rich as Circle, but it is FREE, works across every Windows computer in my house, and I've seen no issues with speed. Enticed with a 50% discount due to my prior issues, I upgraded to the Circle Home Plus device that came with a premium parental controls subscription. Did you make any changes to the ATT router at all or just plug in the Nighthawk? By mistake, I could have easily included my wife's mobile as a restricted usage device. Overall Thoughts about Circle with Disney: The pros and cons. I also loved the knowledgeable customer service, without whose help I might not have been able to configure the device. Also, looking forward to any suggestions. You will not be billed for Circle Go services in December. Simply request them to refund your money if you are not satisfied with their product. Still works fine at home. Both Circle 1st generation and our latest product, Circle Parental Controls are set up and managed using an app. Circle Basic/Premium subscriptions are only applicable for 1st gen / NETGEAR devices (or at least mine). There are chances that your kids are smart enough to realize that they are being blocked from accessing certain sites while trying to access them through their home's WiFi connection and might try to access those websites through a mobile network. Whether or not it can work as a 2nd gen Circle is unknown. This will help you determine whether you should opt for Qustodio or Circle. Do more with Circle Premium. Out of home network monitoring now requires Circle Parental Controls app, compatible only with 2nd gen hardware (aka, the Circle Home Plus device), and thus none of the NETGEAR routers. Get help with Disney+ account issues and questions: supported devices, login issues, update payment method, unable to watch, billing, Disney bundle. By the way, this company provides you with a three-day free prime membership even if you opt for the free “basic” version. After this, they will view a popup message requesting them to add the Qustodio app whenever they try to log into Facebook using their smartphone. I currently have the Orbi 3000 sitting in a box waiting to go back to Costco for the following reasons: 1. NetNanny's parental controls are not as good as Circles nor does NetNanny provide history or usage like Circle. Subscribe for Updates. But since Circle Go went away, coupled with the fact that Circle does not cover laptops away from home, I've had to come up with some other solution (which I'm still not happy with) to cover their devices when away from home. In my case, Circle caused a very measurable decrease in my internet speeds. This ensures that the application does not show up on my user's profile. I discovered that the Orbi doesn't have configurable QOS which I need to limit bandwidth when my kid is playing XBOX. Is he or she playing any adult-oriented games or games that could prove to be a threat to his or her life such as “Momo” (a new internet game that challenges users to perform various horrific tasks, with the last one being to commit suicide without them being aware of it)? I am facing a similar situation but couldn't find the best conclusion from this post yet. After spending hours on the phone with support (they really are great people who want to help) and factory resetting my son's iPhone XR twice (another nightmare), I gave up again. I tested Qustodio for many hours before writing this Qustodio vs Circle comparison, and have to admit that I was extremely impressed. I am not a techie all. I found the free version of Disney Circle helped, but did not have everything I want, i.e., time limits, bedtime, etc. It allows you to monitor and control every device connected to the WiFi connection of your home. Really, it has been incredibly simple and easy to use. Mobile device performance was so bad on VPN as to render devices useless. I only wish it worked on cell phones too! There are no plans as such with Disney Circle Home. You can easily monitor the messages sent and received by your child, read them, and block them by setting up a list of blocked contacts and adding the offending text sender to the list. As I have Windows installed on my laptop, I downloaded the Windows client. While Circle's performance on my home wifi improved, there was still a measurable speed difference (350+ Mbps down to 150) even with Circle hard wired to my router. I have to admit, I still use my first edition Disney Circle on my kids VLAN today, the time limits and shutoff time alone are worth it. Model: RBR20|Orbi AC2200 Tri-band WiFi Router. It also works on laptops, desktops, smartphones, and tablets. The Circle Home Plus is a white, plastic cube (no, it's not round) measuring about three-and-a-quarter inches on each side. I'm also remembering all the good times I've had trying to get this to work and reluctant to try again, especially considering the RBR50 is using the Circle 1st Gen app for premium features. We also recently got an Orbi Mesh system (RBR40 and one RBW30 satellite) but had not enabled Parent Control with Circle because we already had the Disney Circle hardware device. However, I decided to block my daughter from accessing Facebook. I'll try plugging the old circle device in and see what happens. And than having to have another third party app to manage content on devices? Circle Circle is a relative newcomer to the router game, but that doesn't matter much as their Circle Home Plus isn't designed to replace your main router, so they don't need to worry about offering the kind of range and performance that the big players bring to the table. Circle 1st Gen vs Circle on Netgear vs Circle Home Plus, Model: RBW30|Orbi AC2200 Tri-band WiFi Add-on Satellite, Re: Circle 1st Gen vs Circle on Netgear vs Circle Home Plus. Short answer no. I hope this information gets to Netgear and they will fix the issues so the product can be made better for those using it. However, parental control software are the first step to protecting young children who have access to various internet-enabled devices. • Instant/direct messages. It also contains a battery backup, in case any of your kids is smart enough to realize that this device is tracking their online activities and decides to disable it by unplugging it. Add the device from step 2 to the kid's profile, then repeat speed test. I strongly recommend that you opt for the premium version of Qustodio Parental Control because it costs only $39.95 per year for three devices while the large plan costs $96.95 per year for 10 devices. However, it did permit me to put a blanket ban on sites that the targeted device should not visit. Note: On December 31, 2020, Circle Go and the following supporting services will be discontinued: Circle Go VPN servers Circle Go account services The MyCircle mobile app for iOS and Android Circle Go will not receive further updates unless deemed necessary for security reasons. Like you, I have some history with Circle devices: First there was the original Circle which sort of worked, despite an often glitchy Android app and CircleGo VPN issues. When your child presses it, his smartphone sends location-based alerts to you in case of any trouble. I saw no change in the CircleGo performance - in fact that appeared to be worse. Performance wasn't bad either, but we weren't pushing it hard and only the kids devices were being managed. It was easier to turn it off than endure the constant complaints from my teens that their mobile device internet would crawl to a halt once they left the house. From my experience, you would be unlikely to see improvements in your wifi by adding a Circle device. I subscribed to NetNanny for the cell phones and laptops but now when the kids devices are home, both Circle and NetNanny are controlling the devices and makes it difficult to determine which service is causing a connection problem. You can also gain access to your child's Facebook profile even if you do not know his password. What has worked for me - mostly - is using Microsoft Family. The list of features on both of them are: • Time limits Any ideas? This allows me to set rules, as mentioned before in this review, to set the number of hours and the time during which the targeted smartphone can access the internet. I have the Orbi50 and can't use the current Circle Home app or subscription, and can only sign up for a service that I have no faith will even be maintained for the year's term duration!! Changing set limits was extremely easy with the application. It intercepts data as it travels between devices and the router, so … Sadly, we just broke down and got the Circle Home Plus as I knew we were at an impass. The new features available with Circle Home Plus are not included in the Circle 1st generation. Circle 1st Gen vs Circle on Netgear vs Circle Home... NetNanny's parental controls are not as good as Circles nor does NetNanny provide history or usage like Circle. Circle with Disney is a new take on parental controls. While they aren’t perfect (can’t set what is LAN vs WAN on time usage) they are subscription free and work. Reading some of the info out there, though, maybe Disney Circle (1st gen) is what is holding it up? I have been experiencing issues with my network because of circle. I have checked many parental control programs and applications and have chosen to review both Qustodio and Circle, which, in my opinion, are the leading parental control software. Now, as a geek of 30+ years (with a computer science masters degree), I can read the writing on the wall. You first need to sign up for an account on the website of the vendor, complete the payment process, and download the client. Excellent question and well-stated - took me about 2 seconds to hit the Subsribe link. It only informed me of how often they were logged on to that site and for how long. I am a long time eero user, right after kick starter and I have also been a Disney circle user as well. 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