Blog

Be Secure Online Blog

If I use a VPN. Will my parental control still work?

VPN, parental control, DOS DDOS attacks, router, online safety
We explain why VPN and parental control provide excellent protection

VPN & Parental Control work nicely together

Short Answer - Yes. We set parental controls at the device level and affect nothing on the router. A VPN, when switched on, will change your IP address, which is your router's identity (name) on the internet.  

VPN hide your identity on the internet. They disguise your use habits, what you watch, what you search, what you do online.  

  • VPN changes your IP address - On the router 
  • Parental Control works on your devices only iPhone, PC
  • So Nord VPN, for example, will work well with Norton 360, Kaspersky
  • Parental control could limit time on Fortnite
  • VPN would keep Fortnite gamers IP-Address free from attack

Online gamers are especially fond of VPNs because they protect games from attacks (DOS) and bandwidth throttling. Pro-level gamers sometimes use a DDOS or DOS attack (can be rented online for as little as $5 an hour) to kick other gamers out of a public server game. One of our team checked this out and was to arrange a DDOS attack in less than 20 minutes for $23. He had done some research and was able to knock out two players for little effort. It was our game, so no other gamers were involved. Greg who did the test most telling comment, it shouldn't be this easy. 

Network providers like Three, Virgin, use bandwidth throttling, every day during peak traffic to ease capacity loads on the network. They deliberately slow service to people watching Netflix, Gaming, or watching sky sports or using an office CRM like Zoho. VPNs, however, disguise your online activity and, as a result, VPNers enjoy a little more bandwidth (meaning faster speeds). It's common practice, everyone does it, which is why you don't hear that much about it.

vpn, parental control, ryanair, norton, nord vpn, iphone, router
Does Ryanair teach IT Co's how to price, it ain't easy to get the best deal?   

So how much does it cost?

Firstly when looking at a VPN, forget the vendor spoof, Nord VPN is about €35 / £32 /$37 per annum. Similar to Allied Carpets, they run a sale all year. So you would do well to pay a higher price as there isn't one. Most VPNs provide about 6 connections per subscription. Keep an eye out in July, August price might dip for a few weeks, but once schools go back, that's it, pricing heads north for the winter. Nord VPN has good support operating 24/7. VPN is an easy service to provide, so service is everything.  

Norton 360 premium is about £60 or €70 for a 10 device service. Disconnect your card immediately after installing the Norton Service as they will automatically renew for close to £150 plus for 2nd year. You can shop around for your license and save £100/€100. Norton demands you attach your card during onboarding and installation. Rumours of Ryanair shareholding in Norton have yet to be proven, though many suspect it.

Norton, BitDefender and Kaspersky will run fine with a VPN service.

  • Circa £35 for VPN
  • £55 / €65 or less for 10 devices parental control like Norton 360-
  • Never pay full ask on the main-site, shop around
  • Disconnect your card after installation

 

Hold off, think about it or Buy?

Buy it. Paid parental control is far and away the best option for families. It should be a lot simpler to do on an iPhone, Galaxy or other mobile phones, but it isn't. there are lots of YouTube videos on how to set this up on phones. You will be able to see what your kids like when they are on, help or force them to reduce use. And control what they have access to. A digital parent when you can be there, teaching them better habits. You can't see what they are doing in real-time, however, on a positive note, there is much more you can do for games addiction now even on Playstation, Xbox etc.

All for about £80 in the UK €95 in Europe or about $75 in the US.

Articles of Interest

Articles, links and connections from the BeSecureOnline site you will might find interesting.    

Why you need a VPN

Kids are safer with VPN playing Fortnite, Minecraft etc.

Are your kids aged 8 years of age or older, here is our guide to online parenting

New post COVID rules for kids aged 5 - 9 on phones, devices

Nord VPN Trial for 5 days

Comments are closed for this post, but if you have spotted an error or have additional info that you think should be in this post, feel free to contact us.

Subscription

Get the latest updates in your email box automatically.

Search

Archive