D-Link And OpenDNS To Bring Parental Controls To Your Router

Today’s kids have grown up in a world where the internet has always been around, Google has always been there to help, and having a smartphone is the norm. It only follows that they’d be super comfortable with the web, using it just as proficiently, if not more so, than their parents. That’s all well and good, but there’s this one pretty huge problem: the internet is dangerous.

That’s why D-Link and OpenDNS have partnered to put OpenDNS on all new models of consumer model D-Link routers. If you haven’t heard, OpenDNS provices security services for families who want to keep their kids off of nasty sites, and now the system will be built right in to D-Link routers. Customizing security settings is all taken care of during the initial router set up, and parents have the option to choose more overarching settings, or get specific by blocking individual sites.

What sets this apart from other internet security systems or parental controls is that, since it comes through the router itself, OpenDNS controls every internet-connected device in the house. That includes laptops, desktop PCs, iPads, iPhones, Android devices, the Wii, XBox, and PlayStation, and anything else that hops onto your WiFi network. Since the OpenDNS lives on the router,  it doesn’t load your computer up with bloatware. Plus, the new D-Link routers with OpenDNS will keep your connection smooth and snappy.

This is because OpenDNS has extra large caches that basically know the whole of the internet at any given time. Instead of throwing a DNS request to a server, waiting for the server to locate that page and produce it for you, OpenDNS servers already have the page ready, and are basically just waiting for you to press Enter.

Despite the fact that this seems like a pretty great offering, we still have a couple complaints. Just because a parent doesn’t want their kids on Reddit doesn’t mean that those parents don’t enjoy reading a good thread with their morning coffee. The OpenDNS integration on D-Link routers doesn’t really provide a way for parents to override the pre-set parental controls. However, OpenDNS also has a deal in place with NetGear, and the customization settings on those routers does allow for specific computers to be protected from certain sites, while other devices can roam free.

The HD Media Router 1000 (DIR-657), which has an MSRP of $149.99, is available now, while the Whole Home Router (DIR-645), which has an MSRP of $119.99, won’t show up until August.