CHOICE verdict
This D-Link wireless router aims to not only provide your home Wi-Fi network, but to secure it against web-nasties and provide strong parental and privacy controls. You’ll need some patience to get it all working properly, so be prepared for a learning curve, but for particularly security-conscious parents the results could be worth it.
Price: $500
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dlink.com.auIf a wireless router is running your home network, wouldn’t it be nice if it took charge of all the privacy and security issues for all your devices at the same time? That’s the idea behind the D-Link’s collaboration with Intel and security experts McAfee in making the D-Link D-Fend AC2600 Wi-Fi Security Router Protected by McAfee. We borrowed one from D-Link to see how well it worked.
Parental controls for all
The parental controls can create a profile for each person in the home, set age-appropriate content, block websites and categories, impose internet curfews, send permission requests to parents for visiting select websites, and pause internet access for all or for just a specific user.
There’s also an Away mode, which lets you pick which devices don’t have internet access while you’re out of the house. You can even command it via voice with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to do certain tasks, such as to block a device or user.
D-Fend your home network
Built into the router are specialised Intel chips to help lighten the security processing load, and it includes McAfee Secure Home Platform protection for five years to cover all devices (a $600 value-add). There’s also two years of McAfee LiveSafe internet security software for computers, tablets and smartphones included (a $300 value-add).
