Can my parents see what websites I go on WiFi?

Parental Monitoring of Web Browsing History

Home Networks

Parental control over children’s internet activity is a common concern. On home Wi-Fi networks, parents’ ability to monitor web browsing history depends on the capabilities of their routers.

Router Capabilities:

Modern routers typically provide features that allow parents to:

• View browsing history: Track the websites visited by specific devices connected to the network.
• Block specific websites: Restrict access to certain URLs or domains.
• Set time limits: Control the amount of time children spend on the internet.

Parental Willingness:

Even if the router supports parental controls, parents must actively enable them and monitor the logs to see what websites their children are visiting.

Public Wi-Fi

On public Wi-Fi networks, such as those found in coffee shops or libraries, parental access to browsing history is generally limited.

• Router Access: Public Wi-Fi providers typically do not allow users to access router settings or view browsing logs.
• Privacy Implications: Browsing history on public Wi-Fi is more likely to be exposed to network administrators or other users.

DNS Servers

Using a different DNS server (Domain Name System) can provide some anonymity by changing the way that domain names are translated into IP addresses. This can make it more difficult for parents to monitor browsing history.

• DNS Spoofing: However, it’s important to note that DNS spoofing attacks can allow malicious actors to intercept DNS queries and redirect traffic to malicious websites.

Conclusion

Parental control over web browsing history depends on the capabilities of the network router and the willingness of parents to monitor logs. On home networks, parental controls can provide a valuable tool for managing children’s internet usage. On public Wi-Fi, parental monitoring is more limited, but using a different DNS server can offer some privacy benefits.