Using a Gryphon router together with Plucky

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What is a Gryphon router?

A Gryphon router is a network router that is built specifically for users who want more filtering control on their home network. This approach is similar to enforcing a DNS filtering service at the router level but also more modular because it allows the user to customize what the Gryphon filters by sorting content into categories, allowing user-made whitelists and blacklists, giving the option to quickly toggle especially common apps, and also granting the ability to assign configurations to some devices on the network while having different configurations for others. Like Plucky, Gryphon routers are extensively configurable. Whether the goal is to have a simple “just block the bad stuff” setup or an involved personalized configuration, this guide will get you started.

If you’re seeking to protect your hosehold with customizable filtering that covers all devices on the network, we recommend using a Gryphon router to manage devices which aren’t supported by Plucky. Devices that fall under that umbrella that you probably have connected to your home network right now are: iPhones and iPads, smart TVs, video game consoles, Kindles/e-readers, Chromebooks…you get the point.

Requirements to get started

1. At least one of the following:

Gryphon AX
Gryphon Tower
Gryphon Guardian

All 3 router options provide the same filtering options presented in this guide. The differences between them come down to price and performance specifications. They can be purchased directly from the manufacturer website for residents of the USA, or alternatively you can try Amazon. They can be found on Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk, and often times third-party sellers will ship to other countries for an extra cost.

2. An iOS or Android device The setup process is done entirely through the Gryphon Connect app, not through a web browser. If you have an iPhone or an Android phone, you can simply grab the app through the App Store or Google Play Store.

Setting up the router

The actual setup process is incredibly straightforward. If you plug in the device next to your current router and launch the app on your phone, it will direct you to scan the barcode on the bottom of the router and then guide you through the rest of the process.

Adding your home devices to the network

It’s strongly recommended that you use the same network name and password as your old router so that your home devices will automatically connect to the new Gryphon network.

The devices will start popping up and you will receive notifications for each one (these are found in the Alerts tab located at the bottom left of the screen). Now is a good time to start preparing the profiles you will assign each device to by moving to the Users tab.

Deciding how to configure a profile

There are two ways to go about making a profile. The first way is to make a profile for each member of the household and name it after that person; the second way is to make a profile for categories of devices such as Computers, Video Game Consoles, Smart TVs, etc. When considering the second way, it isn’t necessary to create a profile for screenless, browserless devices like IoT devices, speakers, switches, and so forth because they are automatically managed by the Gryphon.

You can mix and match using both ways of making a profile to find what works best for your household. Here is an example of what the profile list of a household belonging to a family of five (parents and young children) might look like.

Kids - any computers, phones, tablets, or devices with a screen and web browser that belong to children
Parents - can be configured using the Adult preset (allow everything except porn category) or can be left unfiltered, and can be customized as desired; devices that are used exclusively by parents and can be password locked to keep children off them might be added here
Dumb Devices - a profile that is always set to offline[1] so that any device that is moved to this profile loses all internet privileges; some security-minded folk may want to use certain devices like Smart TVs this way
Family - default category made by Gryphon; useful for adding Smart TV and Video Game Consoles
Guest - default category made by Gryphon; can be configured more strictly if young children often visit and connect to your WiFi

[1] Devices that are configured to be offline (the Gryphon refers to them as “suspended”) can continue to communicate with devices on the same network, so you can turn a Smart TV into a “Dumb TV” but still have it access media from your home media server for example.

Deciding which preset to use for a profile

Swiping through the User profiles until you land on the one you want to edit, you are then presented with another menu that can be swiped left and right. By default it will display the Devices menu, but to choose an age preset for the profile you want to swipe right on the menu until you reach Settings at the end.

Tapping on Settings brings up a screen that shows a selection of Age Groups ranging from:

Toddler
Elementary
Middle School
High School
Adult
Unfiltered

The app explains beneath each option what is/isn’t allowed by the preset. In short, Toddler is a whitelist only option, Unfiltered is what it sounds like, and the rest are filtered so that none of them can access explicit content categories, and social media and gaming categories are tuned to be stricter the younger you go.

You also have some other options on this page including toogling

Safe Search (force on Google, Bing, and Duck Duck Go; block any other search engine)
Safe YouTube
Ad Blocker (requires subscription)
Store Browsing History (useful for troubleshooting custom configs as well as for accountability if the profile is only used by one person, see section Accountability and requesting permission)
Include Homework Time in Screen Time (see section Managing screen time)
Allow VPN (must be untoggled if the aim is to prevent bypassing the Gryphon’s content filtering)

Customizing a preset

After selecting an age group that isn’t Unfiltered, you can swipe left until you reach the Access Control screen. Depending on which Age Group preset you selected, the options on this screen will vary a bit. In summary, you can create custom rules on this screen in three ways.

Manage by URL

Manually enter the host you want to block/unblock.

For example, to unblock soundcloud.com

click + button
type soundcloud.com and click search icon
change “Access” to Unrestricted
don’t change category
click checkmark button in top right

Manage by Category

Offers a list of categories for sites on the web which can be automatically allowed or block. This solution is not always perfect as sometimes websites will be miscategorized, but it offers a decent baseline to work off of.

Manage Apps

A list of some commonly used apps such as Disney+, Netflix, Reddit, Twitter, Spotify, Fortnite, Discord, FaceTime/iMessage, and so forth, which can be set to allowed, blocked, or allowed/blocked on a schedule.

Managing screen time

Besides filtering content from devices, Gryphon also supports the ability to control time spent on devices–cutting off internet access when the daily timebank is overdrawn. You can also set a bedtime here that shuts off networking for any devices attached to the profile during bedtime hours. Otherwise, you can also set a homework schedule during which time games, social media, and distractions are denied internet access, you can suspend devices for any other occassions–even spontaneously to lose all access to the internet.

Accountability and requesting permission

For profiles that have Store browsing history enabled in settings, the administrators (up to 2 people supported) of the Gryphon can view the browsing history of all devices attached to the profile.

Also, when access to a site is denied by Gryphon, the user of the device should see a Gryphon block page that provides a button they can click on to request access to the block content. Upon clicking the button, the Gryphon admiistrator(s) receives a notification, and can review the request with a preview of the blocked content and the option to click either an Accept or Reject button.

For Plucky users, how to make a Gryphon profile that ignores Plucky-enabled devices

If you’ve read the above sections and understand how to make a new profile, you can now make a profile called “Plucky” (or whatever name you prefer) and assign any devices to it which are protected by Plucky and don’t require Gryphon to filter these devices.

The crucial part to make sure Gryphon doesn’t filter any devices assigned to this Plucky profile is to choose Unfiltered from the Age Group options.

Once you’ve made an Unfiltered profile and assigned your Plucky-enabled devices to it, you can now use these devices on your network without any router-level filtering restrictions imposed on these devices.

Other routers

Circle

Circle is an add-on device that connects to your router and advertises being compatible with most routers. If you don’t want to replace your home router with a Gryphon device, attaching a Circle to your router is an option instead. It has a similar approach to Gryphon in the way it categorizes content, supports profiles for different household members, and is controlled through a mobile app.

Also, if you currently use a NETGEAR router, there’s a possibility your router already has Circle built-in. Check this list to see if your router is supported.

SafeSurfer

SafeSurfer is another option that is likely compatible with the router you already have. It offers more customizability than a standard DNS filter to those who pay for the subscription, and can offer monitoring as well.

https://safesurfer.io/articles/guides/how-to-setup-your-home-router-to-block-pornography-for-free/

Last updated: 2024-07-04