PG Key ~ A Review

PG Key is an easy-to-install plug-in device that allows you to create a safer “computing environment” for your kiddos.  According to the PG Key Website,

[s]imply plugging PG Key into a child’s or teen’s computer allows parents to follow the advice so often given by law enforcement and parenting experts: 1) Control when and how long the computer is used, 2) Properly setup your system with filters and web site blocking, 3) Create the “over their shoulder” environment that encourages kids to act the same way “on line” as they do in every other part of their life.

When PG Key is plugged into a USB port on your kiddos’ computer, it provides parents with ten parental control features including:

Time Allowance ~ set a limit on how much time a particular password user can use the computer each day

Content Filtering ~ filter the information provided by online searches

Site Blocking ~ block specific sites that you do not want your kiddos to visit

Activity Tracking ~ review all activity that has taken place on the protected computer

Activity Notification ~ receive notification via email or text of any activities that you previously “flagged”

Chat and Email Logging ~ have access to both sides of online conversations {chats and emails}

Our Experience

Since my kiddos are relatively young {8, 6, 4}, there are only a handful of sites that we allow them to visit on the computer…mostly educational sites.  Because they do not surf the web, I didn’t feel that I needed to block any specific sites or filter online search information. 

When I researched PG Key's capabilities a bit more, I was very pleased to find a feature that I thought would work very well in my current situation…with PG Key I can set up a list of allowable sites that my kiddos can visit ~ any sites not on this list cannot be visited.  I immediately set to work and within minutes I had listed about five sites that our kiddos are allowed to visit while on-line {this is much easier for me than listing thousands of sites that I do not want my young kiddos visiting :)}.

Whenever a site other than the ones that I placed on the allowable list are attempted to be visited, a message comes up that states that the site is blocked and I have to enter my administrative password to choose to “always allow” or “always block” that particular site. 

I appreciate the fact that PG Key can be adapted to fit your particular situation.  At this point in time, we do not need to utilize the majority of the parental controls that PG Key offers.  However, as our kiddos grow and access the computer more often and more independently, we have the option of enabling the PG Key features that we need.

More Information About PG Key

Because of it’s adaptability, I believe that PG Key has a wide range of age appeal.  It can be used by parents of young children {like me} as well as parents of teenagers.

You will need to purchase one PG Key for each computer that you want to protect.  Once PG Key is plugged into your computer’s USB port, you have the ability to create individual accounts for each user that you want to protect, and assign unique protection to each of those users {site blocking or allowing, time limits, etc.}

You can purchase PG Key online from the PG Key website for $49.99 plus $8.95 for shipping and handling ~ no additional annual fee is charged.  It is also available at other retailers, both brick & mortar and online.  Check out their store locator page for more information about which retailers currently sell PG Key.

PG Key also offers a free trial of this product.

Please click on the above banner to read what my fellow crewmates are saying about PG Key.

I received this product for free in order to provide an honest review of my experience with this product.