Comcast’s new X1 tools give parents more control over the home network

Timed pause expands on the existing ability to temporarily suspend WiFi service throughout the home. This new twist allows parents to instantly freeze the local network for short periods or in 30 minute blocks up to two hours. XFi’s parental control panel is also sporting a new look and giving the ‘rents extra peace of mind with safe search restrictions on Google, Bing and YouTube for users under the age of 18. Finally, the notification center will now display real-time usage stats of everything currently happening on the home network. That way if your kid’s bratty friend wants to be slick and try to change the network name or password, the revision will immediately be logged and reported to an adult. The XFi system updates through the cloud so it should rollout to its full subscriber base all at the same time and very soon.