The Internet is home to vast sums of human knowledge and is a place for kids and adults alike to learn new things and develop creative solutions for how to make the world a better place.

But the web also has a darker side where online predators lurk in the shadows, looking to expose kids to a world of danger and deceit, including violence and sexual material.

Now, a Waterloo Region telecom company says it has developed a tool to ensure children and youth have access to all the benefits of the Internet, without the risk of exposure to the more malicious side of the web.

Fibernetics recently released KidsWifi, a device that plugs into your wall like an air freshener and allows parents or guardians to manage how their kids use the web by syncing it with the wireless Internet signal that connects with laptops, desktop computers, tablets, cell phones and other devices.

“What this device will do is monitor, control and filter all of their devices and keep (kids) from harmful content on the Internet by filtering out adult mature content, or social networks or even gambling sites,” said Mike Brown, co-founder of Fibernetics.

The device can also be wired into an Internet router if you don’t have a wireless signal at home, and can even be taken on vacation and linked with the wireless networks at hotels or resorts, allowing parents to bring that peace-of-mind while travelling.

Brown uses it in his own home for his two kids, both under the age of 10, and it can connect to multiple devices at speeds of up to 300 megabytes per second. KidsWifi can even be programmed to turn off the Internet signal after a certain number of hours of activity or at a certain time of day.

“We use it at home (and) at seven o’clock my Internet shuts off,” Brown said.

Internet safety has been in the news in Waterloo Region in recent months after the public school board implemented stricter web filters this year following parental concerns about what kids may be able to view online while at school.

Brown said Fibernetics has been talking with church groups about the potential for the device, but not school boards. It’s available for sale on their website, kidswifi.com, and costs $99.