Households
Keep an eye on what your home devices expose to the internet
AdminKit gives households free tools to check their home connection and devices today, including whether a commonly-exposed port is open on your own IP, whether your connection sits behind CGNAT, and the manufacturer behind an unfamiliar device's MAC address, with a guided DNS hijack check and, from the Netbase team, a hands-on home security review.
Updated
At a glance
Part of the IP & network cluster — more tools, guides and terms on ip & network.
The problem
Home networks have quietly filled up with devices: cameras, smart TVs, thermostats, baby monitors, routers with their own apps. Many of these devices run a small web server for setup or remote viewing, and it’s easy for that management interface to end up reachable from the public internet without the owner ever deciding that on purpose.
Unfamiliar devices can also join home WiFi more easily than people expect, especially if a password was shared once and never changed, or a guest network was never set up at all. Most people have no simple way to see which devices are currently on their network or what those devices are doing. A router’s client list usually shows little beyond a MAC address for an unrecognized entry — AdminKit’s MAC address lookup tool at least identifies the manufacturer behind one, a useful first signal for telling “an old phone I forgot about” from “a device I don’t recognize at all.”
A related, quieter problem is that some devices “call home” to servers in unexpected countries as part of normal operation, and sometimes for reasons that have nothing to do with the feature you actually use. Without visibility into DNS queries, there’s no way to notice this one way or the other.
None of this means every home device is compromised or that something is actively wrong. It means most people are running networks they can’t currently see into, and that’s worth being able to check.
Talk to an expert
Huy Nguyen (David), Founder & CEO, Netbase JSC
Ask how AdminKit fits households — setup, timeline, or pricing.
What can you check for free?
These tools run from outside your home and check what’s visible from the public internet, with no account needed.
- Check your public IP and whether you’re behind CGNAT — CGNAT means your ISP shares one address among many households, which changes how exposure and blacklisting work for you.
- Check which commonly-exposed ports are open on your own IP — use this on your own connection, with your own consent, to see what’s reachable from outside.
- Look up the manufacturer behind a device’s MAC address — a quick way to identify an unfamiliar entry in your router’s connected-devices list.
If you’re wondering why your connection looks “shared” or why a CAPTCHA keeps appearing, what is CGNAT explains why.
How do you check for a DNS hijack and go further?
AdminKit’s DNS resolver test walks you through confirming whether your router’s DNS has been silently changed — a common attack on home routers. Is my router’s DNS hijacked covers the other signs to look for and how to fix them.
If you would rather have an expert look, Netbase offers a remote home and shop security check: a review of your router, cameras and other devices, covering what is exposed and what to fix first. Netbase can also set up AdminKit Protective DNS for your home, so devices or your router send DNS queries through a resolver that blocks known-malicious domains. That’s a step up from the tools above: instead of a one-time outside check, you get ongoing filtering from your own network’s point of view. Talk to our team about either — see dynamic IP vs CGNAT: what it means for long-term monitoring for why a single check can’t catch a later change on its own.
Privacy note
DNS logs and device lists reveal real patterns about a household: routines, who’s home, and when. AdminKit and Netbase only turn this kind of logging on with clear consent from the person managing the network, keep logs for 30 days by default, encrypt them, and delete them on request. AdminKit never sells this data or uses it for ad targeting, and it is not built to monitor family members — it protects devices, not people.
This page is general guidance, not a security audit of your specific network — see our disclaimer for what AdminKit's guidance does and does not commit to.
Frequently asked questions
Can AdminKit see what's happening inside my home WiFi?
No, not unless you choose to connect something. From outside, AdminKit only sees what any visitor to your public IP could see. It only sees more if you change your router's DNS to AdminKit, install a mobile app, or install a network agent.
How do I check whether my router's DNS was changed?
Use the DNS resolver test page: it walks you through two terminal commands that show which resolver actually answers your queries, so you can compare it with your router's settings. The free my-ip and port-check tools add an outside view of your connection. For filtering on top, talk to Netbase about AdminKit Protective DNS.
My camera has a login page when I visit its IP. Is that bad?
It depends on whether that login page is reachable from the public internet or only from inside your home. The port-check tool can help you see what's open on your own public IP, with your consent.
What is CGNAT and why does it matter for my home?
CGNAT means your ISP shares one public IP address among many households, which changes how exposure and blacklisting work for you. The my-ip tool shows whether your connection looks like CGNAT.
Do I need to buy new hardware to use AdminKit at home?
The free tools need nothing extra; they just check your current setup from the outside. AdminKit Protective DNS, which Netbase sets up for you, works by pointing devices or your router at a filtering resolver, not by replacing hardware.
More in the IP & network cluster
Want AdminKit set up for you?
Tell us about your setup — our team will scope AdminKit for it and, if you need it, add hands-on expert help from Netbase.
How AdminKit works with you
- Delivered remotely — Netbase JSC, the company behind AdminKit, has worked with clients in 80 countries.
- Contracts and invoices are issued by Netbase JSC; payment goes to the company by bank transfer to Netbase JSC's company account or PayPal Business.
- Talk to the CEO, Huy Nguyen (David), directly on WhatsApp or by email at [email protected].