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Hi there this is Mrinal once again and welcome to RTT video cast.
In today's video we'll find out how to see
what other people are browsing on your network using the free service like opendns
and not just that, you can also block certain
websites like Facebook or application like WhatsApp
on your network.
Ok, so there are couple of ways to do that
The first option we have is to use open source software like Wireshark,
but the problem is, this application comes with steep learning
curve
Another option is to check out the real time logs, maintained by
your router but again most home routers don’t have as
an inbuilt function.
So the best solution here is to change your DNS server
to that of open DNS, and then use their online service to see the
logs
But before we jump into actual tutorial let’s us first see how it works,
When you send a request for Google.com from your browser
Your computer understand what google is,
So it will go back to ISP’s DNS record and find out equivalent ip address of that websites.
And then open that page.
Now, from here we know, that every request we made,
has to pass through DNS system.
So instead of using the default DNS provided by our ISP
we will replace it with OPEN DNS’s, name server
and use their service to monitor the network traffic.
So now that we understand the concept, let’s get started.
Go to OpenDns website and, create a free account as household user
Apparently this service is free and they have good reputation in DNS industry
but there are news, that it will be brought by Cisco.
so if you are watching this after year or so.
things might turn out little different
But as of now, there is no need to worry.
Now, once you create your account, you will get a verification link on your register
email
So click on that link, and it will redirect you to a new screen,
Now since this is our first time we will have to add network
So click on add network option
It will auto detect your ip address and then click on
add this to network options
Once done a window will pop open Give your network a friendly name
Now since most home users have dynamic IP We will have to download a small program
that auto update our IP address
So download and run this program and login with your open dns credential and that’s
it.
now you will have to change your DNS server of
your router, computer or smartphones.
If you choose router, then it will log traffic of every system connected
to home network but then you won’t be able to see
which computer or smartphones is opening that websites
So if you want to log traffic from specific computer
or mobile device, then use the respective options
For this instance, I want to monitor the all the traffic
that goes through my network so I will choose the router option.
Now if you don’t know how to change DNS
setting on your device don’t worry
OpenDns has a detail guide that covers almost all the devices.
All you have to do is search your device name.
But basically what you do is, Open your router’s login page,
by typing the ip address of your router.
In most cases it will either 192.168.1.1 or 0.1.
to confirm, open up your cmd prompt and
type the command ipconfig /all and look for default gateway.
Here in my case it’s 1.1, so I will type this in the omni box.
Next, You will see a dialog box asking for your router’s
username and password.
usually it’s either admin and admin or admin and password
but again you can always do a
simple Google search with your device model and find it out
Your router login page will look different from mine,
but the basic interface is same for all routers
So look for LAN or DHCP options and there you will find option
to change dns server,
Under primary and secondary DNS field enter the name server of open dns i.e.
208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 respectivly
And that’s it, save changes and restart your browser.
Now all your DNS request will pass through OpenDns
DNS change make take some time, so you can either wait for few hours or
flush the DNS of the computer and clear the cache of your browser
to see the immediate results.
so again open up your cmd and type in ipconfig /flush dns
and hit enter
To confirm that you are using OpenDns’s nameserver,
head over to this website and you will see a confirmation
Now to find out what people on your network are browsing
go to dashboard and click on ‘stats’ option here select your home network.
You will have to wait 24 hours to see the list
which looks something like this
Now let say if you want to block whatsapp on your network
simply add the url whatsapp.net in the block list
or you can go to setting tab and filter stuff based on categories.
So overall OpenDns is useful tool for parental control and to
monitor your network.
But don’t use to intrude in someone else's privacy or
put unnecessary restriction on your network
And if you believe you being monitor by OpenDns then simply change the dns server of your
machine to google dns etc. I will leave the link to that in the description
below
If you on mobile, then check out the YouTube cards
in the top right corner of the video
So this is all for now, let me know if you have any questions in the
comment section below
hit the like button if you find this useful
And subscribe to see more pragmatic tech tips and tricks
So this is mrinal signing off and like always thanks for watching