Many users assume that a DNS filtering service can provide device-specific activity logs, showing which device accessed what content. However, this isn’t how DNS works.
Since DNS operates at the network level, all requests appear to come from the same public IP address rather than individual devices. This means that while a DNS filtering service can block or allow traffic based on rules, it cannot differentiate between devices on a network.
In this article, we’ll break down why DNS services can’t track device-specific activity, and what alternatives exist for monitoring internet usage per device.
Why You Can’t See Device-Specific Activity
1. DNS Queries Come from a Shared Public IP
When multiple devices connect to the internet from the same network (e.g., a home or business), they share the same public IP address.
This means that when a DNS request is sent to a filtering service like CleanBrowsing, OpenDNS, or Cloudflare Family, the DNS provider only sees that the request is coming from the public IP address of the network—not which device inside the network made the request.
🔹 Example:
- John’s laptop, Sarah’s phone, and a smart TV all connect to the same Wi-Fi.
- When any of these devices request a domain (
youtube.com), the DNS provider only sees the home’s public IP making the request—not the specific device.
This is why DNS filtering services cannot provide per-device logs.
2. DNS is Stateless
DNS operates using a stateless query-response model, meaning it:
✅ Resolves a domain name request.
✅ Returns an IP address for that domain.
✅ Does not track which device made the request.
Unlike a firewall or proxy, which maintains active sessions and can associate requests with specific devices, DNS simply resolves the domain and moves on. There is no built-in mechanism to track which internal device made a particular request.
3. DNS Filtering Applies at the Router Level
When DNS filtering is configured at the router level, every device on the network automatically inherits the same filtering rules.
Because all DNS requests go through the router, the filtering service sees one single source—the router’s public IP. This applies even if different devices request different websites.
🔹 Example Scenario:
- A household has 10 devices connected to the network.
- Someone attempts to visit a blocked adult site.
- The DNS filtering service blocks the request, but it cannot tell which of the 10 devices made the request.
This limitation is why device-level monitoring requires additional tools beyond DNS filtering.