Track Device-Specific Internet Activity on Your Network

Step 1: Understanding the Limitation

DNS filtering services like CleanBrowsing operate at the network level — they only see requests coming from your public IP address, not from individual devices behind your router. This means the CleanBrowsing dashboard shows aggregate activity for your entire network.

To see which specific device (laptop, phone, tablet, smart TV) is making which requests, you need a local solution that sits between your devices and the upstream DNS resolver.

Step 2: Local DNS Resolver (Pi-hole)

Pi-hole is a popular open-source local DNS resolver that provides per-device visibility while maintaining content filtering.

How It Works

Devices send DNS queries to Pi-hole running on your local network. Pi-hole logs the device name/IP for each request, then forwards the query to CleanBrowsing for filtering. You get per-device visibility and content filtering.

Setup Process

1. Install Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi, Linux server, or Docker container
2. Configure your router's DHCP settings to assign Pi-hole as the DNS server for all devices
3. Set Pi-hole's upstream DNS to CleanBrowsing (e.g., 185.228.168.168)
4. Monitor the Pi-hole dashboard to see per-device DNS requests in real time

Step 3: Router Logs

Many advanced routers include built-in DNS logging that shows which devices are accessing which domains.

1. Access your router admin panel (typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
2. Look for "DNS Logs," "Device Traffic," or "Parental Controls" sections
3. Enable logging if it's not on by default

If your stock router firmware doesn't support DNS logging, consider custom firmware like OpenWRT or DD-WRT for enhanced logging capabilities.

Step 4: Network Monitoring Software

For enterprise or advanced users, dedicated monitoring software provides the most granular per-device insights:

• pfSense: Open-source firewall OS with per-device DNS logging built in
• Untangle NG Firewall: Offers deep packet inspection and DNS tracking
• ntopng: Real-time network traffic monitoring with device identification

These tools require a dedicated machine or virtual server and route all traffic through the monitoring appliance.

Step 5: Per-Device Filtering as an Alternative

If monitoring isn't your goal but per-device control is, consider configuring CleanBrowsing directly on each device rather than at the router level:

• Use Android Private DNS for Android 9+ devices
• Use iOS DNS profiles for iPhones and iPads
• Use Windows DoH for Windows 11 devices
• Use Google Family Link or Microsoft Family Safety for child accounts