Getting
Started.

How your Harbor Privacy setup works, how to access your dashboard, and how to get your devices connected.

Getting Started

How Your Network Works

Your Harbor Privacy device is a small Raspberry Pi computer that sits quietly on your network and handles all DNS queries for every device in your home. DNS is essentially the phone book of the internet — every time you visit a website, your device first asks a DNS server for directions.

Normally those requests go to your ISP (Comcast, Verizon, etc.) which can log and sell your browsing data. Your Harbor Privacy device intercepts those requests, blocks the bad ones, and sends the rest through an encrypted private channel so your ISP never sees them.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU VISIT A WEBSITE

Your device asks your Harbor Privacy Pi for directions → Pi checks if the domain is on a blocklist → If clean, it looks up the address privately → Your device connects to the website. The whole process takes under 20 milliseconds.

What It Protects

  • Every device automatically — phones, laptops, smart TVs, game consoles, tablets. Anything on your WiFi or ethernet is protected without installing any software.
  • Ads and trackers — blocked before they load, which means faster pages and less data usage.
  • Malware and phishing domains — known malicious sites blocked at the DNS level.
  • ISP snooping — all DNS queries are encrypted so Comcast can't see what sites you're visiting.
Getting Started

Your Dashboard

Your Harbor Privacy account has a web dashboard where you can see what's being blocked, manage settings, and whitelist sites that aren't loading correctly.

ACCESS YOUR DASHBOARD

Go to dashboard.harborprivacy.com and log in with the credentials from your setup email.

Dashboard Overview

01
DNS QueriesTotal requests processed. A typical home sees 5,000--20,000 queries per day across all devices.
02
Blocked by FiltersPercentage of queries blocked. Typically 10--20%. Higher means more ads and trackers on the sites you visit.
03
Query LogReal-time list of every DNS request from every device. Useful for finding out what's being blocked.
04
FiltersThe blocklists your device uses. These update automatically to catch new threats.
Getting Started

Device Setup

Most devices are automatically protected once connected to your home network. For phones and tablets that leave home, a DNS profile keeps you protected anywhere.

📱
iPhone / iPad
A DNS profile was installed during setup. Go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management to confirm it's active. Activates automatically when you leave home.
🤖
Android / Pixel
Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Private DNS → Private DNS provider hostname and enter the address from your setup email. Tap Save.
💻
Windows / Mac
Automatically protected when connected to your home network. For protection on other networks, contact us for setup instructions.
📺
Smart TV / Streaming
Automatically protected on your home network. DNS was configured during installation. No action needed.
📡
Xfinity Router
Go to 10.0.0.1 → log in → Advanced → DNS Settings. Set Primary DNS to the address from your setup email. Save and reboot.
🌐
Other Routers
Most routers have DNS settings under Advanced or WAN settings. Set Primary DNS to the address from your setup email. Contact us if you need help finding it.