Ethan Brooks

Picture this: you are three rows from the back of a packed 737, halfway through editing a confidential client deck, and the passenger beside you leans two inches closer to read your screen. I have been that person, and I have been the annoyed seatmate, which is exactly why I tested every method I could … Read more

I’ve watched a stranger read my emails over my shoulder on a crowded train. I’ve seen someone on a plane lean two inches closer to peek at my banking app. Most people do not realize how much information leaks from their phone the moment they unlock it in public. If you have ever wondered what … Read more

Wondering how to protect your kids from adult content online without buying expensive software? I have been there too, and the good news is that one of the most effective solutions is completely free. Learning how to set up DNS filtering to block adult sites for kids at home is a straightforward process that takes … Read more

Knowing how to factory reset a router the right way saves you hours of frustration. I have wiped and rebuilt more home networks than I can count, and I will walk you through the exact process I use: when to reset, how to do it safely, and how to reconfigure the router securely afterward. If … Read more

When I upgraded my home network last year, I had three old routers sitting in a drawer collecting dust. I knew tossing them in the trash was wrong, but I was not sure how to safely wipe and recycle an old router without exposing my Wi-Fi passwords or home network history. After researching the process … Read more

That old smart plug in your living room still blinks its little light. The camera still streams. The smart bulb still responds when you tap the app. But quietly, in the background, the manufacturer has stopped shipping updates, and now you have a device that still works but no longer gets defended. This is the … Read more

Smart plugs and bulbs are convenient, but they create three real categories of risk: electronics failure, heat problems, and data security exposure. The good news is you don’t need to be a security researcher to evaluate them. In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to tell if a smart plug or bulb is … Read more

When my oldest daughter got her first smartphone, I tried installing parental control apps on every device. Within a week, she had found three workarounds. That was the moment I realized I needed to monitor my kids’ internet use at the router level instead of playing whack-a-mole on individual gadgets. Router-level monitoring means controlling the … Read more

Setting up parental time limits on your home Wi-Fi is one of the most effective ways to manage screen time without installing software on every device in the house. Our team spent six weeks testing router-based controls across six brands and two mesh systems, and the results were clear: a properly configured router can stop … Read more

To disable WPS on your router, log in to your router’s admin panel at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, navigate to the Wireless or WPS settings, and toggle WPS off. I disable WPS on every router I set up because the feature introduces a serious brute-force vulnerability that puts your entire wireless network at risk, even when … Read more