Setup Help & FAQ

Pi-hole and AdGuard Home run on equipment you manage. NextDNS and AdGuard DNS provide hosted DNS filtering without a home server. AdGuard browser extensions cover supported browsers, while its device apps offer broader filtering depending on the platform. Datante emphasizes guided router setup, maintained filtering levels and simple household controls. No maintenance means no DNS server or filter lists for you to maintain—not that router changes or troubleshooting disappear. A VPN encrypts covered connections; router coverage and blocking features vary by product and setup. Some VPNs use separate DNS, so check how the tools work together. Under Articles, read Datante vs AdGuard: Which Fits Your Home? (/articles/datante-vs-adguard) and Datante vs Pi-hole vs NextDNS.

No. DNS filtering can block selected tracking and classified malicious domains when a lookup reaches your assigned resolver and the relevant rule is enabled. It cannot patch device vulnerabilities, reliably stop local-network spread, or block every direct-IP or cached connection. Alternative DNS settings and VPNs may bypass router filtering. Keep devices updated, replace default passwords and use network isolation where supported. Anthropic's October 12, 2026 research describes controlled experiments and an uncertain future risk, not evidence of an AI-worm outbreak in ordinary homes. A blocked domain is not proof of infection.

Our DNS retention target is 1 month of raw logs per account for household visibility and troubleshooting, followed by permanent erasure of that granular information, and 1 year of anonymous, service-wide aggregated analytics. Our DNS infrastructure provider documents a maximum of 1 month for raw query logs when detailed analytics is enabled and 1 year for other statistics. Those statistics are not automatically anonymous or service-wide. Retention alignment is pending. Datante stores private, account-linked dashboard summaries that can remain older than one month. These are not anonymous service-wide totals. Datante-wide permanent erasure after one month and the anonymous one-year retention lifecycle have not yet been verified. Provider retention limits do not automatically delete Datante's stored copies. Account, billing, saved filtering settings, security logs and product-usage events are separate data categories. See the Privacy Policy for their rules. Disabling product activity recording does not disable resolver query logging.

Raw DNS logs are detailed, itemized records of app, service, or website requests between your home network and external third parties. These requests are evaluated by Datante's service and contain the exact requested domain name, precise timestamp, device/client identity when supplied, source IP address where the request originated (your home network's public IP address), and recorded action, such as blocked, allowed, or redirected. They support household visibility and troubleshooting. Datante does not capture every internet request, full URLs, page contents, or messages. Anonymous aggregated analytics are non-identifiable, high-level summaries and counters grouped into broad totals across the Datante service. Individual request timestamps, personal identifiers, account/device references, source IP addresses, and exact requested domains are removed. Examples are monthly ad-block counts, the top 10 most requested categories, and overall traffic-volume trends. Month or reporting-period labels organize totals; they are not individual request timestamps. Private household summaries are not anonymous service-wide aggregates. Datante stores private, account-linked dashboard summaries that can remain older than one month.

The test checks whether Datante protection is active (specific to that browser). While this isn't a test across every device on your network, the results are what you might expect if you ran the same test on other network connected devices. Saved results are retained, and pauses, definite failures and provider warnings take priority. Protection Active means filtering was verified in the browser using your assigned Datante resolver and its blocking rules.

No. The dashboard checks this browser’s current connection automatically when its configuration evidence is missing, expires after 30 minutes, or the browser reports a connection change. Use check current connection to retry, allowing up to a minute between attempts. A definite Datante service or blocking failure shows a warning without deleting history. Pauses, saved Network failures and provider warnings take priority. A random HttpOnly browser cookie and a bounded server-authenticated record support continuity; a browser/account-specific keyed connection digest detects changes without adding raw IP history, fingerprints or new analytics. Records are limited to eight browsers and expire after 30 days of inactivity. Clearing cookies or unavailable connection clears the test results.

Not yet. Check connection confirms connection requirements; it does not save your router choice. Use Set up this router and wait for the assigned DNS settings to appear. If saving fails, your chosen model stays selected and an error explains what to do. For an interrupted request, refresh and review the saved router before retrying because the request may still have completed.

Yes. After router setup, a custom rule overrides the standard lists in your household's private Datante profile only. Saves are verified before success is reported. Removing a custom rule restores the current preset's matching standard rule. If saving or removal fails, retry the same action. Previously saved rules may need to be submitted again to repair an unverified override. Rules managed by an inferred-device block still require turning that device block off first. Network, device or browser caching and paused protection can delay the visible effect.

Keep the operation reference shown by setup then contact support. Do not delete a provider device by name or repeatedly restart setup to clear a collision. Datante support can run account Recovery. Cleanup or name restoration requires verifying your account ownership evidence, fresh network device checks and an exact typed confirmation. Unknown ownership stays quarantined; a lost response does not prove that nothing happened. Recovery does not change Home, household policy or subscriptions.

Yes. In Setup, open 'Set up a personal device' under your home network. Choose Android or a Chromium browser and save the personal-device selection. This uses the existing household data firewall settings nad configuration; it does not replace the router, change Home or reset policy. If you open change router and decide to keep the current router, use Cancel router change to return to read-only settings.

No. Threat reports identify risky domains or public IP addresses from independent sources. DNS activity shows only a domain, not the full URL or which person visited it. A report is not proof that your device is compromised or that an entire domain is malicious, only that you visted a site or service that may be a risk. Operators can review source links and whether evidence is current or historical. If a source is unavailable, the last result may be shown with a stale warning. Reports do not automatically change your filter or blocking. Household history and private network addresses are not sent to the providers.

Datante starts with its existing curated domain name owners, descriptions and overrides to determine the purpose. The purpose is used only when Datante sources agree on a specific function and that path has been enabled; conflicting or vague source listings stay unverified. This method describes the third-party service, not necessarily which physical device on your network contacted it.

Datante checks its network provider before starting setup and when you access the dashboard. When the provider confirms maintenance, setup pauses before making any changes so you do not run into a failed configuration. You can leave the page open, use Check again, or request one recovery email at your account address and close the page. You can cancel that request from the maintenance screen before it sends. Your normal setup page returns as soon as our network provider reports that service is available.

Datante works at the DNS layer of the internet — the address book your router uses to translate domain name requested by devices into IP addresses (locations of internet services with the requested content). Every device in your home connected to the internet communicates with domain names. When your router points its DNS settings at Datante, every lookup that comes from a tracking, advertising, or surveillance domain you have configured gets blocked before it ever reaches your device. Every phone, TV, speaker, and laptop behind that router is covered with zero software to install.

No. Essential and Standard blocking leave streaming content delivery completely untouched — only the ad-serving and tracking layers are filtered. Maximum blocking is more aggressive and may interrupt a small number of ad-supported free services where the actual content is delivered from the same domain name as the advertising or data collection (like Pluto TV's free live tier). If something breaks, use the Pause button on your dashboard to suspend filtering for your preferred period of time.

Choose your router or mesh model first, or Other for generic instructions. The guide recommends supported encrypted DNS (DoH or DoT) for advanced routers before traditional DNS. Firmware requirements are shown; a brand name alone does not prove support. Both IPv6 and IPv4 are displayed and encouraged for setup to ensure maximum protection. Network details are checked after your selection. Internet connection confirmation is only required for traditional DNS setups. Choosing a model does not change your unique account settings - use set up, enter the settings in your router, then confirm you saved them to run the automatic check.

No. Knowing your internet service provider is not required to use Datante, but we will try to detect your provider for purposes of setup validation. After choosing a router, optionally click Detect provider to check your connection's public IP against a local database on Datante's server. (Your IP is not sent to an ISP lookup provider). The result is a network-owner hint, not necessarily your ISP (a VPN, work connection or wholesale network can affect the result). No IP, ASN number or location is returned in this hint, and it is not saved. Missing, corrupt or more-than-seven-day-old data makes detection unavailable, requiring a refresh. Manual entry and Retry detection remain optional and never block setup. ISP lookup does not change your settings, Home or saved legacy ISP metadata, and does not prove shared addressing, router capability or protection.

No. You control switching from encrypted DNS to ordinary, unencrypted Datante DNS. The basic DNS path still requires applicable internet and assigned resolver checks. Changing a saved router type may replace your account DNS settings and needs explicit confirmation. Never add an ISP or unrelated public resolver as a backup, because it could bypass the household control settings.

Essential blocks trackers and data collection only — best compatibility with smart home devices. Standard adds ad blocking across all your devices and is the right choice for most households. Maximum adds malware blocking, safe search on YouTube and Google, and stronger ad filtering — a small number of streaming apps may occasionally need the Pause button. You can switch instantly from the dashboard, remote control or browser extension at any time.

For new setup, apply your assigned DNS settings, continue to the device check, then click “I’ve applied these settings.” When you return, Dashboard automatically checks the current browser when neededs. After this confirmation step, proceed to https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/ to see what is being blocked. Disable Datante and retest to see what data collection andb ads you normally let through.

The post-setup browser test runs after you apply the assigned settings and click “I’ve applied these settings.” It checks a fresh challenge against the expected endpoint and expected blocking behavior. A loading result is still in progress; if it fails, use Retry or Help rather than changing working router settings.

Choose Network from the account menu or Review network on the dashboard. Assigned households open a compact saved-setup overview with yur unique settings.

Open Network → Details → Update Home network while connected to the router you want to add. Enter its current Internet / IPv4 and IPv6 settings, check this Home connection, and explicitly confirm. Endpoint, DNS settings and policy do not change; visiting the dashboard while traveling never changes Home. If Home saves but analytics fail, Retry analytics refresh rebuilds the 24h, 7d and 30d summaries without saving Home again. Analytics depend on provider history availability.

It depends on the exact gateway model and software, but generally no. Check current manufacturer or provider instructions for your model; do not assume every xFi gateway offers customer-managed DNS fields. If your gateway does not expose them, leave working settings unchanged and contact support about an available option.

After you apply your assigned router settings, a successful automatic website DNS test completes guided setup. Its unique browser query must reach your household's assigned Datante resolver and be blocked. Network keeps the saved completion result and timestamp after reload. Dashboard checks the visiting browser independently and shows Protection Active, Protection verified on this home network, and Last tested after a fresh passed check.

The browser test checks your account then your browser device. Failing one can result in the incomoplete setup notice. A browser's own secure DNS setting could explain the conflict and resulting error. Disable all extensions, try Incognito mode, or try a differnce browser to determine if this conflict exists. For details, see HTTP reachability, an A-only canary record, and endpoint reachability.

A verified browser lookup and blocking result can complete guided setup even when independent router verification remains incomplete. If the response is missing or inconsistent, Datante asks you to refresh the page to load the saved result instead of calling it a failure. Leave working IP and DNS settings unchanged. A missing completion flag from an older response is accepted only when fresh, consistent evidence matches your currently assigned resolver.

Device check sends safe requests from your browser to domains that your current protection settings are expected to block. If Datante answers normally but your current profile allows all of those test domains, the browser has no block signal to measure. That does not mean the device is bypassing Datante; it means this check cannot confirm protection at the current settings. Review your protection settings and try again, or use a browser without an ad-block extension when checking.

A saved provider detection may be old, and a fresh lookup names the network owner rather than necessarily the company on your internet bill. In Network, show your assigned DNS settings and choose Detect provider or Refresh provider. Not your ISP? lets you enter the name to display; Clear correction restores the lookup hint. The correction lasts only for this page visit and does not save an ISP, change DNS settings, or authorize an Internet address. Router details offers the same controls before setup.

This test needs its unique browser-generated query in your household resolver's activity log, with a blocked result. Correctly assigned addresses alone cannot prove that this browser uses them. The test automatically rechecks the same query up to four times, three seconds apart, to allow for delayed provider logs. If the query is still not observed, wait briefly and retry on your home Wi-Fi; browser Secure DNS, a VPN, privacy extensions, or longer provider delays may affect the result. Verification reads are limited to the temporary test window and unrelated queries are discarded in memory.

Yes — the Pause button on the dashboard suspends filtering for 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 4 hours and resumes automatically. You don't need to change any router settings. It's there for situations like a specific app complaining, or giving a guest temporary unrestricted access.

Datante names a device only when its traffic pattern is specific enough to do so confidently. Phones, laptops, browsers, and apps often use shared cloud or operating-system domains that cannot be safely attributed to one device, so that activity appears in one Other Unrecognized Devices group. It is still protected, just not individually visible in the analytics. This is intentional: Datante does not collect MAC addresses, hardware IDs, browser fingerprints, or a per-person device inventory to create a device label.

Some routers and ISP-provided gateways lock the DNS field. Workarounds include setting DNS at the DHCP level if your router exposes it, using a DNS-capable mesh node as the upstream, or switching the DNS on individual devices. Email us at support@datante.com and we'll try to find the right path for your specific hardware.

Setup and cnnect your household router first, then open Setup from your account menu, Remote Control or browser extension, and select Android Device or Chromium Based Browser (Chrome, Edge). Android 9 and newer uses the DNS-over-TLS (DoT) hostname through the system Private DNS setting (Search settings for Private DNS). Supported Chrome and Edge browsers use the DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) URL through their secure DNS setting (Search settings for Secure DNS and choose Other/Custom). Repeat the displayed steps on each device or supported browser you want to protect that device outside the home network.

Setup uses the router's Internet address and connection check, not the ISP. however, some ISPs use "CGNAT" to prevent a user's router-level control. Using both IPv4 and IPv6, or an encryoted DoT or DoH method should enable Datante to work with these ISPs. If you see Compatibility issue detected: leave router settings unchanged, contact support, and check again after correcting the connection or a network change. Setup checks retain Home and filtering rules. Review and retry at Account → Network.

The dashboard shows saved statistics immediately and refreshes missing or older data automatically. A summary more than 15 minutes old is due for an update. Saved data shows updating progress during a refresh; a failure message appears only after an unsuccessful update. A partial-history warning means totals include only the completed history. These messages describe statistics, not protection status. You can also click Refresh summary to request an immediate update. The 24-hour view gives hourly resolution; 7-day and 30-day views aggregate by calendar day. Blocked or Allowed, All or Home or Away, and Show unrecognized activity apply to the headline, chart, device families, and Collector Map together. "All" is the default and includes activity whose network could not be determined. Older saved summaries may label the hourly allowed distribution as estimated while preserving the exact visible total. A failed refresh keeps your last saved summary until the next successful update; use Retry or Refresh summary to try again. Updating Home after router setup changes is an exception: summaries for the previous Home set are cleared rather than shown with incorrect Home/Away labels. If rebuilding cannot finish, use Retry analytics refresh in Setup.

Some connected devices query distinctive services used only by a particular family of smart-home gear. Datante matches those patterns against a reviewed fingerprint library. Confirmed, likely, possible, historical, and allowed-only families remain visible in the device-family chart, but each group describes DNS activity from a family — not an exact model, individual unit, owner, or physical-device count. For this household, otherwise unrecognized activity received through its DoH or DoT endpoint is grouped as Personal Device in both Home and Away views. Home matches any public network explicitly saved during router setup or through Update Home in Account → Network; previous and new Home networks count equally. Away means Datante Admin observed a different public network, not that Datante knows a device's precise location. General vendor sites, shared cloud services, apps, and ad networks using other DNS paths stay in Other Unrecognized Devices. That group is hidden by default and appears when you turn on Show unrecognized activity.

Signed-in households with active service and a DNS profile can block domains inferred for a family on the household resolver; this does not switch off a physical device. Choose 24h, 7d, or 30d in the Devices activity view, then use the switch directly below that family's Family block pill. Hover, keyboard-focus, or tap the pill for an explanation and queued progress; expand DNS requests only to inspect request details. If a device snapshot is missing, changed, or incomplete, refresh or load that range; no rules are changed. A complete snapshot may be older than the dashboard's 15-minute freshness window while it remains within Datante Admin's 30-day provider retention. A block stays in place until you explicitly turn it off, even if the family is absent from recent activity. Eligible saved additions retry automatically; choose Retry queued block to try again now, or Retry paused block after transient retries pause. A provider conflict says Needs review before retry: inspect it first, then choose Retry after review. Turn the block off to cancel future additions, or use Retry removal when offered. DNS enforcement is not instantaneous: propagation and cached connections can lag.

Device confidence describes the confidence in identifying a device family. High is used for the requested above-95% threshold probability. High means a strong family-specific signal; a lower-confidence domain sharing its registrable root in the same activity range can also show High (sibling root evidence). Roots are matched using a maintained public-suffix list, including private hosting boundaries, so independent hosted customers do not share this evidence. A sibling may be a different service on a shared root, so inspect it before drawing conclusions. Conflicting explicit family evidence is not overwritten, and sibling-only domains are excluded from automatic DNS block rules. Medium means two supporting groups, low means one reviewed hint, and historical means an older fully reconciled identification. Personal Device and Other Unrecognized Devices are not given a family confidence level because there are simply too many shared services to identify devices with any degree of confidence. Expand DNS requests to see every domain retained for that time range. The category dot describes the type of data, while the row text and counts distinguish blocked, allowed, and mixed requests. If a saved summary lacks a blocked/allowed split or some domain rows, the page says so instead of guessing.

Subscriptions renew automatically. If a payment fails, filtering continues for a short grace period before the account is paused. You can manage billing, update your card, or cancel any time through the Billing portal on your dashboard.

Yes — the optional Datante Remote desktop browser extension puts the same pause controls, custom allow/block rules, and personal-device DNS endpoints as the phone Remote in your browser toolbar. Download the ZIP from Dashboard → Privacy → Desktop extension and load it via chrome://extensions (enable Developer mode, then Load unpacked). It uses your existing Datante sign-in — if you're logged in to datante.com in that browser, it works with no pairing codes. You can pause the whole home for 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes, pause until you turn protection back on, and resume with one click. The extension has no analytics of its own — it cannot see your tabs, history, or page content. The only analytics event related to the extension is a server-side download event fired when you click the ZIP download button in your dashboard.

Open Home Network Configuration for your household’s confirmed IPv4 and IPv6 router DNS assignments. Missing or unconfirmed address families say unavailable; Remote never substitutes generic fallback addresses. These are assigned endpoints for your account, not a reading of the settings currently saved on your router. Personal Device Configuration labels the Chrome custom secure-DNS URL as Chrome Secure DNS (DoH Address) and the Android private-DNS hostname as Android Private DNS (DoT address). Both sections start collapsed, below Custom rules. Remote does not change your router settings for you.

Yes. The web Remote and desktop extension have a compact Filter level selector for Essential, Standard and Maximum, directly below "Until I turn it back on". It shows your household’s saved level and saves a change immediately, without a separate Save button. Wait for Filter level saved before assuming the change succeeded. If saving fails, an error explains how to retry and the saved setting is refreshed; unsuccessful changes disable the selector rather than guessing. Changing levels does not end or extend a pause: the selected level applies when you resume. Finish filtering setup first if the selector is unavailable. After publication of a new extension version, existing unpacked extension users must replace their folder with the download and reload the extension.

In the web Remote or desktop extension, tap 5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes to pause your whole home network (and connected devices) immediately — there is no second confirmation button. Tap Until I turn it back on for a manual pause with no automatic expiry. Resume Protection Now ends either kind of pause. Existing timed pauses keep their original deadlines, including older seven-day pauses; they are not converted into manual pauses. Wait for the confirmed paused state before assuming a request succeeded. If the result cannot be confirmed, use the Resume button or retry once your connection returns. Existing unpacked browser extensions must be replaced with the new dashboard download and reloaded; they do not automatically update.

Usually, but not always. For example, a reported DNS (internet) outage at any location suppresses positive protection status and may affect your home, but Datante cannot identify or certify your current route. Pauses stay visible, and status warnings never change your router, DNS settings or account. The public feed request sends no household addresses, browsing history or credentials. For the desktop remote, install browser companion extension from the updated dashboard download; older installed extensions will not change automatically.

To enable support and durable feature development, Datante collects a small set of server-side product events to measure service reliability and understand how features are used. These events are never sent from your browser — they are fired server-side by Datante's own infrastructure, so browser ad-blockers and DNS filtering cannot intercept them. Events collected include: page views on public pages (anonymous session ID only), blocking level changes, filtering pause/resume, subscription activation, extension ZIP downloads, and three already-approved network setup events with categorical status fields only. Events never include your DNS query history, browsing history, URL query-string parameters, raw network or WAN addresses, provider endpoint identifiers, credentials, search queries, AI prompts, passwords, or any device-level data. Proposed additional network events are not active. If you opt out of activity recording under Privacy settings, no events are sent at all. Operator accounts are excluded from tracking automatically. See the full list of collected and never-collected fields on our Privacy page.

Events collected: page_view (anonymous, path only — no query strings), preset_changed (from/to preset names), filtering_paused, filtering_resumed, subscription_activated, extension_downloaded, op.network_check_completed, op.network_router_selected, and op.network_setup_checked. The three existing network events include only allowlisted categorical statuses and booleans; the proposed section-25 network events are not active. What is NEVER collected in any event: DNS query history or blocked-domain lists, browsing history or previously visited URLs, URL query-string parameters, page content or DOM snapshots, raw network addresses or entered WAN values, provider endpoint identifiers, credentials, search queries, AI prompts or responses, session tokens or API keys, IndexedDB or localStorage contents, or household IDs. To opt out entirely, go to Dashboard → Account → Privacy and enable 'Disable activity recording'.