About Network Check

Who makes it

Network Check is made by 42 O'Clock Studios, the software side of Frequency 42, a company that helps small businesses with their computers and networks. The same people answer the email and the support requests. The guides come from the questions that kind of work produces: a router nobody remembers setting up, a camera that was never given a new password, a relative who asks what a "port" is.

Why it exists

Most home network advice is written for people who already know what a firewall is. The people who most need it, such as parents, grandparents and anyone who just wants the internet to work, are the ones who get lost in it. Network Check tries to do three things: show what a stranger on the internet could reach, explain it without jargon, and give steps a patient non-expert can follow.

What the free check does

The website check looks at the internet address you are visiting from, tries a short list of common ports from the outside, and reports which ones answer. It cannot be pointed at anyone else's address, and it stores no result unless you choose to send it to us. The details, including the short hold used to limit how often one connection can run the check, are on the privacy page. It also cannot see inside your home: your TVs, phones and cameras, whether your devices are up to date, or how strong your Wi-Fi password is. A good result is good news, not a promise that you are safe. For the inside view there is a free app for Windows, Linux and Mac that only looks and never changes anything. The full rules are on the terms and privacy pages.

How the guides are written

• Each fix guide matches something the check can actually find. Each how-to guide answers a question people ask when they try to fix it.
• Router and internet company steps are written from the manufacturers' and providers' public instructions. Menus change between models and software versions, so we say so on the page and tell you what to look for if yours looks different.
• We try not to scare anyone. A guide says what something means, how likely it is to matter, and when it is fine to leave alone or to just call your internet company.
• Every guide shows the date the site's content was last updated. We update pages when we find a step that has changed or is wrong.

We will get some things wrong. If a step does not match your router, or a page is out of date, please tell us and we will fix it.

How the site is paid for

The check, the guides and the apps are free. The site shows ads, and some guides link to products on Amazon that may earn us a small commission at no cost to you. We also offer paid email help ($39) and email plus a call ($99) for people who would rather have someone look at their own report. None of this changes what a guide says. The details are on the terms and support pages.

Get in touch

See the contact page.