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GhostPort User Guide

Everything you need to know to use your GhostPort privacy router. Written for humans, not engineers.

Table of Contents
1. First Things First 2. Connecting Your Devices 3. Using the Dashboard 4. Privacy Modes (The Big Feature) 5. Family Shield (Parental Controls) 6. Security Tools 7. WiFi Settings 8. Installing the App 9. Troubleshooting 10. Frequently Asked Questions

1. First Things First

IMPORTANT: Turn off cellular data on your phone.

GhostPort only protects traffic that goes through its WiFi. If your phone's cellular data (4G/5G) is turned on, your phone may use that instead of WiFi — especially for background apps. This means ads and trackers will get through because they're bypassing GhostPort entirely.

This is the #1 reason people think GhostPort "isn't working." It IS working — your phone is just using a different road.

How to turn off cellular data:

iPhone / iPad
  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Cellular (or Mobile Data outside the US)
  3. Turn OFF the Cellular Data toggle at the top
  4. You'll still receive calls and texts — only internet traffic is affected

Alternatively, you can leave cellular on but disable it for specific apps — scroll down in the same screen and toggle off apps individually.

Android
  1. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open Quick Settings
  2. Tap the Mobile Data icon to turn it off
  3. Or: Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs > turn off Mobile data
Think of it this way:

GhostPort is a security guard at your front door. If someone climbs through the window (cellular data), the guard can't check them. Turn off the window and everyone uses the door.

2. Connecting Your Devices

First-time setup

  1. Plug GhostPort into power using the USB-C cable
  2. Connect the ethernet cable from your modem/router to GhostPort's ethernet port
  3. Wait about 60 seconds for it to boot up
  4. On your phone or laptop, look for a WiFi network called GhostPortRouter (you can change this name later)
  5. Connect to it using the password on the card that came with your device
  6. Open any web browser and go to ghostport.local
  7. Enter your license key (format: GP-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX) from the card
  8. That's it. You're protected.

Connecting other devices

Every device that connects to GhostPort's WiFi is automatically protected. No apps to install. No settings to change. Just connect to the WiFi and you're done.

This includes:

3. Using the Dashboard

The dashboard is your control center. Open it anytime at ghostport.local in any browser on a device connected to GhostPort's WiFi.

Logging in

You'll need your passcode (format: GP-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX). This was shown during setup. If you set up two-factor authentication (2FA), you'll also need the 6-digit code from your authenticator app.

Forgot your passcode?

Hold the reset button on the GhostPort device for 10 seconds. This resets your passcode to a new one displayed on the dashboard login screen. Your settings and WiFi password are NOT affected.

The four navigation tabs (mobile)

On your phone, you'll see four buttons at the bottom of the screen:

☠ STATUS
Shows your current privacy mode, public IP address, encryption level, how many ads have been blocked, and which devices are connected.
⚙ MODES
Switch between the four privacy modes (see next section). This is the main feature of GhostPort.
🛡 TOOLS
Security tools, DNS leak test, speed test, blocklist management, WiFi settings, Family Shield parental controls, VPN setup, backups, and system diagnostics.
📊 STATS
Ship stats (ads blocked, IP address, encryption), activity log, bandwidth monitor, and connected devices list.

Desktop view

On a laptop or desktop, all four sections are visible at once — modes on the left, stats on the right, tools below.

4. Privacy Modes (The Big Feature)

GhostPort has four privacy modes. Think of them as security levels. You switch between them with one tap.

⚓ ISP Mode — Open Waters
Normal internet. No encryption, no filtering. Your ISP can see everything. Use this if you need maximum speed or are troubleshooting.
Privacy Score: 20/100 — You are fully exposed.
👻 Zero Trust — Ghost Cloak
All DNS (the lookups your device makes to find websites) is encrypted. Pi-hole blocks 1M+ ad and tracker domains. Apps that try to use their own DNS servers are blocked by firewall rules — GhostPort forces all DNS through its filter at the network level.
Privacy Score: 55/100 — Your ISP can't see which sites you visit, but can still see that you're online.
💀 Double Hop — Dead Man's Route
Everything goes through a VPN tunnel (WireGuard). Your ISP sees only encrypted noise — they can't see what you're browsing, what you're downloading, or what services you're using. DNS is also encrypted inside the tunnel.
Privacy Score: 80/100 — Your ISP sees nothing useful. Requires VPN setup (see Tools).
🏴 Z-HOP — Davy Jones
Maximum privacy. VPN tunnel + strict DNS lockdown. All DNS that doesn't go through Pi-hole is blocked at the firewall. No leaks. No exceptions. Full blackout.
Privacy Score: 95/100 — The closest thing to invisible. Requires VPN setup.

How to switch modes

  1. Tap the mode card you want (on mobile: go to the MODES tab first)
  2. You can also use the floating skull button in the bottom-left corner for quick switching
  3. A 60-second countdown bar will appear at the top
  4. Tap CONFIRM to keep the new mode, or REVERT to go back
  5. If you do nothing for 60 seconds, it automatically reverts to your previous mode
Why the 60-second timer?

This is a safety feature. If switching modes breaks your internet (wrong VPN config, etc.), GhostPort automatically goes back to what was working. You can never permanently break your connection by switching modes.

Double Hop and Z-HOP require VPN setup first.

These modes route all your traffic through a VPN tunnel. If you haven't set up WireGuard in the Tools section, these modes won't have a tunnel to use. Set up your VPN first, then switch.

5. Family Shield (Parental Controls)

Family Shield blocks content categories for specific devices on your network. It works at the network level — no app needed on the child's device, and they can't bypass it by using a different browser or DNS app.

How to set it up

  1. Go to Tools and scroll down to Family Shield
  2. Turn on the master toggle
  3. Select which categories to block: Adult, Gambling, Facebook/Meta, TikTok, Twitter/X
  4. Tap DISCOVER to see devices on your network
  5. Toggle on the shield for each device you want to filter (e.g., your kids' tablets)
How it actually works:

Family Shield uses three layers of blocking:

1. DNS blocking — Pi-hole blocks the domain names (like tiktok.com)

2. IP blocking — Some apps (like TikTok) use hardcoded IP addresses to bypass DNS. GhostPort blocks those IPs directly at the firewall.

3. SNI inspection — If something still tries to sneak through, GhostPort reads the hostname from the encrypted connection handshake and blocks it.

The only way around it is to leave the GhostPort WiFi entirely (use cellular data or a neighbor's WiFi).

6. Security Tools

Under the Tools tab, you'll find:

Security toggles

Kill Switch
If your VPN tunnel drops, kill switch cuts your internet completely rather than letting unprotected traffic through. Enable this if you're in Double Hop or Z-HOP mode and privacy is critical.
Encrypted DNS
Encrypts all DNS lookups using DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH). This is ON by default in Zero Trust mode and above. Your ISP cannot see which websites you visit.
QUIC Blocking
Blocks the QUIC protocol (UDP port 443). Some apps like Chrome use QUIC to bypass standard TCP connections. Blocking QUIC forces traffic through regular HTTPS, where GhostPort can see DNS queries and SNI hostnames for filtering. This does not decrypt or inspect HTTPS content — it ensures traffic flows through channels where domain-level filtering works.

Testing tools

DNS Leak Test — Checks if your DNS queries are leaking outside the encrypted tunnel. If it shows your ISP's DNS servers, something is misconfigured.

Speed Test — Tests your download and upload speed through GhostPort.

Ping Test — Tests latency (how fast your connection responds).

IP Leak Check — Shows what the internet sees as your IP address. In VPN mode, this should show the VPN server's IP, not your real one.

Security Scan — Runs a quick check of your GhostPort's security settings.

Blocklist management

You can manually block or allow specific websites. Type a domain name (like "example.com") and tap BLOCK or ALLOW. Blocked domains are filtered for every device on the network.

Scheduled mode switching

Set GhostPort to automatically switch privacy modes at specific times. Example: Switch to Z-HOP every night at 10 PM, back to Zero Trust at 7 AM.

7. WiFi Settings

Scroll down in Tools to find WiFi Network. Here you can:

After changing WiFi settings, all devices will be disconnected.

You'll need to reconnect every device with the new network name and/or password. Make sure you remember the new password before saving!

8. Installing the App

GhostPort doesn't use the App Store or Google Play. Instead, it installs directly from your browser as a Progressive Web App (PWA). It looks and feels like a regular app on your home screen.

iPhone / iPad (Safari only)
  1. Open Safari and go to ghostport.local
  2. Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up)
  3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen
  4. Tap Add
  5. The GhostPort icon now appears on your home screen

Important: This only works in Safari. Chrome on iPhone does not support Add to Home Screen.

Android (Chrome)
  1. Open Chrome and go to ghostport.local
  2. You may see a banner at the bottom saying "Add GhostPort to Home screen" — tap it
  3. If no banner: tap the three dots menu in the top right
  4. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app
  5. Tap Install

9. Troubleshooting

"I'm still seeing ads!"

1. Is your phone using cellular data instead of WiFi?
This is the most common cause. Check your phone's status bar — you should see a WiFi icon, NOT a 4G/5G icon. Go to Settings and turn off cellular data.

2. Are you connected to GhostPort's WiFi?
Check that your WiFi network name matches (default: GhostPortRouter). If you're on your neighbor's WiFi or your ISP router's WiFi, GhostPort can't protect you.

3. Are you in ISP Mode?
ISP Mode doesn't block anything. Switch to Zero Trust or higher.

4. Some ads are served from the same domain as the content.
YouTube ads, for example, come from youtube.com itself. Pi-hole can block third-party trackers, but can't block ads that come from the same domain as the video you're watching. This is normal and true for all network-level ad blockers.

"My internet stopped working!"

1. Wait 60 seconds. If you just switched modes, GhostPort will automatically revert if connectivity is lost.

2. Switch to ISP Mode. This is the "safe mode" — it always works because it's just passing traffic straight through with no filtering.

3. Use the floating skull button. The skull in the bottom-left corner lets you quick-switch modes without navigating the dashboard.

4. Power cycle. Unplug GhostPort, wait 10 seconds, plug it back in. It remembers your last working mode and restores it on boot.

"I can't reach the dashboard"

1. Make sure you're on GhostPort's WiFi (not your ISP router's WiFi).

2. Try the IP address directly: Open your browser and go to 192.168.50.1:4200

3. Clear your browser cache or try a private/incognito window.

4. If all else fails: Connect a laptop to GhostPort via ethernet cable and go to 192.168.50.1:4200.

"I forgot my passcode"

Hold the reset button on the GhostPort device for 10 seconds. A new passcode will be generated. Your WiFi password, mode settings, and all other configuration are preserved.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a subscription to use GhostPort?
No. Core features (ad blocking, encrypted DNS, privacy modes, parental controls, dashboard) work without any subscription. The optional GhostSupport subscription ($5-$15/month) adds VPN hosting and priority support. The maximum you'll ever pay is $15/month. That's the ceiling.
Does GhostPort replace my router?
It can, but it doesn't have to. GhostPort creates its own WiFi network (WiFi 6). You can either connect devices directly to GhostPort's WiFi, or place it between your modem and existing router. Devices on GhostPort's WiFi are protected. Devices on your old router's WiFi are not.
Will this slow down my internet?
ISP Mode and Zero Trust: no speed loss at all. VPN modes (Double Hop, Z-HOP) add minimal overhead — WireGuard is the fastest VPN protocol available, typically under 5ms of additional latency. Pi-hole actually makes browsing feel faster because it blocks ad requests before they load.
What happens if GhostPort loses power?
When power returns, GhostPort boots up automatically (about 60 seconds) and restores your last privacy mode. You don't need to do anything. All settings are saved to disk.
Can my kids bypass the parental controls?
Family Shield blocks at the network level using DNS filtering, IP range blocking, and SNI inspection — three layers that work together. No browser setting or DNS change on the device can bypass it. A VPN app on the child's device could tunnel past the filter, which is why GhostPort includes QUIC blocking and options to block known VPN endpoints. As TLS 1.3 with Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) rolls out across CDNs, SNI-based filtering will face new challenges — we're actively developing deeper inspection capabilities to stay ahead of this.
What if the company shuts down?
Core features — ad blocking, encrypted DNS, privacy modes, parental controls, and the dashboard — run entirely on your hardware. If GhostPort Technologies disappeared tomorrow, your router keeps blocking ads, encrypting DNS, and filtering traffic. The hardware is yours. The software is yours. Cloud-dependent features include initial device activation, remote TOTP reset, automatic OTA updates, and the hosted VPN relay used by Double Hop and Z-HOP modes. If you bring your own VPN provider (Mullvad, Proton, etc.), even those modes work independently.
How do I update GhostPort?
GhostPort checks for updates automatically every 30 minutes. When an update is available, you'll see it in the Tools section. Tap UPDATE and it handles the rest. You can also check manually anytime.
Can I use GhostPort with a VPN I already pay for?
Yes! GhostPort supports WireGuard configs from any provider — Mullvad, ProtonVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, IVPN, and more. Go to Tools > WireGuard VPN and follow the guided setup for your provider. Once configured, Double Hop and Z-HOP modes will route all traffic through your VPN.
How many devices can connect?
The WiFi network supports up to 254 addresses (standard /24 subnet). In practice, a Raspberry Pi 5 handling DNS filtering, encryption, and routing comfortably supports a typical home network of 20–50 devices. Performance with higher device counts depends on traffic patterns. Every connected device is automatically protected — no per-device setup needed.
What's the WiFi range?
GhostPort uses the Raspberry Pi 5's built-in WiFi 6 radio (5GHz, 802.11ax). Range is similar to a standard home router — typically covers a 2-3 bedroom apartment or one floor of a house. For larger spaces, GhostPort Pods (range extenders) are coming soon.

GHOSTPORT TECHNOLOGIES © 2026

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