Is your home network actually secure — or are you just hoping it is?
In this video, we cut through the noise and cover what actually matters when it comes to basic network security. No VPN shilling, no affiliate links, no bloated security suites — just real, actionable steps you can take today.
What we cover:
– How to scan your external gateway with GRC Shields Up
– Using TCPView (Windows) and netstat/lsof (Linux) to see exactly what’s talking to the outside world
– The ports you need to know about: SSH (22), RDP (3389), VNC (5900), and more
– Why your ISP-provided router is probably your biggest vulnerability
– Router recommendations that are actually worth your money (and what to avoid)
– The truth about VPNs — when they help and when they’re just hype
– Software firewalls for both Windows and Linux
– How to audit and block unknown devices on your network
The bottom line: Security is a journey, not a destination. Nobody is ever 100% safe — but knowing where to look puts you miles ahead of most people.
🔗 Full write-up available at christitus.com
00:00 No VPN Shilling, Just Real Security
00:20 Port Scans
06:14 Routers
10:34 Network Audit
12:07 Software Firewalls
14:00 The Truth About VPNs
15:07 The Only Good Reasons to Use a VPN
16:38 Security Is a Journey Not a Destination
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47 Comments
@Daro-8 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Thanls, great video! I would like a more deep thecnical video, but since I'm newbie It's really good video!
@MATIvmr · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
VPNs do work, has nothing to do with shilling if you do proper research lol
@prndlprndlprndl · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
15:06 – 15:12 only applies to non-Windows users
@Wimmmble · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I recently made a minecraft server on the port 25565 (normal minecraft port). Are there any safety options/things i should do to my network/pc running the server to protect it?
@Bastian28466 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
17:35 hah, jokes on them. I’m using Debian stable that vulnerability won’t hit me for many years!
@Bastian28466 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
VPN are great for accessing your local network services from your phone or laptop when your‘re traveling. For example if your‘re on some open wifi in a cafe or hotel you can use WireGuard to safely connect to your local network and route the entire traffic leaving your device through that tunnel.
@IndonesiaRaya-u6i7m · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Ok
@HrannySpencer-y1f · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I'm not trusting anyone my husband either using my name
@YannMetalhead · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Good video.
@swollenaor · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
how it is now in my home (still learning to configure)
ISP (dutch KPN) > OPNsense > Office > tplink wifi/router in AP mode > PC, NAS, ProxMox. And both wifi. Essentially a flat network
> Livingroom > tplink wifi/router in AP mode > TV, AV Reciever, Home assistant, both wifi. Also flat.
My ISP is my guest WiFi. Both office and living room have different subnet (also physical) and traffic can flow freely.
I am allowed to ditch the ISP router and put OPN/PFsense in place, but i am not confendent enough for that. It uses PPPoE.
Goal:
Segment all in to VLANs. Replacing tplink in office with a mikrotik ap. If i understand mikrotik and VLANs enough i will replace tplink living room also with a mikrotik.
Unify a bit over budget, the mikrotik one was around €80, –
So to make a long story short. Thanks for this info, gonna use it to make my network better and more secure.
If anyone have a suggestion (wich some of you certainly will) please let me know.
greets from the Netherlands
@nooso-n6s · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
installed wazuh on ubuntu server and its been running for 2 years keeping its "eye" on every machine ive got in the network. Oh man its been gold!
@1stGruhn · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
While I am running Ubiquity now, I've built pfsense routers before. I would also say that Sophos will give you a personal license to install their router OS on custom hardware (I built one myself before). There are limitations to what hardware it utilizes but it is one of the only truly next gen firewalls out there that you can build yourself. It is quite capable.
@Your_friend_kns · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
this is NOT the basics brother 🤣
@a2w · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I have migrated from windows to osx. Did not miss it at all. Than I have migrated to linux. And in general after 6y im happy with it but I miss some little things from osx. Little snitch with this little notifications for asking to give permission for apps to make connection to outside. And I cant find replacement for iPhoto. my gallery become one big mess
@chionyenkwu2253 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Not really much specifics on a router to use – ubiqiti ties one too closely to their universe ; there must be other routers that can be recommended other than this – not a particularly helpful recommendation here !!!!
@kenb4849 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
What about the best config for Windows Adapter settings?
@King_Pin_1 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
In tcpview I have at least a dozen running including a whole bunch Armoury Crate Stuff, Brave Browser and Nvidia. I mean aren't these normal things that should be there???
@yaroslavhoncharenko106 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Thank you a lot! Would be nice to see another episode of this! Was a lot of new and interesting for me 🙂
@SayofRah · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Oh my gosh, I think you just like made so many things click for me and I’m gonna be able to help my parents be safer with their Internet stuff, I’ve always been the just good at tech person but like never actually got into it but more recently I’ve been looking at stuff and your videos and your website dude thank you seriously thank you so much
@LegitenTech · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
To go along your point of Blocking devices. When Covid started and my Mom inlaw had to work from home, i set up my network settings on all wifi channels to Block unless I added that device specifically. I think the option is "Allow Only" then you can type in MAC addresses.
She works for VA and I didnt want Any chance of something exposing her Laptop while she worked from home.
Is that Excessive?
Oh but also IEEE hoped right on i saw after the fact.
So does it even REALLY matter?
@PrecorPaul · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
8:00 Ubiquiti is great! But that first gateway is aptly named because it's a gateway drug. The rabbit hole sucked me right in! $2k later…still wanting moar.
@KennethIsrael_aiikendoit · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
cheap router and flash firmware to openwrt
@ToddReisman-c5o · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Is there anyway to keep 0 day viruses at bay within technology? I imagine that, that would be hard to do, since there are no written signatures yet. I guess what I am really asking is there anyway to isolate strings or byte sequences that are common to most of these viruses, to help deter most of their malware attacks?
@Danielddiniz · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
How lame one can be to teach network security like this? And c’mon, steal your neighbor’s internet? 😂
@SudoYETI · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
What are your thought on Firewalla
@bronxandbrenx · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
ASUS is easily get attack by DNS spoofing. I dont recommend it.
@EmilKarloOLIakaKAN · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
..thank You so much Chris..
@hitman37003 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
In 2000s it was super easy to steal wifi because most of them had WEP encryption.
@midiman5045 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Wow Chris Titus really disappointed on your explanation of VPN. Have you forgot to disable split tunneling? That is networking 101. I always did it.
@tonyb2760 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I ran the GRC scan and it couldn't get in to scan. Great news for me
@penske1 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
What are your thoughts on Synology's routers? I've been using the RT2600ac for years and may try the newer RT6600AX if this thing ever dies.
@Gaming_Biker · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Two best brands that are prosumer to entry enterprise is UniFi by Ubiquiti & MikroTik. They’re relatively cheap for the amount of features you get & being premade products without all the licensing crap from full enterprise products, like Cisco, Aruba, etc. UniFi is by far the best for those that don’t know a lot about networking but want more than general consumer routers give. The most cost effective typically for advanced users is an old PC or server loaded with NICs & use pfSense for the router OS.
@Carfreak226 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Hey Chris! You’re forgetting about Firewalla!
@johnne86sd · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
So are UniFi routers free from the ban? I thought I read somewhere that they might be because they are more "Prosumer" rather than Consumer.
@MrSonny6155 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I love the >15 year old Linux discussions that question why anyone would need a firewall when the router already has one to configure. If only they knew how many cloud-synced/IoT devices now exist in the household as the norm…
@Shantytowns · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I would strongly recommend you do some current research on netgate and PfSense before even mentioning their name as a recommendation.
Netgate has been anti-open source and morally gross for years, but lately has some extremely suspicious deals with the government.
Combined with their past, that’s a massive red flag.
Not only would I never recommend anyone use PfSense anymore – I would actively suggest that people consider abandoning all things netgate adjacent and migrate to OPNsense or an alternative.
@gatolibero8329 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
11:53 – humble brag.
@vikkashchuk · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
1.25 is the best speed for CTT videos…
@jasonme3557 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I have always found ubiquity to be junk.
@RAF_Armourer · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I installed Firewalla Gold. I found this video very useful thx.
@Seightten · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
This is awesome to see. A guide for everyone is something that is sorely needed. Thanks for taking the time to put this together and sharing it.
@SoulRollerFIN · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I got an Inteno multi purpose router from my ISP 10 years ago. Still works like a charm and seems pretty solid. It's my main router just because it's so versatile. The wireless on it is on the slower side of course, but I got another router for that purpose extending the home network.
@richardsteiner8992 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
Interesting that Steve Gibson's site is still around. 🙂
@maxwellgriffith · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
I thought it was wardriving, not wardiving. Unless
I missed something?
@yuriserigne5524 · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
this looks very ubiquiti sponsored shaped for an unsponsored video.
ubiquiti is the apple of routers.
instead you should flash openwrt on your existing router (many are compatible, else buy a used one that is)
@adrianteri · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
On blocking devices it really doesn't work as many randomize MAC addresses by default.
@TheThenewdiabolic · October 12, 2026 at 4:36 am
For apartment people, I would definitely recommend changing router settings to explicitly allow devices to communicate on your network even if they are connected. I had to do that when I was in an apartment.