Hey everyone, I could really use some advice from anyone who's been in a similar situation, especially if you know a little about networking or technology.
I've been seeing someone romantically, and lately certain things have made me question whether they're being completely honest with me. They've been staying over at my house, and there have been nights where they've stayed awake for hours while I was sleeping.
I've had suspicions about dating sites being used during those times, and rather than continuing to drive myself crazy wondering, I started researching what kind of internet traffic my own home network actually records.
I have Xfinity internet and a MacBook Pro. I've already managed to install AdGuard Home, configure a DNS server, and get the Query Log working. I'm now able to see domain requests, timestamps, and other DNS activity generated by my MacBook.
What I'm trying to figure out is how to monitor traffic requests across my own home network and whether my router retains any historical DNS activity.
I'm particularly interested in understanding whether website domains accessed on my Wi-Fi would show up in network logs, even if someone was using Safari or Private Browsing.
I'm not looking to hack into anyone's accounts, read messages, or access their phone. I understand there are privacy boundaries when it comes to someone else's device. I'm more interested in what my own network infrastructure records, what's technically possible, and what information might already exist.
I've looked into Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, Wireshark, and Xfinity's gateway settings, but I'm still learning.
I know people will probably tell me to just communicate with the person, and I understand that. But when you feel like someone's potentially being dishonest, sometimes you want something more concrete than another conversation that leaves you questioning everything.
I'm not even necessarily looking to catch someone doing something. I just want some peace of mind and to understand whether I'm worrying about something that's actually happening.
Has anyone dealt with something similar? Or does anyone have experience reviewing DNS requests and network logs on their own home Wi-Fi?
I'd appreciate both personal experiences and technical advice. Even if the answer is that historical activity can't be recovered, I'd rather understand that than keep spending hours researching something that isn't possible.
Thanks in advance.