Guides
Practical, step-by-step guides for using our tools in real client work.
How to Quickly Vet a Suspicious Website Before You (or a Client) Click
A fast, honest-caveat vetting sequence for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: WHOIS, SSL Checker, Headers Checker, IP Lookup, and ASN Lookup, used together to assess a suspicious link before a client clicks it.
Why WHOIS Doesn't Show a Domain Owner Anymore — And What to Check Instead
A practical guide for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: why WHOIS Lookup shows "REDACTED FOR PRIVACY" instead of a domain owner's name and contact details, what still remains useful, and what to do when you genuinely need to reach a registrant.
Why Email Filters Miss QR Code Phishing — And What Still Catches It
A real, anonymized incident for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: why Barracuda and Microsoft 365's built-in filters routinely miss QR code phishing, and the detection habits that catch it when the filter doesn't.
Is That Login Legit? How to Tell If an IP Is Coming Through a VPN or Proxy
A practical guide for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: how to use IP Lookup and ASN Lookup to assess whether a client's login from an unfamiliar location is a real connection or worth a closer look — a strong signal, not a verdict.
How to Turn a One-Time Network Health Check Into a Recurring Client Retainer
A business-development guide for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: how to reposition the 10-minute health check as a recurring paid service instead of a one-time favor the client expects for free forever.
Diagnosing Email Deliverability Issues: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Explained for Client Work
A practical guide for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: how to diagnose "our emails are going to spam" complaints by checking SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — what each one does, and how to explain a gap without blaming the last IT person.
The DNS Cutover Checklist: How to Migrate a Client's Site Without Downtime
A before/during/after checklist for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs migrating a client's site to a new host or domain to a new registrar — how to avoid downtime and have a real rollback plan if something goes wrong.
How to Explain a Domain or SSL Expiry to a Client Without Sounding Alarmist
A communication guide for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: how to tell a client their domain or SSL certificate is expiring soon, with sample phrasing that builds trust instead of sounding like a scare tactic.
Reading HTTP Security Headers: What to Check Before You Bill a Client
A fast reference for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: the five HTTP security headers worth checking on any client site, what each protects against, and how to explain a finding without causing a panic.
How to Investigate a Suspicious IP Address in Your Client's Logs
A fast, three-tool triage process for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: what a suspicious IP actually is, how to assess it in minutes, and how to talk to the client about it without overreacting.
DNS Records Every Client Site Should Have — A Checklist
A fast reference checklist for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs: the five DNS record types worth checking on any client site, what each does, and what "wrong" actually looks like.
How to Run a 10-Minute Network Health Check for a New Client
A fast, repeatable checklist for freelance IT consultants and small MSPs to run before touching a new client's infrastructure — three checks, ten minutes, no surprises later.