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Install a PiHole (https://pi-hole.net/ https://pi-hole.net/) and redirect all port 53 (DNS) traffic to it. One of many guides: https://scotthelme.co.uk/sec

Install a PiHole (https://pi-hole.net/ https://pi-hole.net/) and redirect all port 53 (DNS) traffic to it. One of many guides: https://scotthelme.co.uk/securing-dns-across-all-of-my-devices-with-pihole-dns-over-https-1-1-1-1/ Every device on your network now fails to resolve any advertising/tracking/etc. URL. Great system, and "just works".

feketegy 8y ago
Except for YouTube and a bunch of other websites which are specifically targeting "pi-hole"-ed devices.
- floathub 8y ago
  Can you provide more detail? Are you talking about pre-roll type ads in YouTube, or something else?
- egwynn 8y ago
  I haven’t heard about this, can you provide a link with more info? I ask because I run a simple local DNS recursor with a blacklist and I haven’t run into any issues with YouTube.
  - feketegy 8y ago
    https://www.reddit.com/r/pihole/comments/9w5swx/i_think_ive_managed_to_block_youtube_ads_with/ https://www.reddit.com/r/pihole/comments/9w5swx/i_think_ive_... The problem is that YouTube sends the ads on the same IPs that the video is streaming on. The hostnames are randomly generated based on user and also location so you can't use lists from other users who successfully blocked out adverts. If you block out all IPs the video won't load, also, if you successfully block out an IP that sends advertisements, the YouTube app will hang, because it tries to load the advert. In the past it just skipped if the IP wasn't reachable, now it's requesting in an infinite loop. I reached to a point when I tried to buy a YouTube Premium, just not to see the ads, but it's not available in my country. So f Google. Currently YouTube is unwatchable to me, it's worse than traditional TVs.
    - gruez 8y ago
      >I reached to a point when I tried to buy a YouTube Premium, just not to see the ads, but it's not available in my country. So f Google ...or you know, whitelist youtube use a browser based adblocker instead?
      - Synaesthesia 8y ago
        This or discover the magic of youtube-dl. Of course I think OP aid having these issues on mobile. But I will add I don’t get ads using safari to watch YouTube on my iPhone with ad blockers installed.
kaxline 8y ago
Yeah, I wrestled with including this step, but I wanted to keep it mostly straightforward for relatively non-technical users. I have a different network level ad blocker and love it.
- floathub 8y ago
  Yup, absolutely. The "install PiHole" line makes much more sense in the context of HN than in the context of a "a few simple steps".
- moviuro 8y ago
  Publish your own DNS in the DHCP lease? That's transparent for the end-users... I wrote lightly about that [0,1] [0] https://try.popho.be/byeads.html https://try.popho.be/byeads.html [1] https://try.popho.be/securing-home.html#dns https://try.popho.be/securing-home.html#dns
  - slenk 8y ago
    Not all products will use the DNS they are told, though.
    - lostlogin 8y ago
      Anything other than Chromecasts come to mind?
      - fonosip 8y ago
        asynchronous DNS on Google Chrome https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/fix-dns-adblocker-chrome.html#config https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/fix-dns-adblocker-chrome.html#con... roku chromecast https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/roku-chromecast-fix.html https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/roku-chromecast-fix.html
        lostlogin 8y ago
        There seems to be a theme here.
HashBasher 8y ago
I did this a while ago, but don't see a huge difference with ads. I confirmed that around 13% of traffic is getting blocked.
- lostlogin 8y ago
  Add some more lists, I’m slowly ramping up my blocking and sit a little higher than you in terms of %. I see a big spike in blocking when other users are around - obviously it depends heavily on where you go. Are you using an ad blocker on your device too?
- martin_a 8y ago
  Right now I'm sitting around 68% blocked queries with two Smartphones connected to my Pihole.
- LocalPCGuy 8y ago
  It won't change much on a desktop device if you're already running things like uBlock Origin. But on mobile, where your options are a bit more limited, it can make a huge difference.
woodrowbarlow 8y ago
also, disable third-party cookies.
dingaling 8y ago
"Just works" until you walk out of wifi range.

feketegy 8y ago

Except for YouTube and a bunch of other websites which are specifically targeting "pi-hole"-ed devices.

floathub 8y ago
Can you provide more detail? Are you talking about pre-roll type ads in YouTube, or something else?
egwynn 8y ago
I haven’t heard about this, can you provide a link with more info? I ask because I run a simple local DNS recursor with a blacklist and I haven’t run into any issues with YouTube.
- feketegy 8y ago
  https://www.reddit.com/r/pihole/comments/9w5swx/i_think_ive_managed_to_block_youtube_ads_with/ https://www.reddit.com/r/pihole/comments/9w5swx/i_think_ive_... The problem is that YouTube sends the ads on the same IPs that the video is streaming on. The hostnames are randomly generated based on user and also location so you can't use lists from other users who successfully blocked out adverts. If you block out all IPs the video won't load, also, if you successfully block out an IP that sends advertisements, the YouTube app will hang, because it tries to load the advert. In the past it just skipped if the IP wasn't reachable, now it's requesting in an infinite loop. I reached to a point when I tried to buy a YouTube Premium, just not to see the ads, but it's not available in my country. So f Google. Currently YouTube is unwatchable to me, it's worse than traditional TVs.
  - gruez 8y ago
    >I reached to a point when I tried to buy a YouTube Premium, just not to see the ads, but it's not available in my country. So f Google ...or you know, whitelist youtube use a browser based adblocker instead?
    - Synaesthesia 8y ago
      This or discover the magic of youtube-dl. Of course I think OP aid having these issues on mobile. But I will add I don’t get ads using safari to watch YouTube on my iPhone with ad blockers installed.

kaxline 8y ago

Yeah, I wrestled with including this step, but I wanted to keep it mostly straightforward for relatively non-technical users. I have a different network level ad blocker and love it.

floathub 8y ago
Yup, absolutely. The "install PiHole" line makes much more sense in the context of HN than in the context of a "a few simple steps".
moviuro 8y ago
Publish your own DNS in the DHCP lease? That's transparent for the end-users... I wrote lightly about that [0,1] [0] https://try.popho.be/byeads.html https://try.popho.be/byeads.html [1] https://try.popho.be/securing-home.html#dns https://try.popho.be/securing-home.html#dns
- slenk 8y ago
  Not all products will use the DNS they are told, though.
  - lostlogin 8y ago
    Anything other than Chromecasts come to mind?
    - fonosip 8y ago
      asynchronous DNS on Google Chrome https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/fix-dns-adblocker-chrome.html#config https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/fix-dns-adblocker-chrome.html#con... roku chromecast https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/roku-chromecast-fix.html https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/roku-chromecast-fix.html
      - lostlogin 8y ago
        There seems to be a theme here.

HashBasher 8y ago

I did this a while ago, but don't see a huge difference with ads. I confirmed that around 13% of traffic is getting blocked.

lostlogin 8y ago
Add some more lists, I’m slowly ramping up my blocking and sit a little higher than you in terms of %. I see a big spike in blocking when other users are around - obviously it depends heavily on where you go. Are you using an ad blocker on your device too?
martin_a 8y ago
Right now I'm sitting around 68% blocked queries with two Smartphones connected to my Pihole.
LocalPCGuy 8y ago
It won't change much on a desktop device if you're already running things like uBlock Origin. But on mobile, where your options are a bit more limited, it can make a huge difference.

woodrowbarlow 8y ago

also, disable third-party cookies.

dingaling 8y ago

"Just works" until you walk out of wifi range.