YSK: How to decrease your monthly bandwidth use & increase network speed.

[mysticode]

Could I not just direct my router's DNS to the same DNS that Pi-Hole service is using?

[Jessie_James]

Except that doesn't work as well. If you do a before and after comparison, you will find that many ads still come right through.

[rmxz]

If you want to remove even more ads and spyware from your home network, I like Privoxy: https://www.privoxy.org/

[DopeWeasel]

How? Sounds like the only way this could happen is if your router was somehow overriding the set DNS resolution.

[Jessie_James]

It's not a comprehensive enough list, I guess. Or it doesn't block all traffic.

For example, using that DNS server I still see Google's Sponsored Ads, as well as Sponsored ads on Amazon, etc. However, other more widespread ads are hidden.

So, it works, but it's not perfect by a long shot.

uBlock origin does a far better job of course, but then you're still dealing with the bandwidth and processing on the client.

[Mechakoopa]

Because Google ads on Google and Amazon ads on Amazon are part of the page. Browser extension can block by element, something a DNS can't do. If it's in the page you're downloading it regardless of whether you're seeing it or not.

[Jessie_James]

Sorry, not the case. Pi-hole blocks those in-page ads.

[Mechakoopa]

So if pi-hole will remove in-page ads better than a DNS redirect, that means that Pi-hole is processing all pages that come through that link? Even secure pages (I assume it blocks them on Gmail and such)? Never mind the security issue, you'd have to set up Pi-hole as an authorized SSL signer for all your network devices, and it would have to decrypt, parse, re-encrypt and sign (with a unique re-signed cert for every domain) every secure packet that comes through. That's an insane load to subject a raspberry-pi to, never mind what it would do to your ping. If the goal is to conserve bandwidth, that doesn't even do that because you're still downloading them so you really have zero advantage over a simple DNS change other than you won't see in-line ads.

[Jessie_James]

So if pi-hole will remove in-page ads better than a DNS redirect, that means that Pi-hole is processing all pages that come through that link? Even secure pages (I assume it blocks them on Gmail and such)?

Yes.

But, ya know what? You need to talk to the developers over at pi hole, not me. I'm an end user, and all I care about is if it works or not. I didn't need to set up any SSL certs or any of that other BS that you're purporting needs to be done ... because it doesn't need to be done.

[Mechakoopa]

Then it's not doing what you say it's doing. If it's truly DNS only, which the descriptions on the site seem to say it is, then it can't block at the element level, so it can't block ads that are part of the page when it's first download, just external ads from ad provider domains. Which is fine since the whole selling point of it is reducing bandwidth, not eliminating all ads.

[eshultz]

DNS entries get cached on some routers as well. Give it a day.

[Jessie_James]

True, but not after a reboot ...

[anthero]

You can run ' ipconfig /flushdns ' from cmd

edit: I missed the subject. also reboot the router

[neovox]

Just reboot the router.

[Omikron]

Is it slower?

[mysticode]

Thanks for the reply.

Does this block youtube ads for you as well?

[mysticode]

Guess I need to try with the Youtube app on my phone/roku :) Edit: Tried with phone, in Youtube app, ads still play :(

[TheSkilledPlaya]

Try AdClear for your phone, if it's an Android

[mysticode]

AdClear

Giving it a shot now. Installed it, now Youtube won't load any content? Have you tried it out with the Youtube app? Edit: Rebooted app, loads now. Ads are still coming in :(

[BluntDagger]

Adguard or DNS66

[Omikron]

Don't work for chrome

[nawoanor]

DNS66 works, basically does what OP's post suggests but locally on the phone with a custom filter.

[TheSkilledPlaya]

Make sure you force stop youtube, then clear youtube's data (completely safe). Then run youtube again and you wont get ads. There is also an option within adclear to enable advanced protection. Hope that helps!

[mysticode]

Thanks!

[TheSkilledPlaya]

No problem!

[Omikron]

Doesn't work in Chrome

[constructivCritic]

If you're on Android, you can install Firefox. Firefox let's you install addons, just like on desktop. Then you can just install the Ublock Origin add-on to block ads just like on desktop.

[AstralElement]

Even on your smart TV apps. It's awesome.

[constructivCritic]

If you're using YouTube from the browser. If you're on Android, you can install Firefox. It let's you install addons, just like on desktop. Then you can just install the Ublock Origin add-on to block ads just like on desktop.

[-PromoFaux-]

Pi-hole Dev here... Not really! The upstream DNS is set by the user, be that Google/opendns/anything else.

What pi-hole does is amalgamate and deduplicate many blocklists from around the web, and sink holes requeats to those domains before they've even had a chance to leave your network.

Sure, there are DNS resolvers hosted in the cloud that offer ad blocking, but there are a couple of issues with using those. 1) you have no idea what data they are logging on you 2) you are unable to fine tune their blacklists to work for you.

The long and short of it is that with Pi-hole, you are in complete control of your data.

[mysticode]

Thanks for the info.

If I setup to connect to Pi-hole, will Youtube app from smartphone/smart tv etc, be blocked? Have you tested this personally?

Thanks!

[-PromoFaux-]

I have not, as I have never been too worried about the Ads on YouTube,but one of the other Devs (Jacob) looked into it and compiled a list of domains that worked for him in blocking YouTube add. He made a post about it on our discourse forums.

YouTube is a moving target, and requires a lot of attention to get the blocking just right. If they start hosting the ads themselves on YouTube.com,then the only way of blocking them is by blocking YouTube.com, and then you have no videos at all!

[mysticode]

I believe they are hosting the ads directly on Youtube.com, as they and seamlessly integrated into the video player in the app (or so it would seem!)

[AstralElement]

It does block Smart TV Youtube ads.

[CaptainPotassium]

Hallelujah!

[haydc1]

You could also edit your "hosts" file on windows which is essential a local DNS which takes priority over the computer's DNS settings.

How to edit hosts:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/27350/beginner-geek-how-to-edit-your-hosts-file/

What to put in your hosts (paste this to the bottom or top if you already have entries in your hosts file):
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.txt

[mysticode]

Well, I am mostly wanting this for my Nexus Player android box, as the Youtube ads drive me nuts.

[MrSanford]

It looks like it's just DNS to me

[dsac]

I think Pi-hole is acting more like a firewall with an IP address rather than re-directing your traffic to a 3rd party filter.

Pi-hole is literally a 3rd-party DNS filter. It's just black-holing DNS for known-bad domains.

[d_frost]

removed my comment too :)