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The syntax is: dhcp-option=6,IP_of_Pi-hole. The screenshot below was taken from DD-WRT and is only meant to be illustrative: Many firmwares have a section in their respective web GUIs listed under DHCP or DNS for this.
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On the router, use a custom dnsmasq config entry to advertise the IP of the Pi-hole box. Ad blocking/network monitoring provided by Pi-hole.The ability to resolve hostnames on the LAN.If you have this capability, there are a few benefits: This method is very similar to method 1, but if your router has an advanced firmware (OpenWRT, DD-WRT, Tomato, etc.), you probably have more options available then what you would find on a stock router purchased from the store. Advertise Pi-hole's IP address via dnsmasq in the router (if supported) You can usually force a renewal by restarting the device. Important: If you have existing network devices on your network when you make this change, you will not see ads getting blocked until the DHCP lease is renewed. This setting is found in the Web interface ( ) > Settings > DNS and define the Upstream DNS entries: They should have been configured during installation of Pi-hole, but you want to verify you have designated upstream DNS servers. If you set another server in your router, it's possible your ad blocking may be negatively affected. Note: make sure you adjust this setting under your LAN settings and not the WAN.Īgain, Pi-hole should be the only DNS server set here as Pi-hole already delivers the other upstream servers. Log into your router's configuration page and find the DHCP/DNS settings. For example, connecting to a machine behind the router by its hostname will not work.
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The ability to resolve hostnames on the LAN.logging of DNS requests tied to individual machines by their respective hostnames) will be unavailable unless you use the hosts file on Pi-hole (all requests will show as originating from the router itself). This method may not be possible to enable on some routers depending on the feature set exposed to the firmware if you are running an advanced firmware, you may want to look at method 2. For many home users, their router settings pages will look similar. If you have other DNS servers configured, you may be sent to the correct domain, bypassing Pi-hole completely.īecause of this, we recommend this method (or method 2) as all your devices can be protected and you only need to change one setting. Only is italicized here for a reason: Pi-hole needs to be the only DNS server because it intercepts queries and decides whether or not they should be blocked. Define Pi-hole's IP address as the only DNS entry in the router Rationale
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Generally, there are three different methods that will enable devices on your network to be protected by Pi-hole.
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