Run a pihole at home, and VPN into your network. No ads, no privacy issues, and you can access your network devices ‘locally.’ if you don’t need a ton of speed, it’s the best thing you can do for privacy and control.
For additional content, you can accomplish ad blocking in a number of ways. The ones that immediately spring to mind:
browser extension: most modern browsers have some extension framework available. I’ve been using ublock origin for a number of years with reasonable results
VPN: some VPNs include ad blocking as a side benefit to their primary function. Nord doesn’t seem to block ads on all mobile apps or is at least inconsistent in my experience
Network packet filter/PiHole: this has been on my to-do list for a while. Catches network traffic that looks like ads before it even reaches your device. Most involved and least portable
A Pi-hole is easy to set up if you already have a Raspberry Pi and a router that supports changing the DNS (I had one that was rented from an ISP that didn’t).
It is. And even if you wanted to localize it to specific devices, there’s also a standalone version. I’m using it on my laptop with Arch and it’s pretty good. Adblocking on the go, or if you don’t want (or can’t) mess with the router for some reason.
The only option (other than mitm-ing yourself and stripping ads from the html maybe) for blocking first party ads or spoofed first party ads is ublock origin on firefox
dns filtering can only block domains, ublock does full cosmetic filtering.
Ive been using DNS filtering for years and many sites actually collapse the advert space when it’s not used, and while a plug-in certainly can improve the UI, the DNS blocking also disables the resulting tracking, the network requests still happen with the plugins.
Additionally DNS filtering happens outside of a browser as well, so will block ads in literally every app as well, when setup correctly it’s also device independent.
When I still ran my own PiHole, there where days where as much as 60% of the traffic was adverts and trackers.
DNS filtering also extends to blocking things like malware and spam domains
It was originally developed to run on a raspberry pi so most installers are Linux based. There is no installer for windows but you could run pinole on Docker Desktop in a VM.
If you’re running it using Docker, that’s a container not a VM. And that IS the way you would want to run it, in a container. They’re easy to set up, easy to use, and easy to maintain.
Yeah but Docker Desktop uses a VM, either in WSL2 or Hyper-V. Docker Engine on Linux doesn’t use a VM and that’s what’s typically used for hosting services.
Docker is a container platform. Docker Engine is the container host for Linux and Docker Desktop uses a virtual machine to run Docker Engine and containers in that VM.
For example, if you use Docker Desktop on Windows, Docker Desktop will run Docker Engine in a WSL2-based VM and then run containers inside that.
First, stop talking to me like I don’t know this already. Second, these facts don’t make me wrong or you right. The implication of what was said is that you run VM’s on docker. The fact is, you don’t. Stop arguing.
I meant you could run pihole as a container in docker on a windows VM if you really wanted to. Personally I run it on a docker instance and also on a dedicated LinuxVM on a seperate host for redundancy, but that’s probably overkill.
Lots of scams and even computer viruses will be sent out though the ad network so it is best to just block all ads so you don’t have to interact with potentially bad add.
not to throw more shade at twitch, but they have a strict no gambling policy or atleast no unregulated crypto gambling policy…
but they have ads for gambling sites on their own website before you watch a stream.
I mean adguardDNS. That can raise some questions.
And as for Cyprus, many russian companies are based there just to avoid sanctions. That means nothing
To add to this, you can install AdGuard Public DNS mobile config file, and tweak it (via profile builder on their website) to add family protection and change from just a pseudo VPN to DNS over HTTPS, TLS + add Wi-Fi networks for it to ignore automatically and exclude some domains.
Ofc it is. You don’t just block ads, you also block trackers and so on. I think of it as a privacy thing no matter what jackarse says that it’s piracy.
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Run a pihole at home, and VPN into your network. No ads, no privacy issues, and you can access your network devices ‘locally.’ if you don’t need a ton of speed, it’s the best thing you can do for privacy and control.
For additional content, you can accomplish ad blocking in a number of ways. The ones that immediately spring to mind:
A Pi-hole is easy to set up if you already have a Raspberry Pi and a router that supports changing the DNS (I had one that was rented from an ISP that didn’t).
It is. And even if you wanted to localize it to specific devices, there’s also a standalone version. I’m using it on my laptop with Arch and it’s pretty good. Adblocking on the go, or if you don’t want (or can’t) mess with the router for some reason.
Love my pihole. Didn’t help with YouTube, which is the latest ad scandal.
Yeah, sites that hosts their own ads like yt can’t be blocked by dns-level blocking for the most part. You end up blocking yt itself.
On that front you need ublock in browser (for now) or a modded app like revanced on android, uyou on iOS, smarttubenext on firestick, etc.
Firefox Focus works on iOS as well, as does Safari with Focus’ Adblock rules imported!
The only option (other than mitm-ing yourself and stripping ads from the html maybe) for blocking first party ads or spoofed first party ads is ublock origin on firefox
dns filtering can only block domains, ublock does full cosmetic filtering.
Ive been using DNS filtering for years and many sites actually collapse the advert space when it’s not used, and while a plug-in certainly can improve the UI, the DNS blocking also disables the resulting tracking, the network requests still happen with the plugins.
Additionally DNS filtering happens outside of a browser as well, so will block ads in literally every app as well, when setup correctly it’s also device independent.
When I still ran my own PiHole, there where days where as much as 60% of the traffic was adverts and trackers.
DNS filtering also extends to blocking things like malware and spam domains
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/About-"Why-uBlock-Origin-works-so-much-better-than-Pi‑hole-does%3F" You are not correct. Ublock Origin is superior for tracking protection and also stops the network requests. DNS adblocking cannot stop first party tracking or ads.
I’ve had some good results with NextDNS, as well
I’ve been using NextDNS for over a year now and it’s great. Been using that with hagezi pro block list with great results and minimal breakage.
Any idea if it runs DNS over TLS? I’d prefer my DNS requests be encrypted.
Sure does. You can also do DNS-over-HTTPS. I have a 100% encrypted DNS request rate across all my devices and anything behind my router.
can you run pihole in VM? it would be practical for these weirdos that already use VM as a daily driver
It was originally developed to run on a raspberry pi so most installers are Linux based. There is no installer for windows but you could run pinole on Docker Desktop in a VM.
If you’re running it using Docker, that’s a container not a VM. And that IS the way you would want to run it, in a container. They’re easy to set up, easy to use, and easy to maintain.
Yeah but Docker Desktop uses a VM, either in WSL2 or Hyper-V. Docker Engine on Linux doesn’t use a VM and that’s what’s typically used for hosting services.
The way, what was stated, was stated, indicated that docker runs virtual machines. It doesn’t. It runs containers, right?
Docker is a container platform. Docker Engine is the container host for Linux and Docker Desktop uses a virtual machine to run Docker Engine and containers in that VM.
For example, if you use Docker Desktop on Windows, Docker Desktop will run Docker Engine in a WSL2-based VM and then run containers inside that.
First, stop talking to me like I don’t know this already. Second, these facts don’t make me wrong or you right. The implication of what was said is that you run VM’s on docker. The fact is, you don’t. Stop arguing.
I meant you could run pihole as a container in docker on a windows VM if you really wanted to. Personally I run it on a docker instance and also on a dedicated LinuxVM on a seperate host for redundancy, but that’s probably overkill.
i’ll just spin up another debian vm then
I believe so as long as your VM has an IP address reachable by the devices you want to use it for.
I’m not sure if you’d want to employ it as your DHCP server though. You may get a chicken and the egg problem there.
I’m a noob, can you elaborate?
Scam and Viruses come with ads very often, they also contain a shit load of tracking.
Ads are common attack vectors. Blocking them is a matter of security.
Lots of scams and even computer viruses will be sent out though the ad network so it is best to just block all ads so you don’t have to interact with potentially bad add.
MITM is the endgame
Facts. Fucking mobile ads are doing instant installs if you touch the ad, its highly disturbing.
Are you on android?
Yup
YouTube can go to hell. Frontends can still escape anti-adblock measure.
What are you guys using and why? Pihole Adguard home Or blocky?
On top of that, nobody should be forced to watch gambling or alcohol ads.
not to throw more shade at twitch, but they have a strict no gambling policy or atleast no unregulated crypto gambling policy… but they have ads for gambling sites on their own website before you watch a stream.
I shouldn’t be force to watch fucking anything and yet I’m constantly bombarded with ads fucking everywhere. They fly ads off planes for Christ sake.
We have a right to peace
iOS users have plenty of options here too
DNS and VPN blocks will work on most apps and all browsers.
I prefer Asguard dns and then Safari extension or Brave
I would not trust adguard as it is a russian company that nobody knows what it does to your data
They are locsted in Cyprus, and in fairness, they’ve got a much better reputation than most privacy/security companies out there.
Plus, depending on the service, adblocking is done locally.
I mean adguardDNS. That can raise some questions. And as for Cyprus, many russian companies are based there just to avoid sanctions. That means nothing
Of course, any DNS has the potential for abuse, but there’s no reason to not trust them vs any other DNS provider out there.
Like I said, their reputation is stellar in the privacy world, and that means more to me than where they are located.
I beleive its in Cyprus now - but fair point - NextDNS might be a better option in that case
To add to this, you can install AdGuard Public DNS mobile config file, and tweak it (via profile builder on their website) to add family protection and change from just a pseudo VPN to DNS over HTTPS, TLS + add Wi-Fi networks for it to ignore automatically and exclude some domains.
Edit: forgot to include link
https://adguard-dns.io/en/public-dns.html#:~:text=Android-,iOS,-Windows
Ofc it is. You don’t just block ads, you also block trackers and so on. I think of it as a privacy thing no matter what jackarse says that it’s piracy.