How to block ads and websites throughout your home with Pi-hole

How to block a specific website for the whole family using Pi-hole? It's happened to you, I'm sure: you're trying to read the news or play a game on your phone and suddenly an intrusive ad pops up and ruins the moment. The worst part is that even if you know how to install an ad blocker in your browser, many family members They have no idea how to do it or have simply resigned themselves to living with that annoying advertising. This is where Pi-hole comes in, a brilliant solution that, instead of going device by device, cleans the network from the ground up.

Imagine Pi-hole as a doorman at your front door, checking every outgoing internet request. When your TV or mobile phone asks for an advertising address, the doorman says that That website doesn't exist. and blocks access. This way, the ads don't even get downloaded, which not only leaves the screen clean, but also speeds up page loading and protects the privacy of everyone who connects to your WiFi.

What exactly is Pi-hole and why is it cooler than AdBlock?

Unlike extensions we install in Chrome or Firefox, which only work within the browser, Pi-hole is a private DNS serverThe DNS is essentially the internet's address book, translating names like google.com into IP addresses. Pi-hole gets in the way of that process and, if it detects that the destination is a tracking or ad server, it returns an empty response.

The great advantage is that it is invisible to the userYou don't have to configure anything on your dad's phone or your nephew's game console. It blocks telemetry from Smart TVs (which constantly report what you watch), ads for free apps, and invasive tracking from manufacturers. It's basically... a global shield for your home which saves data and improves security.

The necessary equipment: Hardware and options

The best thing about this system is that it's extremely lightweight; you don't need a powerful computer for it to work. You have several options depending on what you have at home:

• Raspberry Pi: It's the classic option. A Raspberry Pi Zero 2W is ideal because it consumes very little power (barely 1 watt) and is very inexpensive. If you have an old Raspberry Pi gathering dust in a drawer, now is the perfect time to give it a second life.
• NAS or Mini PC with Docker: If you already have a server at home (like a Synology or QNAP), installing Pi-hole as a container is the smartest move, as you don't add any more cables or new hardware.
• Any machine with Linux: Although it was created for the Raspberry Pi, it can run on almost any Linux distribution or even in the cloud.

Step-by-step installation guide

If you choose the traditional method with a Raspberry Pi, the first step is to install the operating system (Raspberry Pi OS Lite is usually sufficient). Once you have SSH access, simply run the official command: curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bashThe assistant will guide you through the setup, where you will need to choose a upstream DNS provider (such as Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 or Quad9) for non-advertising queries.

It is essential that the Raspberry Pi has a static IP addressIf the IP address changes every time the router restarts, you'll lose internet access throughout your house. You can fix the IP address using the setup wizard or, even better, by creating a network configuration file. IP reservation by MAC in your router's management panel.

For those who prefer Docker, a single file is all that's needed. docker-compose.yml Defining the official image and mapping ports 53 (for DNS) and 80 (for the web panel). A golden tip: Avoid using the :latest tag and lock onto a specific version to prevent an automatic update from breaking your whole family's connection.

Network configuration: The step where many fail

Installing the software is the easy part; the critical part is getting your devices to start using Pi-hole. You have three options:

The easiest way is to access your router's settings and look for the section on DHCP server and change the primary DNS by your Raspberry Pi's IP address. This way, any device that connects to the Wi-Fi will automatically receive the correct configuration. However, keep in mind that some ISP-provided routers are locked and don't allow this change.

If your router is a "brick" and doesn't let you touch anything, you'll have to go device by device and manually change the DNS settings in your network settings. It's a tedious process, but it's the only alternative if you don't want to buy a better-quality, third-party router that gives you complete control over your network.

Mastering the control panel and blocklists

Once installed, you access the web interface by entering the Raspberry Pi's IP address followed by /adminHere's your network remote control. In the section of Query Log You can see in real time who is trying to connect to which server, which is fascinating (and sometimes disturbing) to discover how much your smart appliances are spying on you.

True power lies in the AdlistsPi-hole comes with a basic list, but you can add community sources like OISD or Firebog. Just don't go overboard adding dozens of lists; if you do, you'll start to... break legitimate websites or payment gateways. Ideally, you should aim for a balance with one or two robust lists and then use the Whitelist to allow specific domains that you need.

Solving real problems and limitations

Not everything is perfect. There's an elephant in the room: YouTube and TwitchSince these sites serve ads from the same domain as the video, Pi-hole can't block them without also loading the video. For this, you still need uBlock Origin on your PC or alternative apps like SmartTubeNext on Android TV.

Another common problem is someone at home complaining that "the internet is acting weird." If the Pi-hole crashes, the house loses its DNS and it seems like there's no connection. To avoid family drama, you can set up a Secondary DNS on the router (like 1.1.1.1). If the Pi-hole goes down, traffic will flow through the secondary one, and even if the ads return, at least you won't have anyone yelling that the network isn't working.

For the most demanding users, the next step is to install Unbound along with Pi-hole. This turns your device into a recursive DNS server, eliminating dependence on Google or Cloudflare and maximizing privacy, as you resolve requests yourself by directly querying the internet's root servers.

Having a DNS filtering system at home is one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make. For a minimal hardware investment, you can clean up internet traffic in every corner of your home, protect your family's privacy, and centrally eliminate spam, making your network a much healthier and faster environment.