RedsonRedson.
← Back to ideas

Redson Dev · Idea

IoTIntermediateAges 18+1 hour

Block ads on every device with a $35 Raspberry Pi

Published April 24, 2026

Pi-hole is a DNS-level ad blocker for your whole house. Phones, smart TVs, console games — everything served from your router gets ads stripped before they ever load. Works in 20 minutes.

What you'll need

  • Raspberry Pi (any model from Pi 3 onward)
  • microSD card (8GB+)
  • Power supply
  • Ethernet cable (recommended) or Wi-Fi
  • Admin access to your home router

Step-by-step

  1. 01

    Flash Raspberry Pi OS Lite

    Use Raspberry Pi Imager. In the advanced menu, set hostname (pihole.local), enable SSH, and pre-fill Wi-Fi credentials.

  2. 02

    SSH in

    `ssh pi@pihole.local`. Default password is what you set in Imager. Run `sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y` first.

  3. 03

    Install Pi-hole

    `curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash`. Accept defaults — it'll pick an upstream DNS (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 is great) and install a web UI.

  4. 04

    Set a static IP

    The Pi MUST keep the same IP. Either set DHCP reservation in your router or configure /etc/dhcpcd.conf with a static.

  5. 05

    Point your router's DNS at the Pi

    In your router admin, set primary DNS to the Pi's IP. This pushes Pi-hole to every device on the network automatically. No client config needed.

  6. 06

    Open the dashboard

    http://pihole.local/admin — login with the password printed at install. You'll see queries, blocked %, top domains. Add extra blocklists from firebog.net for more aggression.

Tips

  • Some sites break (login redirects, video pre-rolls). Toggle 'Disable for 5 minutes' from the dashboard when needed.
  • Don't expose the admin UI to the internet. If you want remote access, use Tailscale.
#raspberry-pi#network#privacy
← More ideas