Pi-hole

Last updated
Pi-hole
Developer(s) Pi-hole, LLC [1]
Initial releaseJune 15, 2015;9 years ago (2015-06-15)
Stable release
5.18.3 [2] / 5 July 2024;5 months ago (5 July 2024)
Repository github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole
Written in Bash,
C (optional DNS server FTLDNS),
PHP, CSS (optional web console)
Operating system Linux
Licence European Union Public Licence
Website pi-hole.net OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Pi-hole is a Linux network-level advertisement and Internet tracker blocking application [3] [4] which acts as a DNS sinkhole [5] and optionally a DHCP server, intended for use on a private network. [1] It is designed for low-power embedded devices with network capability, such as the Raspberry Pi, [3] [6] but can be installed on almost any Linux machine. [5] [7]

Contents

Pi-hole has the ability to block traditional website advertisements as well as advertisements in unconventional places, such as smart TVs and mobile operating system advertisements. [8] It can also be configured to block specific websites, or apply parental controls.

History

The Pi-hole project was created by Jacob Salmela as an open source alternative to AdTrap [9] [10] in 2014 [11] and was hosted on GitHub. [12] Since then, several contributors have joined the project. [11]

Features

Pi-hole makes use of a modified dnsmasq called FTLDNS, [13] cURL, lighttpd, PHP and the AdminLTE Dashboard [14] to block DNS requests for known tracking and advertising domains. The application acts as a DNS server for a private network (replacing any pre-existing DNS server provided by another device or the ISP), with the ability to block advertisements and tracking domains for users' devices. [8] It obtains lists of advertisement and tracking domains from a configurable list of predefined sources, and compares DNS queries against them. If a match is found within any of the lists, or a locally configured blocklist, Pi-hole will refuse to resolve the requested domain and respond to the requesting device with a dummy address. [15]

Because Pi-hole blocks domains at the network level, it is able to block advertisements, such as banner advertisements on a webpage, but it can also block advertisements in unconventional locations, such as on Android, iOS and smart TVs. [8]

Using VPN services, Pi-Hole can block domains without using a DNS filter setup in a router. Any device that supports VPN can use Pi-Hole on a cellular network or a home network without having a DNS server configured. [16] Integrating Pi-hole with a VPN allows users to extend ad-blocking and tracker-blocking capabilities to devices outside their local network, providing consistent protection while on the go. This setup ensures privacy and security even on untrusted or public networks by funneling traffic through a secure connection. [17]

The nature of Pi-hole allows it to also block website domains in general by manually adding the domain name to a blocklist. Likewise, domains can be manually added to an allowlist should a website's function be impaired by domains being blocked. Pi-hole can also function as a network monitoring tool, [18] which can aid in troubleshooting DNS requests and network faults. [7] Additionally, it can enhance security by blocking malicious domains and phishing attempts, reducing the risk of malware infections on connected devices. [17] Pi-hole can also be used to encourage the use of DNS over HTTPS for devices using it as a DNS server with the cloudflared binary provided by Cloudflare. [19]

Difference from traditional advertisement blockers

Pi-hole functions similarly to a network firewall, meaning that advertisements and tracking domains are blocked for all devices behind it, whereas traditional advertisement blockers only run in a user's browser, and remove advertisements only on the same machine. [7] [20]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  2. ↑ "Release 5.18.3". 5 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Turn A Raspberry Pi Into An Ad Blocker With A Single Command". Lifehacker Australia. 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  4. ↑ "Adblock Everywhere: The Raspberry Pi-Hole Way". MakeUseOf. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  5. 1 2 "pi-hole/pi-hole". GitHub. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  6. ↑ "Pi-hole hardware kit". 2018-05-07. Archived from the original on 2019-08-14. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  7. 1 2 3 "Seven Things You May Not Know About Pi-hole". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  8. 1 2 3 Pounder, Les (2021-08-01). "How to Block Ads Network-Wide With Pi-hole on Raspberry Pi". Tom's Hardware . Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  9. ↑ "Block Millions Of Ads Network-wide With A Raspberry Pi-hole 2.0". Jacob Salmela. 2015-06-16. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  10. ↑ "Pi-hole: A Raspberry Pi Ad-Blocker with DNS Caching (Ultra-fast)". Jacob Salmela. 2014-06-11. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  11. 1 2 "pi-hole/pi-hole; Contributors". GitHub. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  12. ↑ Jeffries, Adrianne (2018-05-10). "Inside the Brotherhood of the Ad Blockers". Bloomberg.
  13. ↑ telekrmor (2018-02-22). "FTLDNS: Pi-hole's Own DNS/DHCP server". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  14. ↑ "pi-hole/pi-hole; The Origin Of Pi-hole". GitHub. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  15. ↑ "How does Pi-hole work?". Pi-hole Userspace. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  16. ↑ "Overview - Pi-hole documentation". docs.pi-hole.net. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  17. 1 2 "How to set up your network protection with Pi-hole" NordVPN Meshnet docs. Retrieved 2025-01-03
  18. ↑ "What Really Happens On Your Network? Find Out With Pi-hole". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  19. ↑ "Configuring DNS-Over-HTTPS on Pi-hole - Pi-hole documentation". docs.pi-hole.net. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  20. ↑ "Enjoy The Rio Olympics Ad-free With Pi-hole". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
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