What are the benefits and drawbacks of using Pi-hole as a DNS blackhole for your network?

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If you want to block unwanted ads, trackers, and malware on your network, you might have heard of Pi-hole, a DNS blackhole that filters out unwanted domains. But what are the benefits and drawbacks of using Pi-hole as a DNS blackhole for your network? In this article, we will explore some of the pros and cons of Pi-hole and help you decide if it is right for you.

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Michael S.

Infrastructure, Security & Compliance Leader
Paul Farrar

Starting a new role as a 3rd line HPC sysadmin
Anton TETERIN

IT Magician

1 What is Pi-hole?

Pi-hole is a free and open source software that runs on a Raspberry Pi or other Linux device and acts as a DNS server for your network. DNS, or Domain Name System, is the service that translates human-readable website names into numerical IP addresses that computers use to communicate. Pi-hole intercepts DNS queries from your devices and checks them against a list of known malicious or unwanted domains. If a domain is on the list, Pi-hole returns a blank response, effectively blocking it. This way, Pi-hole can prevent ads, trackers, and malware from reaching your devices and improve your browsing experience and privacy.

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Michael S.

Infrastructure, Security & Compliance Leader
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If you're serious about your personal security, running a Pi-hole adds an additional layer of isolation and reporting which will give you insight into devices you have on your network, allowing you to know more about where your devices connect to (often without you knowing) and how often they are transmitting this data.

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Anton TETERIN

IT Magician
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The most advantage is awareness what is happening within network (who are clients and their requests). As a side: local traffic filter.

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Bharath S.

Cybersecurity Researcher | Engineering Leadership | Consulting
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It also helps create a DNS query log, to see what URLs are accessed in your network. A clean dashboard and tailable live log can be viewed in admin console.

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2 What are the benefits of Pi-hole?

One of the main benefits of Pi-hole is that it can block ads and trackers across your entire network, not just on your browser. This means that you can enjoy a cleaner and faster web experience on any device, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. Pi-hole can also block domains that host malware, phishing, or other malicious content, adding an extra layer of security to your network. Another benefit of Pi-hole is that it can reduce your bandwidth usage and data consumption, as it prevents unwanted traffic from reaching your devices. This can save you money and improve your network performance, especially if you have a limited or slow internet connection. Finally, Pi-hole is easy to install and customize, as it has a user-friendly web interface and a variety of options to adjust your settings and preferences.

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Bharath S.

Cybersecurity Researcher | Engineering Leadership | Consulting
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A single pane view of your network and current network traffic. DNS query , White list , black list websites. Allow / deny feature. Instant and scheduled pause / in pause feature from the UI.

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3 What are the drawbacks of Pi-hole?

Pi-hole is not without its drawbacks, however. One of the main drawbacks of Pi-hole is that it can sometimes block legitimate or useful domains, such as online banking, streaming services, or software updates. This can cause some websites or applications to malfunction or break. To avoid this, you need to regularly update your blocklists and whitelist the domains that you trust or need. Another drawback of Pi-hole is that it can create conflicts or compatibility issues with other DNS services or devices on your network. For example, some routers or ISPs may not allow you to change your DNS settings or may override them with their own. Some devices may also have hardcoded DNS settings that bypass Pi-hole. To solve this, you need to configure your network and devices properly and use Pi-hole as your only DNS server. A third drawback of Pi-hole is that it can expose your DNS queries to potential snooping or interception, as it does not encrypt them by default. This can compromise your privacy and security, especially if you use public or untrusted networks. To prevent this, you need to enable DNS over HTTPS or DNS over TLS on Pi-hole, which encrypts your DNS queries and protects them from prying eyes.

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Bharath S.

Cybersecurity Researcher | Engineering Leadership | Consulting
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The online update of blacklist URL may be misleading at times. May need versioning and snapshot features. DNSSEC is a must feature to be turned on.

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4 Who should use Pi-hole?

Pi-hole is not for everyone, but it can be a great solution for some users. You should use Pi-hole if you are looking for a network-wide ad blocker that can improve your web experience and privacy. You should also use Pi-hole if you are comfortable with tinkering with your network and devices settings and troubleshooting potential issues. You should not use Pi-hole if you are happy with your current DNS service or ad blocker, or if you are not willing to deal with the possible drawbacks of Pi-hole. You should also not use Pi-hole if you do not have a spare Raspberry Pi or Linux device to run it on, or if you do not have the technical skills or knowledge to install and configure it.

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Paul Farrar

Starting a new role as a 3rd line HPC sysadmin
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The choice of block list you deploy to Pi-Hole makes a big difference to the need for white listing sites. Getting the balance right is the key. I find the "green" lists on firebog.net a good balance and have had very few sites I have had to add to the white list because of problems caused by the lists I have installed.

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Chip Owen

President at CroEfficient Technology
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Any whitelist or blacklist dns service is going to cause an expense to user Internet cost of management. It must be decided if the expense of the protection is worth the hassle and cost of managing user complaints when it blocks what they legitimately need.

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5 How to install and configure Pi-hole?

If you decide to use Pi-hole as a DNS blackhole for your network, you need to follow some steps to install and configure it. First, you need to get a Raspberry Pi or another Linux device and connect it to your network. Second, you need to download and run the Pi-hole installation script, which will guide you through the setup process. Third, you need to change your network and devices DNS settings to point to the IP address of your Pi-hole device. Fourth, you need to access the Pi-hole web interface and customize your blocklists, whitelists, and other options. Fifth, you need to enable DNS over HTTPS or DNS over TLS on Pi-hole to encrypt your DNS queries. Sixth, you need to test your Pi-hole and enjoy its benefits.

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What are the benefits and drawbacks of using Pi-hole as a DNS blackhole for your network?

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1 What is Pi-hole?

2 What are the benefits of Pi-hole?

3 What are the drawbacks of Pi-hole?

4 Who should use Pi-hole?

5 How to install and configure Pi-hole?

Domain Name System (DNS)

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