How to block most ads on all devices in your home network, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, by using powerful routers that support custom firmware like DD-WRT, custom DNS ad-blocking servers like NextDNS.io and AdGuard, or setting up your own DNS server with Pi-hole.
Advertising has become an unavoidable part of our online experience. Ads are everywhere, from social media platforms to search engines, and even on our favorite websites. These ads can be intrusive, disruptive, and annoying, making it hard for us to focus on what we’re doing online. Thankfully, there are ways to block ads, and one of the most effective ways is to block them at the DNS level on your router.
Blocking ads at the DNS level on your router ensures that all devices on your home network, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, are protected from ads. This method is especially useful for mobile devices, where it’s harder to block ads than on desktops or laptops. In this article, we’ll explore how to block ads at the DNS level on your router.
Blocking Ads on Desktops
Blocking ads on desktops is relatively easy, and there are popular browser extensions like uBlock Origin and Adblock Plus that can do the job effectively. These extensions work by filtering out requests to known ad-serving domains and hiding the ads from the user. However, some websites are using cutting-edge technologies to avoid ad-blockers, making it difficult for extensions to block ads effectively. Websites like Twitch.tv fall into this category, and sometimes, you need to use both uBlock Origin and Adblock Plus to block ads effectively.
Blocking Ads on Mobile Devices
Blocking ads on mobile devices is more challenging than on desktops because mobile devices use different operating systems and have different hardware specifications. However, there are still ways to block ads effectively on mobile devices, and one of the most effective ways is to block them at the DNS level on your router.
- Buying a powerful router that supports custom firmware like DD-WRT
DD-WRT is a popular custom firmware for routers that provides additional features and options for users. One of the features of DD-WRT is the ability to block ads at the DNS level by loading ad blocklists straight into your router. This method blocks ads before they even reach your devices, ensuring that all devices on your home network are protected from ads.
However, not all routers support DD-WRT, and even if they do, you need a powerful router to handle the load of blocking ads at the DNS level. If you have a router that supports DD-WRT, this is an effective way to block ads on all devices on your home network.
- Using custom DNS ad-blocking servers inside your router or mobile devices
Another way to block ads at the DNS level is to use custom DNS ad-blocking servers like NextDNS and AdGuard inside your router or mobile devices, not the one provided by your ISP. These services provide DNS servers that filter out requests to known ad-serving domains, blocking ads before they even reach your devices, you use them in your router.
NextDNS is a cloud-based service that offers advanced features like AI-powered malware blocking, parental controls, and more. AdGuard, on the other hand, is a standalone DNS server that you can install on your own hardware or virtual machine. Both services are effective at blocking ads at the DNS level, ensuring that all devices on your home network are protected from ads.
- Using your own DNS server with Pi-hole
Pi-hole is an open-source project that turns your Raspberry Pi into a DNS server that blocks ads and other unwanted content. Pi-hole filters out requests to known ad-serving domains and hides ads from users, ensuring that all devices on your home network are protected from ads.
Pi-hole is a popular option for blocking ads at the DNS level, and there are many tutorials online that can help you set it up on your Raspberry Pi. If you’re not comfortable with setting up Pi-hole, there are also pre-built Pi-hole images available that you can download and use.
Blocking ads at the DNS level on your router is an effective way to block ads on all devices on your home network. However, it’s important to note that blocking ads at the DNS level won’t block all ads. Some ads may still slip through, especially those that are served through HTTPS connections or those that are embedded within apps. If you would like to block also the ads served through HTTPS connection, use NextDNS service “Private DNS” option, if your mobile device supports it.
Blocking ads at the DNS level also won’t stop websites from tracking your online activity. To protect your privacy, it’s important to use other tools like VPNs and anti-tracking extensions in conjunction with ad-blocking methods.
If you want to block ads on all devices on your home network, blocking them at the DNS level on your router is an effective solution. You can do this by using a powerful router that supports custom firmware like DD-WRT, using custom DNS ad-blocking servers like NextDNS.io and AdGuard, or setting up your own DNS server with Pi-hole. While this won’t block all ads, it will be enough to block most of the ads on mobile devices, including those in apps from Android PlayStore and iOS.