Actual proper setup for pihole rpi3a+ on Asus router using Merlin firmware

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I'm coming here after 3 days of scouring the web between snb forums, official Asus, various random reddits, and other forums, the raspberry guide all of it is either outdated and or not using the correct wording or it's not right and my stuff ain't working, basically I would like to use pihole on a raspberry pi 3a+ OR ANY AT THIS POINT with the router being an ASUS router that runs Merlin firmware with webgui being retained on all devices and not just working on one device, and having both ipv4 and ipv6 successfully working because unfortunately I do need both working :sweat_smile:

Expected Behaviour:

Pihole to Just work :person_shrugging:, I can watch all the easy install video guides and read up down left right but unfortunately it seems having an ASUS router running Merlin is a nightmare situation :rofl: I just expect the internet to work still, the Asus routers webgui working across all devices that can use it not just one device and then the rest can't, having both ipv4 and IPv6 working successfully and being resolved (I understand ipv4 can technically resolve IPv6 but unfortunately i do need both working)

  • Raspberry pi OS 64-bit Debian Trixie (lite), raspberry pi OS 64 bit recommended option.
  • Raspberry pi 3 model a+
  • Whatever the one one auto command is

Actual Behaviour:

It does not seem proper filtering is happening either between the pie hole or the router, I'm not sure at this point, it got to a point when I couldn't even have Internet working without pihole running, I also lost full access to the my Asus routers web GUI entirely at one point with or without the pihole on the network I have already since done a full router reset. No matter what I look up or try to do, I kept getting a connection error at UDP port, I unfortunately forget the number for that but I know it has something to do with my IPv6 stuff not being resolved properly and I'm not sure where it's not lol. I straight up am asking for new step by step instructions or a new guide on this because again I've tried all the other stuff and it's resulted in so much headache, I did try searching on here also and it also seems like it's a little bit of a headache just having an ASUS router in general but unfortunately there's less for when they run merlin

Debug Token:

Don't have that, treat me like I have fresh router settings now, no pihole being used because that's exactly what I'm doing now

Please upload a debug log and post just the token URL that is generated after the log is uploaded by running the following command from the Pi-hole host terminal:

sudo pihole -d

I mean I literally can't I don't have anything set up for it now straight up with how difficult this has been for me I gave up :person_shrugging: so I fully formatted the SD card I was using, so I'm coming here as a last resort last Hope option honestly, so do you want me to entirely go through the process of adding this to my raspberry pi again just to do that?

Apparently I misunderstood your issue.

I thought you had Pi-hole installed and now you only needed help with your router settings.

I just asked for the debug log because if it were a Pi-hole configuration problem, the debug log would show it. If the debug log didn't show any errors, then the problem was probably with the router settings.

Without Pi-hole installed, it's impossible to guess what the problem was.

No. I'm not asking you to install it again.

But when/if you decide to install Pi-hole again, you can try to generate a log and post here.

i have come back, in a better mind lol im really sorry i was very frustrated. i have consulted snb forums and got a proper setup from them for my asus router using merlin firmware, as well as figuring out i had to actully turn on the ipv6 settings in the pi itself for them to properly work (at least im hoping lol) here this is tho finally lol. https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/Dq8yscME/

At first sight, your debug log doesn't show any issues.

Also, it shows the router is correctly advertising Pi-hole as DNS server:

      dns-server: 192.168.50.59
      router: 192.168.50.1

Apparently your devices are now using Pi-hole as DNS server and ads should be blocked.
Are you still having problems?

1 Like

Everything is really fine now??? Holy hek finally :sob::face_holding_back_tears: I suppose I don't need help with anything anymore if you're saying everything looks fine now, like I said this has been a three day struggle for me due to multiple sources mainly for my Asus router having multiple outdated guides and basically needing to beg someone to give a somewhat updated one and I guess that worked finally lol.

could i send another log just to make sure im not having any loops or anything? i changed a couple settings and wanna make sure