I chose the third method for using the Pi-Hole, i.e., by configuring each device to use Pi-Hole as DNS server. I found this to be the better and most straight forward method for my case. If the Pi-Hole stops working, for whatever reason, only the computers that are using it as a DNS server are affected. Besides, I was not able to figure out how to set the PiHole up as global DNS server in my new Verizon Gigabit router although I was able to do that with my old Verzion Quantum router. It worked out for me for several years until I had a problem with an update and everything stopped working.
Anyway
I setup both Windows laptop and desktop ethernet/wifi connections to use PiHole RapberryPi as DNS server under the IPv4 protocol Properties/General/Advanced/DNS tab, as described on Pi-Hole.net. I input the PiHole IP address there and clicked the option of using that address as DNS server.
The desktop blocks all the ads just fine, the laptop doesn't.
I think, but I am not sure, that the problems stems from using the IPv4 and IPv6 protocols, for the following reason: initially, desktop and laptop had both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols turned on under Connection-Properties. As stated before, the desktop blocks the ads the laptop doesn't
If I uncheck the IPv6 protocol on the laptop then the laptop starts blocking the ads.
That doesn't make too much sense, why the discrepancy
I tried to setup the PiHole as DNS server under IPv6 protocol as well but it asks me for the IPv6 IP address of the Pi-Hole and I am not sure which one that is.
Can anybody figure out what am I doing wrong because I am sure I am missing something. If I wasn't too clear in my description please let me know.
Your router is advertising itself as DNS server using IPv4 and IPv6.
Your manual configuration of your clients IPv4 overrides the setting in the routers DHCP settings for IPv4. but not for IPv6. One of your clients prefers IPv6 over IPv4 so uses your router for DNS over IPv6.
Googling for how to disable DHCP on a Verizon router threw up this link.
The first part of your reply makes sense in explaining how the clients work between choosing IPv4 and IPv6. But why would I want to disable the DHCP on the router.
My whole issue with the PiHole is that if I use its DHCP function, which is what I think you are suggesting by disabling the router DHCP function, and something goes wrong with the Pi-Hole Raspberry, as it happened in the past, all devices on my network will go out ... and you do not want to hear the shrieking voices coming after me when that happens.
I think I figured out how to disable the DHCP function of the new router already, before asking for help, what I couldn't figure out is how to point to the PiHole Raspberry Pi as the new DNS server because I believe that that has to happen as well. So that was one of the reasons I gave up on that method. Secondly, I find this configuration of the Pi-Hole much better for me because, as I mentioned before, I just want my own devices to use it and not the rest of the members of my family.
My immediate thought was to do to the IPv6 setting what I did to the IPv4 setting. I just don't know what is the IPv6 address of the Pi-Hole. I could also turn off the IPv6 protocol on the router, I haven't tried that yet, but I am not sure that that will work or if it is recommended at all.
Sorry if I didn't get what you're proposing, I am not very well read in network protocol stuff and I have limited understanding of what's going on. I would appreciate further clarifications. Many thanks.
For the IPv6 address of your raspberry pi, ssh to it ( I use putty on a pc) and type ifconfig. The command will list your interfaces and their addresses.
ifconfig gives out alot of other information but once I figured which is the IPv6 address, which looks something like this, 2600:4041:79fd:c00:24b9....., completely different format than an IPv4 address, and once the address was accepted as valid, everything was the same. Pretty cool.
I find this method much easier than to mess with the router settings where when something goes wrong, which it will, sooner or later, your entire network goes haywire. Than, you have to remember what you did in the first place to undo everything and after that the DHCP might change the network configuration yet again, not sure about that but it will likely happen. With my router, I even found the user guide pdf file and with all that, it's still not clear to me how to go about making pihole a DNS server.