I tried Pi-Hole a couple of years ago, but ran into problems and subsequently abandoned it.
I've now had another go (on a Raspberry Pi and this time the installation was quite smooth and straightforward.
Initially it was blocking around 40% of queries, but that has now dwindled to 17%. This is over a couple of days. I've got 270,000 domains on my blocklist. Is this behaviour normal?
Is there a 'definitive' way of testing Pi-Hole? There are quite a few sites that claim to test adblocking, but they seem to be a mixed bunch.
Yes. The block percentage will change constantly, dependent on your clients and apps / browsing habits. The data is for the most recent 24 hour period.
Run a debug log and look at the output. We test domain blocking near the beginning.
For real world testing, visit cnn.com, which is crawling with ads that Pi-hole can block.
If it drops, it doesn't mean Pi-hole is failing. It only means there were less requests for blocked domains.
If you visit websites with less ads, the percentage will drop.
If you visit the same websites, but the websites reduce their ads, the percentage will drop.
If the lists you use change the domains on the list, the result will also change (removing false positives, for example).
I still get 'inline' adverts on news pages on my mobile 'phone. Any ideas how I can block them, please? (This is when my 'phone is connected to my lan.)
Jim