The issue I am facing:
The pi hole is blocking ads but the phone is not.
Details about my system:
Typical Pi hole setup.
What I have changed since installing Pi-hole:
Nothing. Need help ASAP. How do I set up the phone so it is blocking ads as well?
Your phone is likely using another DNS server. Check you settings. If on Android,
disable "private DNS".
There is no option for DNS settings. It's a Comcast router. Also the Pihole itself is not working..all zeros in the dashboard even though I reinstalled upgraded and repaired the installation a million times.
you need to let all your network clients (phone, notebook, TV, ...) tell to use Pi-hole as their DNS.
For that, you need to change the settings of your DHCP server (your router is your DHCP server) and insert pihole's IP as DNS IP. Or, you turn off the DHCP server in your router and let Pi-hole handle DHCP as well.
How do I do that with a Comcast router? I'm a newbie and this is Greek to me.
I don't know how to access the web interface of your comast router and change DHCP settings. Comcast would be the one providing instructions.
Do you know what your routers IP is? Type the IP of your pihole in a browser but replace the last digit with a 1. Then try to login.
Did all that and it doesn't work. Thanks anyway.
If you have a Windows computer / laptop you can use that to find your router's IP:
cmd and press enteripconfig and press enterThis will give you a list of your network interfaces and on one (usually called wifi0 / lan / eth0 or something similar) there will be a line that looks like:
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
That's your router's address - make a note of it.
ping pi.hole and press enterWhatever is listed there is your PiHole's IP address:
Pinging pi.hole [192.168.1.2] with 32 bytes of data:
With these two bits of information, you can log in to your router's interface by visiting that IP in your browser (e.g. Edge / Chrome / Firefox), for example:
http://192.168.1.1
(obviously use the IP address that you found from ipconfig, this is just a common example). Without knowing your router's model it's not really possible to help with the interface, but you then need to find the DNS settings. You need to swap whatever that says for your PiHole's IP address (often have to change this from "Automatic" to manual). Save.
Anything that then connects to your network will look for domain resolution through your PiHole.
At this point, everything should work, but if your laptop uses your PiHole and your phone doesn't then you'll need to play with your phone's settings. For me (Android 11), these are listed in:
Network and Internet > Wi-Fi > [Name of your Network] > Advanced
If your DNS setting doesn't match your PiHole IP, then you'll need to edit your network (disconnect and edit I think).
You should also turn off Private DNS mode:
Network and Internet > Wi-Fi > Advanced
And check that Chrome (if you're using that Browser) isn't using DNS over HTTPS (DOH) or anything else (disable those): Guide.
Good luck!
I still need help,the Pihole installation bus all screwed up and now I'm ready to just give up:(
From reading the other thread it seems that you're unlucky enough to have an Xfinity router (Comcast's own one). Sadly from a little bit of Googling, you can't change the DNS settings on those devices so as to use a PiHole:
There are two ways to go here:
Personally, I'd go with option 1) and get that PoS Xfinity thing out of my network. Just my 2¢!
Whichever option you choose, you will need to know all of your ISP settings to configure the replacement...
Good luck!
If you are looking to buy a replacement, Comcast do have a system to check what you're buying will be compatible:
Don't give up.
You are fighting something your gateway will not let you do.
Just buy one that is compatible and configurable. Who knows: you may save money by handing Comcast back their POS router and not be charged a monthly fee for it.
Actually,I have the Comcast Prepaid service. The router is mine.
In the other thread, you gave the router model number and UseGithubDammit researched it and found its DNS is not configurable.
You repeated it in this thread "How do I do that with a Comcast router? I'm a newbie and this is Greek to me." You may own it, but they control it.
I trust his work.
Or, you can go with #2 and put a router behind it.
Honestly, now that I think about it: I would choose a really good router with lots of ram and memory that can use custom firmware, because you might change ISPs and you would be stuck with a Comcast specific gateway/router.
This stuff is not easy. No wonder you are frustrated.
Yes especially since I'm totally new to it all. I've been given a lot of information and the lack of knowledge is not helping. I didn't want to give up on it. O well. Thank you all.
Okay...
I suggest a router that will run custom firmware.
Read up on it. DDWRT, Tomato, OpenWRT.
Some are easier than others for people that are new.
You do not need to spend a lot of money, or you can. Tp-Link makes affordable wifi routers that can be flashed with custom firmware. But you have to read up and make sure.
You ae just unlucky that you have a gateway/router fighting you. You do not even need to get to know firmware. Read up on custom firmware before you choose. Then, when you catch up, up you can change to firmware that you, really control.
Any router that will let you flash will allow you to configure it, out of box, to make this easier.
Even a $30.00 US router will let you fix all of your issues out of the box. It may not be the best in 5 years, but you make more an hour than the hours you have used up trying to fight this.
You could even repurpose an old computer tower or laptop, and use opensource firmware and turn it into a wifi router. I do not suggest it, but you know, options and determination.
YouTube has hundreds of videos on how to do all these things.
TL;DR YouTube.
P.S. and this community is great: come back and ask anything anytime.
You got this far.
You can finish this.
You can close it by picking a reply and saying problem solved, or
you can keep it open and keep on keeping on.
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