# Pi hole stops working after a few days

**URL:** <https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [September 2, 2022, 8:46am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484 "2022-09-02T08:46:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![masterhacka](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/masterhacka/32/32301_2.png) [@masterhacka](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/masterhacka)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 8:46am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/1 "2022-09-02T08:46:00Z")

</div>

#### Please follow the below template, it will help us to help you!

### _If you are Experiencing issues with a Pi-hole install that has non-standard elements (e.g you are using `nginx` instead of `lighttpd`, or there is some other aspect of your install that is customised) - please use the [Community Help](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/c/bugs-problems-issues/community-help/36) category._

## Expected Behaviour:

Pi hole working any Time.

## Actual Behaviour:

Hi there,

I set up pi-hole on a clean Raspberry setup. Everything works fine so far, but after a few days I don't have access to any URLs. Pi hole doesn't show any faults. Setting DNS away from pi hole in router settings will give internet access again.

What can I do? Please help

## Debug Token:

[https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/c2CaIn6V/](https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/c2CaIn6V/)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jfb](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jfb/32/4332_2.png) [@jfb](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/jfb)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/2 "2022-09-02T14:51:17Z")

</div>

Your debug log shows that Pi-hole is working normally:

```auto
*** [DIAGNOSING]: Name resolution (IPv4) using a random blocked domain and a known ad-serving domain
[✓] web-reco.searchmachinevisionnsweb-reco.marketing-ns.prod-cvs.net.zooplus.it is 0.0.0.0 on lo (127.0.0.1)
[✓] web-reco.searchmachinevisionnsweb-reco.marketing-ns.prod-cvs.net.zooplus.it is 0.0.0.0 on eth0 (192.168.88.145)
[✓] doubleclick.com is 142.250.185.174 via a remote, public DNS server (8.8.8.8)

```

Let's take a look at the traffic volume Pi-hole is processing. Please post the output of this command from the Pi terminal:

`echo ">stats >quit" | nc localhost 4711`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![masterhacka](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/masterhacka/32/32301_2.png) [@masterhacka](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/masterhacka)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 3:10pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/3 "2022-09-02T15:10:47Z")

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![image](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/uploads/default/original/3X/8/4/8483b290038e2834b432f60dbf10fb8e35cfb32e.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jfb](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jfb/32/4332_2.png) [@jfb](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/jfb)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/4 "2022-09-02T15:16:55Z")

</div>

This is not particularly high traffic volume, but your debug log shows a few periods when the upstream DNS server has not responded due to a burst of DNS traffic:

```auto
   -----tail of FTL.log------
   [2022-09-02 04:06:08.758 570M] Resizing "FTL-dns-cache" from 200704 to (12800 * 16) == 204800 (/dev/shm: 4.6MB used, 225.2MB total, FTL uses 4.6MB)
   [2022-09-02 07:27:04.752 570M] WARNING in dnsmasq core: Maximum number of concurrent DNS queries reached (max: 150)
   [2022-09-02 07:27:05.754 570M] SQLite3 message: database is locked in "INSERT INTO message (timestamp,type,message,blob1,blob2,blob3,blob4,blob5) VALUES ((cast(strftime('%s', 'now') as int)),?,?,?,?,?,?,?);" (5)
   [2022-09-02 07:27:05.755 570M] add_message(type=5, message=Maximum number of concurrent DNS queries reached (max: 150)) - SQL error prepare: database is locked

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![masterhacka](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/masterhacka/32/32301_2.png) [@masterhacka](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/masterhacka)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/5 "2022-09-02T15:30:02Z")

</div>

Is it possible to increase this queries limit or anything else I can do?

When the Limit is reached the whole internet access is blocked until I change the DNS server or restart pi hole

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jfb](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jfb/32/4332_2.png) [@jfb](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/jfb)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 5:15pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/6 "2022-09-02T17:15:33Z")

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I would take a look at what client is making the volume of requests to hit this limit, and work from there.

`echo ">top-clients (15) >quit" | nc localhost 4711`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![masterhacka](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/masterhacka/32/32301_2.png) [@masterhacka](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/masterhacka)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 5:38pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/7 "2022-09-02T17:38:58Z")

</div>

Here is the output, sorry I am really noob in this:

 ![image](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/uploads/default/original/3X/6/7/67751b8d01538cc057e31e27e6bb072fdc8aff4e.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jfb](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jfb/32/4332_2.png) [@jfb](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/jfb)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/8 "2022-09-02T18:01:09Z")

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It looks like the majority of your DNS queries are coming from the Fritz Box IP, but they are unlikely to be originating with that device.

> [@Why do I only see my router's IP address instead of individual devices in the Top Clients section and Query Log?](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/why-do-i-only-see-my-routers-ip-address-instead-of-individual-devices-in-the-top-clients-section-and-query-log/3653):
>
> A nice feature of Pi-hole is that you can see which network devices are sending out the most DNS queries. For every device that is [using Pi-hole as their DNS server](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how-do-i-configure-my-devices-to-use-pi-hole-as-their-dns-server/245), you can also see which DNS queries each one has made. But depending on a few things, you may only see a single host in your Top Clients section, which is not as useful. This isn't detrimental to the performance of your Pi-hole; it just provides you with less insight into [what's happening on your network](https://pi-hole.net/2017/02/22/what-really-happens-on-your-network-find-out-with-pi-hole/). So w…

I do note that your DHCP server (the Fritz Box) appears to be passing out it's own IP for DNS, and not the IP of the Pi-hole:

```auto
*** [DIAGNOSING]: Discovering active DHCP servers (takes 10 seconds)
   Scanning all your interfaces for DHCP servers
   Timeout: 10 seconds
   
   * Received 548 bytes from eth0:192.168.88.1
     Offered IP address: 192.168.88.145
     Server IP address: 192.168.88.1
     Relay-agent IP address: N/A
     BOOTP server: (empty)
     BOOTP file: (empty)
     DHCP options:
      Message type: DHCPOFFER (2)
      server-identifier: 192.168.88.1
      lease-time: 864000 ( 10d )
      renewal-time: 432000 ( 5d )
      rebinding-time: 756000 ( 8d 18h )
      netmask: 255.255.255.0
      router: 192.168.88.1
      dns-server: 192.168.88.1
      domain-name: "fritz.box"
      broadcast: 192.168.88.255
      ntp-server: 192.168.88.1
      Port Control Protocol (PCP) server: 192.168.88.1
    
   DHCP packets received on interface lo: 0
   DHCP packets received on interface eth0: 1

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![masterhacka](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/masterhacka/32/32301_2.png) [@masterhacka](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/masterhacka)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/9 "2022-09-02T18:38:43Z")

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Is there anything I can do without using pi holes DHCP?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bucking\_Horn](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/bucking_horn/32/18719_2.png) [@Bucking\_Horn](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/Bucking_Horn)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 11:29pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/10 "2022-09-02T23:29:57Z")

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Instead of configuring your Fritzbox to use Pi-hole as upstream DNS server, did you consider to configure your Fritzbox to distribute Pi-hole's IPv4 as local DNS server instead of its own?

Also, you may want to go over [Making your network take advantage of Pi-hole](https://docs.pi-hole.net/main/post-install/#making-your-network-take-advantage-of-pi-hole) as well as [Fritz!Box (EN) - Pi-hole documentation](https://docs.pi-hole.net/routers/fritzbox/).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![masterhacka](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/masterhacka/32/32301_2.png) [@masterhacka](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/masterhacka)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 7:36am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/11 "2022-09-03T07:36:00Z")

</div>

Thanks I will give it a try.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/uploads/default/original/3X/7/c/7c8792f649eeb921c5d2b4c41564ffa873d9a2b8.png) [@system](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 7:36am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-stops-working-after-a-few-days/57484/12 "2022-09-24T07:36:16Z")

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