Pihole in docker creates dozens of devices in network

Help
1

Hello guys,

  • Operating System (Family and Version) : Debian 12.1 Bookworm
  • Hardware : Home server HP
  • Docker compose file or Docker run command : Docker Compose
  • Docker engine version: 28.1.1

Actual Behaviour:

I have a pihole instance installed in a docker container and it is working prety well so far. But i'm having a question regarding the network section. I have around 50 pages of ip adress in addition of my network devices that use pihole. Almost all of them are ipv6 and have zero queries recorded.
I tried delete them but they keep coming back and the list keep growing everyday. I don't know where they come from.

Debug Token:

the debug token

Thanks for your help understanding that situation.

EDIT : i've noticed also that now i'm having DNSMASQ_WARN that says :
no address range available for DHCP request via "xxxxxxx"

i guess it is because of the dozens of network devices that the range is full.

2

Pi-hole cannot create network interfaces.

Interfaces are created on the host or by docker.

Can you please post your compose file or docker run command used to start the container?

3

Thanks for your answer

Here is my docker compose file :

services:
  pihole:
    container_name: Pihole
    image: pihole/pihole:2025.04.0
    network_mode: host
    environment:
      - TZ=Europe/Paris
      - FTLCONF_dns_listeningMode=all
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
    volumes:
      - /opt/pihole/config/etc-pihole:/etc/pihole
      - /opt/pihole/config/etc-dnsmasq.d:/etc/dnsmasq.d
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN 
      - SYS_TIME
    restart: unless-stopped

I use pihole for my DHCP and for my DNS too.

4

Any help on this ?

Thanks

5

My questions still opened about that dozens of devices i see in the Tools >> Network list.

Thanks

6

This may indicate a short lifetime for your router's IPv6 prefixes or IPv6 lifetimes.
Also, some OSs set lifetimes for temporary IPv6 addresses as low as 2 hours, i.e. there could be as much as 12 IPv6 addresses per prefix and machines network interfaces a day, in addition to link-local IPv6 addresses and non-temporary IPv6 addresses.

Depending on your router's and individual client's IPv6 configuration, your observation may be expected, as far as IPv6 addresses are concerned.

But as none of those addresses would seem to use Pi-hole for DNS, you may want to check your router's IPv6 DNS details: If your router would advertise its own IPv6 as local DNS server, your IPv6 devices may bypass your Pi-hole via your router.

7

THanks for your answer,
On my ISP router the IPv6 DNS and IPv6 DHCP are disabled. Pihole is my DNS and my DHCP.
On the Pihole instance, IPv6 (and IPv4) are checked for the DNS settings. And i've enabled also IPv6 in the DHCP settings.
Should i do something more ?
Thanks for your help

8

Ended up disabling ipv6 on my host and on docker.
Problem solved :grin:

9

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