PiHole is connected to network and can see devices. Doesn't block ads

mitchbade · July 13, 2023, 1:32am

Expected Behaviour:

Block ads. Testing on Android device. Setup on Windows 10.

Actual Behaviour:

I previously had this PiHole up and running smoothly at a previous house. I couldn't get it to work at my new place and have done a fresh install. I have tried numerous things with no results and I suspect the router settings. I can see the devices when I log into my PiHole but it only picks up a few queries.

I have kind of reset everything so the debug my not show the correct settings. I've tried setting the DNS as my PiHoles ip on the router and that doesn't work. From my rudimentary understanding, I believe the DNS to be the culprit because the query log shows just a handful of domains being picked up.

Debug Token:

https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/HyP5aOVj/

rdwebdesign · July 13, 2023, 3:54am

The debug log shows Pi-hole is working, but your router is not distributing Pi-hole's IP as DNS server.
It is actually advertising itself:

      router: 192.168.1.1
      domain-name: "lan"
      dns-server: 192.168.1.1

Where did you try to set the IP?
On the DHCP (sometimes is called LAN or local network) section? Or on the WAN / Internet section?

You should try to set Pi-hole as DNS server on the DHCP/LAN section.
After that you'll need to force the devices to renew DHCP leases, so they can use the new settings.

mitchbade · July 13, 2023, 4:14am

I tried messing around with the addresses section as well to no avail.

Here's the most current debug log.

https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/xSvnuwpJ/

yubiuser · July 13, 2023, 1:27pm

While the setting page looks promising, it doesn't say if the DNS setting apply to the router itself (WAN) or the DHCP (LAN).
There seems to be no specific setting for DNS under the LAN tab.

In you last debug log, your router still advertises only itself as DNS server.

You could try to disable the routers DHCP server and activate Pi-holes DHCP server. If you can't disable it, limit the DHCP as much as possible and use a non-overlapping pool on Pi-hole.

mitchbade · July 13, 2023, 4:28pm

Would that look something like this? I had tried this setup in the past with no luck. The debug log still shows the router as the DNS.

(I tried it both with the routers DNS option turned off and on)

https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/P8zcqMhe/

yubiuser · July 13, 2023, 5:06pm

The debug now shows rightfully 2 DHCP servers on your network. One of them (Pi-hole) advertises itself as DNS server.

      broadcast: 192.168.1.255
      dns-server: 192.168.1.70
      domain-name: "lan"
      router: 192.168.1.1

You need to dis/reconnect your devices from the network to pickup the new settings.

mitchbade · July 13, 2023, 5:34pm

I've tried restarting my router, PiHole and phone(along with forgetting the network and starting a new connection). Same result. Would a full unplug of everything be necessary?

Here are my phone settings just to make sure I'm doing those right.

yubiuser · July 13, 2023, 6:06pm

Don't insert another DNS server next to Pi-hole. Why don't you use IP assignment via DHCP? Did you turn off Private DNS?

mitchbade · July 13, 2023, 6:37pm

Please forgive me if I misinterpret anything as I have a basic understanding of these settings.

insert another DNS

If that's referring to the 8.8.4.4 address, that's actually blank. There's no address there.

IP assignment via DHCP

I thought I had to manually point my phone to the Pi-hole using the static setting? I've tried using the DHCP setting on my phone and get the same result.

turn off Private DNS

I turned it off yesterday as a potential solution and have kept it off since.

I really appreciate both of you helping me.

yubiuser · July 13, 2023, 8:17pm

Ah... I didn't spot that.

In theory with the above setup (2 DHCP servers), your phone should pick up Pi-hole as DNS server via DHCP as well.

Good.

__

So despite static IP on your phone you don't see queries on the Pi-hole's Query log?

mitchbade · July 14, 2023, 12:50am

I can see only a handful of queries. It's usually from when I restart a device so I know it's talking to it. I use an app and Chrome to test each time and ads have shown up every time. I've tried turning off mobile data and no results. I tried it on my desktop while turning off uBlock and there were ads everywhere.

Just to recap, here is where everything is set and the most current debug log:

This is the query log after browsing for a while on my phone and desktop.

https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/dHFOMvsq/

yubiuser · July 18, 2023, 8:24pm

I'm not sure why it's not working. It looks like your RokuLivingRoom is using Pi-hole as DNS server and a device with IP ending in .180 (which interestingly is outside of your DHCP scope) as well.

You debug log expired, please generate a new one.

mitchbade · July 18, 2023, 10:52pm

I believe that .180 address is my desktop that I've been troubleshooting everything on which is interesting.

Would having my network hidden be an issue? It's currently hidden but I have tried it with it not and it made no discernable difference.

Current debug log as of today: https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/VxypHNPT/

mitchbade · August 2, 2023, 4:01pm

Any possible solution?

Posting a reply so the topic doesn't close just yet.

deHakkelaar · August 3, 2023, 2:02am

DHCP is for IPv4.
Have you checked for IPv6?
Other DNS servers (not Pi-holed) can be advertised through IPv6 routere advertisement.
On that Windows machine, what does below show when run in a CMD prompt?

netsh interface ipv6 show dnsservers

Are all those (if a couple of them) Pi-holed?

mitchbade · August 4, 2023, 6:33pm

I think you might be onto something. Here's the log from when I ran the CMD prompt. Also, a screenshot of my router, which to my understanding, shows that a IPv6 is being used?

C:\WINDOWS\System32>netsh interface ipv6 show dnsservers

Configuration for interface "Ethernet"
DNS servers configured through DHCP: None
Register with which suffix: Primary only

Configuration for interface "Local Area Connection 2"
Statically Configured DNS Servers: fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Register with which suffix: Primary only

Configuration for interface "Local Area Connection"
DNS servers configured through DHCP: fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Register with which suffix: Primary only

Configuration for interface "Local Area Connection* 1"
DNS servers configured through DHCP: fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Register with which suffix: Primary only

Configuration for interface "Local Area Connection* 10"
Statically Configured DNS Servers: fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Register with which suffix: Primary only

Configuration for interface "Local Area Connection* 13"
DNS servers configured through DHCP: fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Register with which suffix: Primary only

Configuration for interface "Wi-Fi"
DNS servers configured through DHCP: 2001:4860:4860::8888
2001:4860:4860::8844
Register with which suffix: Primary only

Configuration for interface "Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1"
Statically Configured DNS Servers: fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Register with which suffix: Primary only

deHakkelaar · August 4, 2023, 8:05pm

Is above client connected through Wifi?
Both above IP's are Google's and would cause the clients to use these DNS servers bypassing Pi-hole blocking (IPv6 is preferred over IPv4):

pi@ph5b:~ $ dig +short -x 2001:4860:4860::8888
dns.google.

pi@ph5b:~ $ dig +short -x 2001:4860:4860::8844
dns.google.

Consult your router manual how to configure DNS for IPv6.
Or if not possible, you could opt to disable IPv6 support on the router entirely for your LAN only ... if router settings allow.

mitchbade · August 5, 2023, 1:12am

How can I tell what client that is? The only thing using LAN right now is two TV's so it's possible it's one of those. My phone still shows ads and I can't even disable IPv6 on that.

The Google Fiber router only allows me to enter IPv4 addresses for DNS. Searching around, it doesn't seem I can configure for IPv6. Could you elaborate on what that entails because I'm not sure I'm looking in the right place.

Don't think this is possible with the Google Fiber router.

Would I be able to disable IPv6 if I bought a specific router or is that an ISP controlled thing?

mitchbade · August 5, 2023, 1:18am

Or hell, I'm open to switching ISP's at this point.

deHakkelaar · August 5, 2023, 3:11am

With "client" I meant the Windows machine that you run that netsh command on.
That command only exists on MS OS'es.
And that MS client having Google's IPv6 addresses configured for DNS probably means all your clients have them configured.
Below command run on that MS machine should also confirm having IPv6 DNS addresses configured:

ipconfig /all

Those IPv6 RA's are coming from your router and if you cant change or disable IPv6 RA DNS, only thing left is configuring all your devices with static DNS IP details manually.

Most affordable consumer routers allow to configure specific IPv6 settings.
For Pi-hole the only thing important is that the router supports advertising IPv6 ULA prefixes via IPv6 RA like depicted in below screenshots:

And that you can actually change DNS servers that are advertised via IPv6 RA (either for IPv6 SLAAC or DHCPv6 address assignment).

EDIT: This guy explains allot of those details nicely: