Searching for Talk-a-tone and could only find one other conversation on the topic that is closed.
I tried to block Google DNS by updating the Route option under LAN in the Asus router. Results in Talk-a-tone not being able to connect and register with its servers but the ads still come thru.
Not sure if I am going about this all wrong. Any advice is appreciated. TIA.
Make sure that devices are using only the Pi-hole for DNS and that the relevant domains for the ads are blocked in Pi-hole. If devices use something else for DNS, or they use hard-coded IPs instead of domains for the ad servers, then they will be able to bypass Pi-hole.
You have created a static route for 8.8.8.8 (which is the IPv4 for one of G**gle's DNS servers). Any packet (not just DNS requests) destined to that IP address will be delivered to 192.168.0.6 instead.
A better way may be to configure your router to redirect all DNS traffic (port 53) apart from your Pi-hole machine's own to your Pi-hole machine.
That way, all DNS requests from your network clients would be forced through your Pi-hole, regardless which DNS server a client would try to get to (including G**gle's 8.8.8.8).
Not all routers would expose respective configuration options for their firewall.
If redirecting DNS isn't supported, you may be able to at least block outbound public DNS requests, again excepting your Pi-hole host machine.
As far as Talkatone is concerned, re-routing 8.8.8.8 may not contribute to your observation at all.
Maybe I need to clarify. There are two issues here.
When I "block Google DNS by updating the Route option under LAN in the Asus router Talk-a-tone is not able to reach its servers and stays offline. So cannot make / receive calls or txts.
The ads are not blocked either way. I assume Talk-a -tone has DNS settings hardcoded. or is using some other method to bypass.
Unable to do that as there is an issue with this version of the Asus Firmware. referenced here. the changes don't stick.
