Using Pi-Hole with Private Internet Access VPN software possible?

I got Pi-Hole up and running on my Raspberry Pi 3. I can set the DNS to it and all is fine. However I also use the VPN of Private Internet Access on my Windows 7 machine and simply use their software app (which uses encryption) to connect to the VPN. If I enter my Raspberry Pi static IP for the DNS, it doesn't work. The browser never resolves the DNS. If I enter Google's, it works, but I'm not getting the advantage of the private DNS on the Raspberry.

Is there a way to get the Raspberry Pi DNS to work with Private Internet Access software when using a VPN?

Could you clarify where you're entering your Raspberry Pi's static IP? A screenshot may help. If I had to guess, it sounds like you're entering it somewhere within Private Internet Access' client. I wouldn't think using a local DNS would be an issue, but I'm not certain.

The reason the pi-hole is not working is because you have DNS leak protection enabled in the PIA settings. You can disable the feature, but you need to be using version .62 from their downloads page.

Uncheck this box in the picture below:

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Thanks dan019.... that did the trick! Working fine now.

I'm glad it worked! We can mark as resolved.

Hi,

I've run into this problem as well on MacOS but DNS leak protection is enabled by default and doesn't seem to be something I can toggle off. I've tried to set my DNS in the DNS settings of MacOS, but it doesn't override the PIA application.

"This can be enabled and disabled in the Windows application, while it is enabled by default on our macOS application."
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/client-support/
(look under the DNS leak protection section)

Is there another solution possibly?

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like bobsburgers above I have this same issue. Anyone identified a solution to this yet?

This is obviously old but, is there a different method for using the Android version of the software? Like using pia on a firetv and also having pihole block ads for example? I didn't see a version of pia vpn for Android that had dns leak protection options...

Just curious, Would the same problem occur if one was to use openvpn client with pia credentials instead of the pia software?

I was wondering the same thing. If you turn on OpenVPN and connect to a PIA server, the DNS settings of the PIA adapter change to PIA's DNS servers. I changed my IPv4 settings on my PIA network adapter to only use the Pi-Hole rather than the defaults and that fixed the issue. Just hoping that doesn't adversely affect the VPN.

An old topic but the first hit on google - I use PiHole with PIA-VPN on my computers.

I think I can get them working by using the PiHoles DNS with DNS leak protection disabled etc etc, but doesn't that compromise security and defeat the point of using a VPN?

so point pihole to like, google?

https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-openvpn-client-on-asus-merlin-router/6764

followed this guide here along with support from PIA to get the VPN on my router, but I think my router just isn't fast enough to do the encryption so my net was slow and I just abandoned it. I've got my my pihole setup connected to my router anyway so anything not using the VPN app is still using it, eg;

In the Pi-Hole admin panel in your browser, go to settings, then click the DNS tab. If you put the PIA’s dns settings instead of google or - heaven forbid - your isp, that will allow you to turn off PIA dns leaking in the PIA settings while enjoying the benefits of Pi-Hole. If you’re using your isp dns by default, you need to start from the beginning because your understanding of these tools was clearly flawed from conception.

One issue though when doing this, is trying to load pages that are blocked by the Pi-Hole but not dns. In that case, you. Need to allow the pia to take control of dns settings to go around the Pi-Hole’s dns influence.

Thinking of doing this (Pi-hole & PIA coexisting) but on a Synology DS918+... Anyone out there got a guide on how to do it? I have Pi-hole working... just scared of the PIA part... not to mention the coexistance!

What if you subscribe to a VPN service that also has a desktop app but it does not have a 'turn off dns leaks' ? there's nothing pertaining to leak protection.

are there ways to achieve the same via checking if the router has something to modify?