The modern internet is built in a way where free content often comes bundled with trackers, intrusive banners, and other unpleasant extras. In browsers, this is usually handled with extensions, but that approach has a major limitation: it only works inside the browser. Meanwhile, interaction with today’s internet goes far beyond a PC browser. Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and in-app traffic remain outside that protection.
Pi-hole solves this problem by acting as a local DNS filter that blocks advertising and tracking domains at the network level.
Pi-hole Explained in Simple Terms
Pi-hole is a service that you install on your own device — a Raspberry Pi, a mini PC, a home server, or even a virtual machine — and then set as the DNS server for your network.
When you open a website, your device sends a DNS request to resolve a domain name into an IP address. Pi-hole intercepts these requests and checks them against blocklists. If the domain is on a list, the request is denied. If it’s a legitimate domain, Pi-hole forwards the request to an upstream DNS resolver of your choice — for example, Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, or your ISP.
Because of this approach, Pi-hole works very broadly. It affects not only websites in your browser, but also apps and services that access the internet and rely on DNS.
What Pi-hole Does Well — and What It Doesn’t
Pi-hole is a very useful tool, but it’s important to understand its limits.
Pi-hole is good at:
— blocking ad, analytics, and tracking domains across the entire network;
— showing statistics on which domains are requested and by which devices;
— quickly adding exceptions or manually blocking specific domains.
Where Pi-hole is less effective:
— if ads are embedded directly into content and served from the same domains as legitimate data, DNS blocking is less effective;
— Pi-hole is not a VPN and does not encrypt traffic — it focuses on DNS filtering, not anonymity;
— it is not an antivirus or a complete security solution.
Where Pi-hole Is Commonly Deployed
The most popular use cases are home networks and small offices. You need a device that runs reliably and is on the same network as your other devices.
Pi-hole is most often installed:
— on a Raspberry Pi (which is where the project gets its name) or a similar mini computer;
— on a home server or mini PC;
— on a virtual machine within the local network;
— on a VPS. In this case, a VPN tunnel is usually added so devices can securely use the DNS server from anywhere.
Installing Pi-hole on Debian / Ubuntu
Below is the most common installation path.
1) Prepare the system and set a static IP
Pi-hole must always be reachable at the same address. If the IP changes, devices may lose DNS access and internet connectivity can become unstable. In practice, this is usually done by reserving an IP address on the router (DHCP reservation) or by configuring a static IP directly on the server.
2) Update system packages
sudo apt updatesudo apt upgrade -y3) Run the installer
The official installation command is:
curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash4) Complete the setup wizard
During installation, you will be prompted to:
— select a network interface (usually eth0 or wlan0);
— choose an upstream DNS resolver;
— enable default blocklists;
— configure the web admin interface.
After installation, the web panel is typically available at:
http://YOUR_SERVER_IP/admin
Initial Configuration After Installation
Pi-hole can forward requests to a public DNS resolver (Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, etc.) or to a local resolver. If you want more control and privacy, a common setup is Pi-hole + Unbound, where Unbound acts as a local recursive resolver. Pi-hole provides an official guide for this configuration.
You should also think about access to the admin interface. Ideally, the web panel should only be accessible from the local network or via VPN. This is not a service you want to expose directly to the internet without a clear understanding of the risks.
Connecting Devices: Making Pi-hole the DNS for the Entire Network
The most convenient option is to configure Pi-hole as the DNS server on your router. This way, all devices automatically use it, and you don’t need to change settings on every phone or laptop.
If your router doesn’t allow custom DNS settings, there are two fallback options:
— manually configure DNS on each device;
— in some cases, enable DHCP on the Pi-hole itself.
After changing DNS settings, it’s a good idea to verify that requests are actually going through Pi-hole. You’ll usually see client and domain statistics appear in the admin interface almost immediately.
Competitors and Alternatives: What Else to Consider
Pi-hole is not the only way to block ads at the network level. If Pi-hole doesn’t suit your needs, there are several solid alternatives.
AdGuard Home
A similar concept: a network-level DNS blocker that sinks tracking domains. It’s often chosen for its richer feature set out of the box and a more user-friendly interface.
Technitium DNS Server
More than just a blocker — it’s a full-featured DNS server with a web console. In addition to ad blocking, it supports more advanced DNS scenarios. Suitable for users who need greater flexibility.
NextDNS and Control D
Cloud-based DNS filtering services. Nothing needs to be installed — you just configure DNS settings. These are convenient if you don’t want to maintain your own server and need filtering to work everywhere, not just at home.
Final Thoughts
Pi-hole is especially useful if you have multiple devices and want a single, network-wide filter without installing extensions or apps on every client. It makes the internet noticeably cleaner while giving you full control over what is blocked, what is allowed, and how traffic is monitored.
If you need filtering to work consistently both at home and on the go, and you don’t want to maintain your own server, cloud DNS solutions like NextDNS or Control D are worth considering. And if you want a more “all-in-one” solution with additional features out of the box, AdGuard Home often turns out to be a convenient alternative.