Raspberry Pi, a small yet powerful computer, has become a popular tool for various DIY (Do It Yourself) projects, including creating custom ad blockers. Pi-hole is a software that acts as a network-wide ad blocker, blocking ads at the DNS (Domain Name System) level for your entire home or office network. By installing Pi-hole on Raspberry Pi, you can effectively eliminate most unwanted ads from websites and applications without the need to install ad blockers on individual devices.

Hardware and Software Setup

Before you start installing Pi-hole on your Raspberry Pi, make sure you have:

1. Raspberry Pi (recommended model 3B or newer) with Raspberry Pi OS installed on an SD card.
2. Power supply for the Raspberry Pi.
3. Ethernet cable for connecting the Raspberry Pi to your router, or you can use Wi-Fi if your Raspberry Pi model supports it.
4. Internet access for downloading necessary software.
5. External monitor, keyboard, and mouse for Raspberry Pi setup (optional, can be done via SSH).

Installing Pi-hole

After preparing all necessary hardware and ensuring internet connectivity, follow these steps to install Pi-hole:

1. Connect to Raspberry Pi: Connect to your Raspberry Pi using SSH (if configured) or directly through an external monitor and keyboard.

2. Update and Upgrade: First, update and upgrade your system by running the following commands in the terminal:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt upgrade
   

3. Install Pi-hole: To install Pi-hole, run the following command in the terminal:

   curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash
   

   This script will guide you through the entire installation process, including setting up a static IP address for your Raspberry Pi, which is necessary for Pi-hole to function correctly.

4. Configure Pi-hole: After installation, you can access the Pi-hole admin interface via a web browser by entering the IP address of your Raspberry Pi in the address bar. Here, you can edit blocklists, view statistics, and customize Pi-hole according to your needs.

Setting Up Clients to Use Pi-hole as DNS

To have your devices utilize Pi-hole for ad blocking, you need to configure them to use Pi-hole as their DNS server. This can be done either by changing DNS settings on individual devices or by setting Pi-hole as the DNS server directly on your router, which will automatically make all devices on the network use Pi-hole for DNS queries.

Installing Pi-hole on Raspberry Pi is an efficient way to block unwanted ads on all devices in your home or office network. By blocking ads at the DNS level, Pi-hole is able to perform filtering more efficiently and with minimal impact on performance, making your Raspberry Pi a powerful tool for enhancing the online experience.