blocking ads online

[cmarshall]

For those with some linux/raspberry pi skills, there is now an open-source solution to block internet advertising for your whole lan, pi-hole, from pi-hole.net.  Basically, you set up your own DNS server on the pi, running any linux OS, on your lan, then you point your router to the pi as the only DNS server, if your router offers that feature, otherwise it has to be set at the device level.  The pi-hole application functions as a forwarding dns server with a set of blacklists for known advertising sites.  When you pull up a web-age the ads on the page send DNS requests to the pi, which just drops them if the requested url is on the blacklist, otherwise it forwards the request to an upstream DNS server.  If you also choose, for instance, 9.9.9.9 as the upstream DNS server, that server will drop requests to known malware sites.

 

So, this means that any device on your lan, including your unrooted smartphone, is now almost totally free of ads.  And you needn't get those pleading popups to turn off ad-blocking.   Pi-hole also provides an interface with nice graphics:

Edited February 10, 2019 by cmarshall

[jackdd]

I prefer the browser extension uBlock Origin

Of course you have to install it on every device, but it not only blocks the ads, but also removes the div containers which can't be achieved with your solution

[Fruit Trader]

I have the same network wide DNS solution which also includes a little parental control using a PI but prefer notrack and its tracker lists. Pihole does have a really nice superior user interface though.

https://github.com/quidsup/notrack

 

[cmarshall]

13 hours ago, Fruit Trader said:

I have the same network wide DNS solution which also includes a little parental control using a PI but prefer notrack and its tracker lists. Pihole does have a really nice superior user interface though.

https://github.com/quidsup/notrack

 

Good suggestion.  i'll add the notrack blocklist to my pihole blocklist.

[Oxx]

Since this is blocking at the domain level it's useless where the ads and the content are served from the same domain.

[cmarshall]

1 hour ago, Oxx said:

Since this is blocking at the domain level it's useless where the ads and the content are served from the same domain.

That's true, but that accounts for the minority of ads.  

[Fruit Trader]

5 hours ago, Oxx said:

Since this is blocking at the domain level it's useless where the ads and the content are served from the same domain.

If ad content is delivered from a specific folder or sub domain it can be added manually. No ad blocking method can distinguish between real content and ad content if its distributed randomly throughout a domains folders.

[Oxx]

3 minutes ago, Fruit Trader said:

If ad content is delivered from a specific folder or sub domain it can be added manually. No ad blocking method can distinguish between real content and ad content if its distributed randomly throughout a domains folders.

 

Wrong on two counts:

 

(1) The application concerned is blocking at the DNS level, so there can be no blocking of specific folders.

 

(2) Ad blocking software such as uBlock and AdBlock Plus can distinguish between real content and advertisements, blocking either by pattern (e.g. block anything containing "banner" or "ads" in the URL), or by the individual URL.  This can require a certain amount of training, but will ultimately be successful.

[Fruit Trader]

5 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

Wrong on two counts:

 

(1) The application concerned is blocking at the DNS level, so there can be no blocking of specific folders.

 

(2) Ad blocking software such as uBlock and AdBlock Plus can distinguish between real content and advertisements, blocking either by pattern (e.g. block anything containing "banner" or "ads" in the URL), or by the individual URL.  This can require a certain amount of training, but will ultimately be successful.

I can add abcdomain/banners to my list

How can Adblock or whatever possibly know about a custom ad delivery plan

[Oxx]

1 hour ago, Fruit Trader said:

I can add abcdomain/banners to my list

How can Adblock or whatever possibly know about a custom ad delivery plan

 

No doubt you can.  However, you're not talking about the product which is the subject of this topic which can only block at the domain/subdomain level.

 

AdBlock uses a variety of lists with custom filters which address a lot of common ad URL formats.  If one gets through, one simply adds it to the list with a couple of clicks and will never see it again.

[cmarshall]

17 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

No doubt you can.  However, you're not talking about the product which is the subject of this topic which can only block at the domain/subdomain level.

 

AdBlock uses a variety of lists with custom filters which address a lot of common ad URL formats.  If one gets through, one simply adds it to the list with a couple of clicks and will never see it again.

To point out the obvious, it's not a question of either/or.  There's no need to turn off the ad blocker in the browser just because pi-hole is running.  Blocking at the dns level is particularly advantageous for some apps on your unrooted smartphone.