Block Ads on ALL DEVICES (Smart TVs) — Simplest Pi-hole Tutorial

One Sentence Summary:

Learn how to set up a Raspberry Pi to block ads across your entire network using Pi-hole software.

Main Points:

1. You need a Raspberry Pi 02W, micro USB power, and micro SD card for setup.
2. Download and install Raspberry Pi OS Light using imaging software on your Mac.
3. Configure Wi-Fi, hostname, username, password, and enable SSH during setup.
4. Insert the micro SD into the Pi, power it on, and connect via SSH from your Mac.
5. Run Pi-hole installation commands to set up network-wide ad blocking.
6. Assign a static IP to your Pi-hole device through your router or network settings.
7. Choose Cloudflare DNS and add ad-blocking lists for effective filtering.
8. Access Pi-hole’s admin page to monitor traffic and customize block lists.
9. Change DNS settings on your devices or router to route traffic through Pi-hole.
10. Add specific blocking filters, like Disney Plus ad servers, for targeted ad removal.

Takeaways:

1. Using a Raspberry Pi for ad blocking is an affordable, effective solution for streaming without ads.
2. Proper network configuration ensures Pi-hole works seamlessly across all devices.
3. Custom DNS and block lists enhance ad blocking and improve streaming experience.
4. Regularly updating block lists and filters keeps your network protected from new ad sources.
5. Setting a static IP prevents connectivity issues and simplifies network management.

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SUMMARY

This tutorial shows how to build a cheap, network-wide ad blocker using Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. The main skill is installing Raspberry Pi OS Lite, SSH’ing into the Pi, installing Pi-hole, and then changing your router’s DNS settings so every device routes DNS through Pi-hole. It also covers hardening basics like setting a static IP and using Pi-hole’s admin dashboard to add blocklists and a regex filter. The primary tools are Raspberry Pi Imager + Raspberry Pi OS Lite + Pi-hole.

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DETAILED STEP-BY-STEP BREAKDOWN

0) What you need (prerequisites)

Hardware

• Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
• microSD card
• micro-USB power cable / power supply

Software

• Raspberry Pi Imager (to flash the OS)
• Raspberry Pi OS Lite (the “light” OS, no desktop)
• A computer with Terminal (macOS/Linux) or Command Prompt/PowerShell (Windows)
• SSH access enabled on the Pi
• Internet + Wi-Fi (Pi Zero 2 W is used over Wi-Fi)

Potential issues

• Underpowered power supply can cause instability.
• Wi-Fi misconfiguration (wrong country code) can prevent connectivity.

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1) Download and open Raspberry Pi Imager

1. Go to raspberrypi.com and download Raspberry Pi Imager for your OS (the video uses macOS).
2. Install and launch Imager, accept prompts.

Common mistake

• Selecting a desktop OS image when you don’t need it. Use Lite for servers.

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2) Flash Raspberry Pi OS Lite to the microSD card (with pre-config)

In Raspberry Pi Imager:

1. Choose Device: Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
2. Choose OS: Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit) (the transcript describes “Bookworm” and choosing the “light” OS)
3. Choose Storage: your microSD card
4. Edit Settings / OS Customization:
   • Hostname: e.g., pihole (the speaker says “PiHole.local”; the hostname itself should be pihole)
   • Username/Password: set a secure password
   • Configure WLAN: set Wi-Fi SSID/password
   • Wireless LAN country: set correctly (e.g., US)
   • Timezone/Locale
   • Enable SSH + password authentication
5. Click Write and wait until complete.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting Enable SSH → you can’t connect headlessly.
• Setting hostname as pihole.local instead of just pihole (mDNS appends .local automatically on many networks).

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3) Boot the Pi and SSH into it

1. Insert microSD into the Pi.
2. Plug in power (the transcript notes the USB port is used for power on this model).
3. Wait ~2–5 minutes for first boot.
4. SSH from your computer:

ssh <username>@pihole.local

Example (if username is pi):

ssh [email protected]

If prompted, type yes, then enter your password.

Common mistakes / fixes

• If pihole.local doesn’t resolve, use your router’s device list to find the Pi’s LAN IP and SSH to it:

ssh [email protected]

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4) Install Pi-hole

The transcript says “paste the Pi-hole install command from the docs.” The standard installer is:

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

Follow the installer screens.

Common mistakes

• Running the command without curl installed (rare on Raspberry Pi OS, but possible).
• Losing track of the admin password shown at the end (you can reset it later).

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5) Set a static IP (DHCP reservation)

Pi-hole must have a stable LAN IP so all devices can always find it.

1. In your router / mesh system app, find DHCP reservation / IP reservation.
2. Locate the device named like your hostname (pihole).
3. “Pin” or “Reserve” the IP so it stays constant.

The transcript mentions examples such as:

• Google Wi-Fi / Google Fiber / Nest WiFi Pro
• TP-Link Deco
• Router admin panels via common gateway addresses

Common mistakes

• Skipping this step → Pi’s IP changes → DNS breaks later.

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6) Choose upstream DNS + default blocklist + logging (during install)

During the Pi-hole installer:

• Choose Cloudflare as Upstream DNS (speaker recommends it)
• Enable the default blocklist (Steven Black’s Unified Hosts list is mentioned)
• Enable Query logging (helps you verify what’s blocked)

Common mistakes

• Turning off logging too early can make troubleshooting harder.
• Very aggressive blocklists can break legitimate services.

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7) Open the Pi-hole Admin dashboard and set your own password

1. Visit the admin UI:

• http://pihole.local/admin
  • or http://<pi-static-ip>/admin

1. If you want to set your own password (recommended), run on the Pi:

sudo pihole -a -p

Common mistake

• Typing “pseudo” instead of sudo (the transcript has typos in a few places).

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8) Point your network DNS to Pi-hole (critical step)

Pi-hole won’t show traffic until clients actually use it for DNS.

In your router / DHCP settings:

1. Find DNS / LAN DNS / Nameserver setting.
2. Set DNS server to the Pi-hole static IP (example format: 192.168.1.x).
3. Save/apply settings.

Then refresh clients

• Reconnect Wi-Fi, reboot devices, or renew DHCP leases so they pick up the new DNS.

Common mistakes

• Setting DNS on only one device instead of the router → other devices keep using old DNS.
• Forgetting to renew leases → looks “not working” even though it is.

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9) Add extra blocklists (optional)

In Pi-hole Admin UI:

• Group Management → Adlists
• Paste a blocklist URL
• Click Add
• Then update gravity list:

sudo pihole -g

Common mistakes

• Adding too many lists → false positives and broken sites.

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10) Add a Pi-hole regex filter (optional)

The transcript mentions adding a “regex filter” to block a specific ad-serving pattern (example: “Disney Plus ads server”).

In Pi-hole Admin UI:

• Blacklist → Regex filters (wording can vary by Pi-hole version)
• Add the regex pattern provided by the creator
• Save/apply

Warning

• Regex filters can be powerful but easy to over-block if too broad.

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KEY TECHNICAL DETAILS

Brands / software / tools mentioned

• Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
• Raspberry Pi Imager
• Raspberry Pi OS Lite (light/no-desktop)
• Pi-hole
• Cloudflare (upstream DNS provider)
• StevenBlack Unified Hosts List (default blocklist referenced)
• Router/mesh examples:
  • Google Wi-Fi
  • Google Fiber
  • Google Nest WiFi Pro
  • TP-Link Deco
• Streaming services referenced as motivation/examples:
  • Disney+
  • HBO Max

Version numbers / editions

• No explicit Pi-hole version stated.
• OS described as Bookworm and Lite in the transcript.

Download/installation sources (as described)

• Raspberry Pi Imager from raspberrypi.com
• Pi-hole installer from Pi-hole documentation (command pasted from docs)

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PRO TIPS (3–5)

• Use Raspberry Pi OS Lite for Pi-hole: fewer services running, lower memory usage, fewer moving parts.
• Always reserve a static IP via DHCP reservation so your DNS server never “moves.”
• After changing router DNS, force clients to refresh (toggle Wi-Fi or reboot) to avoid misleading test results.
• Keep Query logging enabled during setup so you can confirm traffic is flowing and what’s blocked.
• Add blocklists gradually; if something breaks, you’ll know which list caused it.

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POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS / WARNINGS

• DNS-level blocking isn’t perfect: ads served from the same domain as content (common in some apps) may not be blocked.
• Over-blocking risk: aggressive lists/regex can break streaming apps, logins, or device updates.
• microSD wear: heavy logging over long periods can increase writes; consider reducing logging detail if you see SD issues.
• Router UI differences: DNS and DHCP reservation locations vary widely by vendor and ISP equipment.
• Wi-Fi reliability on Pi Zero 2 W: placement and country code matter; poor signal can cause intermittent DNS failures.

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RECOMMENDED FOLLOW-UP RESOURCES

• Pi-hole Official Documentation (Install + Admin): https://docs.pi-hole.net/
• Raspberry Pi Imager (official): https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
• StevenBlack Hosts List (blocklist referenced): https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts
• Pi-hole Community Support (Discourse): https://discourse.pi-hole.net/
• r/pihole (community troubleshooting + setups): https://www.reddit.com/r/pihole/

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• Block Ads on ALL DEVICES (Smart TVs) — Simplest Pi-hole Tutorial