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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →To block ads across your home network with Pi-hole, install it on a Raspberry Pi, give the Pi a stable IP address, then configure your router to hand that address to devices as their DNS server. Installing Pi-hole alone does not redirect other devices’ DNS requests; the router’s DHCP settings are what make it the network-wide DNS service.
Before you install Pi-hole
Check the Raspberry Pi and operating system
Pi-hole lists Raspberry Pi OS as a supported operating system. Its prerequisites specify at least 512 MB of RAM and 2 GB of free disk space, with 4 GB of free space recommended. Pi-hole describes itself as lightweight, but only actively maintained versions of supported distributions are supported. See Pi-hole’s prerequisites for its current requirements.
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Give the Pi a stable network address
Pi-hole needs a static IP address so devices can continue reaching it as their DNS server. A DHCP reservation in your router is an acceptable way to keep the Pi’s address stable: the router consistently assigns the same address to that device. Set this up before changing clients’ DNS settings, and note the reserved address.
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Pi-hole’s DNS service uses TCP and UDP port 53. Check that another DNS service is not already using that port on the Raspberry Pi before installing.
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Choose a standard install or Docker
| Option | What to consider |
|---|---|
| Standard install on Raspberry Pi OS | Installs Pi-hole on the host operating system. Follow the official installer steps below. |
| Docker | Adds container configuration, port mapping, and persistent-volume decisions. Pi-hole’s Docker example exposes DNS on TCP and UDP port 53 and web interfaces on ports 80 and 443. Host networking is the simpler choice for DHCP; bridge networking does not pass DHCP broadcasts from the container network to the LAN unless a suitable relay or network design is used. See Pi-hole’s Docker configuration guide. |
This guide’s installation steps use the standard Raspberry Pi OS route. Pi-hole also documents Docker as a separate deployment option; do not apply the standard host installation command as if it configured a container.
Install Pi-hole on Raspberry Pi OS
Run the standard installer
Pi-hole documents this automated installer command:
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curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash
The command downloads the installer and pipes it directly to Bash. Pi-hole notes that this approach is controversial because it does not let you read the script before it runs.
Use a reviewable installer route
If you prefer to inspect the installer first, Pi-hole’s official guide also describes cloning its repository and running basic-install.sh, or downloading basic-install.sh and invoking it with sudo bash. Follow the current steps in Pi-hole’s installation guide; the exact installer contents can change.
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Complete setup and check status
After installation, Pi-hole provides a web interface and the pihole command for administration. Its getting-started guide lists these command examples:
pihole statuschecks Pi-hole’s status.pihole versiondisplays the installed version.pihole updateis an available update command.
Consult Pi-hole’s getting-started guide for its administration details.
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Make devices on your home network use Pi-hole
Preferred route: set DNS in the router
- Open your router’s administration interface and find its LAN or DHCP settings. Menu names and locations vary by router.
- Set the DNS server distributed to DHCP clients to the Raspberry Pi’s reserved Pi-hole IP address.
- Save the change, then renew device network connections or reconnect devices so they receive the updated DNS setting.
This keeps DHCP on the router while directing connected devices to Pi-hole for DNS. The relevant setting is the DNS server advertised to clients, not merely a DNS setting that applies only to the router itself. Pi-hole explains this post-install network configuration in its post-installation guide.
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Fallback: let Pi-hole provide DHCP
If your router cannot distribute a chosen DNS server to clients, Pi-hole documents using its built-in DHCP server instead. Disable the router’s DHCP service before enabling Pi-hole DHCP. Two active DHCP servers on the same home LAN can assign conflicting network settings, so do not leave both enabled.
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What to expect after the network change
Once clients receive the Pi-hole address as their DNS server, their DNS lookups can be handled by Pi-hole and its blocking lists. The change does not guarantee that every ad disappears: Pi-hole works at the DNS level, so it cannot block ads when a device or app uses a different DNS path. The essential setup outcome is that devices use Pi-hole for DNS rather than continuing to use another resolver.
Quick Recap
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