DNS and Windows / router settings (noob)

[KillerCharlie]

I'm a complete newbie at this. I'm trying to setup a pi hole for ad blocking. It works fine on the pi device.

I set my router to use the pi hole DNS. However, on my desktop Windows machine, the DNS list also includes Xfinity DNS addresses when I type "ipconfig /all".

I can manually edit the DNS server on my desktop, but that's not what I want - I want to just automatically use the DNS I put in my router - isn't that the point of setting it on the router?

How do I get my desktop to only use the router's DNS address list and not the ones from my ISP?

I have a TP-LINK TC-7610 modem connected to an older Linksys WRT45gl router. ISP is Xfinity.

 

[mxnerd]

No experience with Pi-hole.

But why don't you disable WRT45GL's DHCP server and enable Pi-hole's built-in DHCP server?

https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how...t-in-dhcp-server-and-why-would-i-want-to/3026

or just set WRT45GL's DHCP server's first & only DNS's to Pi-hole's IP address?
https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how-do-i-configure-my-devices-to-use-pi-hole-as-their-dns-server/245

 

[KillerCharlie]

I'm looking at using its DHCP server.

Your second suggestion is what I've been trying to do. In my router setup page, the pi-hole's IP is the only DNS listed. However, when I check any device on my network, additional (Xfinity's 75.75.75.75) addresses show up. I can actually add more of my own DNS addresses to overwrite Xfinity's, but then it also tries to use those. I can't find any way to not use Xfinity's DNS.

 

[mxnerd]

Are you using DDWRT flashed WRT45GL?

I used DDWRT flashed TP-LINK WR-710N and I could not configure the DHCP server's DNS setting, it kept passing ISP's DNS setting to my Windows DHCP client, I had to reflash back to vendor's firmware to make it work.

I have to say DDWRT's DNS setup is just horrible.

So probably best way is just use Pi-hole's DHCP server.

 

[KillerCharlie]

I'm using the Linksys firmware (I just updated it... not going to tell you how long it's been since I updated it last). The router is so old I might buy a new one just for the sake of it.

At any rate, it doesn't sound like there's anything obvious I'm doing wrong that's resulting in this, so I'll let it slide for a while since it's mostly working, then eventually have the pi-hole take care of DHCP.

 

[JackMDS]

In most cases the suggestion is to force the network computers' NICs to use the PI-hole DNS and ditch other DNS.

If you must use Xfinity's DNS because of some "medical condition", then it might be that it is Not in your destiny to use Pi-hole.

 

[mxnerd]

Windows DNS Client Resolver Behavior

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/networking/2009/06/26/dns-client-resolver-behavior/

 

[KillerCharlie]

In most cases the suggestion is to force the network computers' NICs to use the PI-hole DNS and ditch other DNS.

If you must use Xfinity's DNS because of some "medical condition", then it might be that it is Not in your destiny to use Pi-hole.

I'm trying to ditch the other DNS, but I can't figure out how - that's the whole point of my post.

There's no setting in my router that allows me block those DNS. It seems that with my router, it will use what DNS you give it (up to 3), then add the ISP's DNS to the list if you haven't filled in all 3. If I just put in my pi hole DNS, it will use that plus 2 Xfinity DNS. If I supply my own 3 DNS addresses (say pi hole and two google DNS), then it will list those 3 DNS when I do an ipconfig. However, I can't find out how to *just* use the pi hole DNS.

Regardless, ad blocking is working fine since the pi hole is still the primary DNS.

 

[mxnerd]

Hmm, that behavior is weird.

Anyway, just set all 3 DNS entries to Pi-hole DNS, Pi-hole already lets you set upstream DNS.

 

[KillerCharlie]

Hmm, that behavior is weird.

Anyway, just set all 3 DNS entries to Pi-hole DNS, Pi-hole already lets you set upstream DNS.

Haha, I read that actually works on some routers... unfortunately not on mine.

 

[pcm81]

Pi-hole... there is definitely soooo much wrong with that name... I love it!!!

 

[mxnerd]

I tried Pi-hole as my DNS, but apparently it blacklists my OOMA VOIP phone's DNS, making OOMA non functional.

Browser's ad blockers are good enough for me.