Tired of intrusive ads, pop-ups, and trackers following you across the internet? With a Raspberry Pi, you can create your own network-wide ad blocker that removes unwanted ads on all your devices—smartphones, tablets, PCs, and even smart TVs. Unlike browser-based ad blockers, this method blocks ads before they even reach your devices, improving browsing speed, security, and privacy.
Let’s explore how to use a Raspberry Pi for ad blocking and why it’s one of the best DIY projects for enhancing your digital experience (See Raspberry Pi projects).
Why use Raspberry Pi for Ad blocking?
Blocks ads across your entire network – No need to install separate ad blockers on each device.
Speeds up web browsing – Reducing ad load times improves website performance.
Increases privacy – Stops ad trackers from collecting personal data.
Protects against malicious ads – Prevents malware and phishing attempts hidden in ads.
Works on all devices – Even smart TVs, gaming consoles, and IoT gadgets.
Which Raspberry Pi model should you use?
- Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB, 4GB, or 8GB RAM) – Best for handling multiple devices and high-traffic networks.
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W – Perfect for small homes or personal networks.
- Raspberry Pi 3B+ – A great balance of affordability and performance.
Even an older Raspberry Pi model can run an ad blocker efficiently since it doesn’t require much computing power.
How to set up Ad blocking on Raspberry Pi
The most popular and effective way to block ads with Raspberry Pi is by using Pi-hole, a lightweight network-wide ad blocker.
- Install Pi-hole on your Raspberry Pi
- Flash Raspberry Pi OS Lite onto a microSD card.
- Connect your Raspberry Pi to your home network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
- Open the terminal and install Pi-hole with this command:
curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash
- Follow the on-screen setup instructions.
- Set your Raspberry Pi as the Network’s DNS Server
- Log into your router’s settings and change the DNS to your Raspberry Pi’s IP address.
- Now, all network traffic will pass through Pi-hole, which will filter out ads before they reach your devices.
Advanced features for Raspberry Pi Ad blocking
Block YouTube ads – While not 100% foolproof, Pi-hole can reduce many YouTube ads by blocking known ad-serving domains.
Prevent tracking from smart home devices – Many IoT devices send unnecessary data to third-party servers. Pi-hole can stop this.
Whitelist & blacklist domains – Control which websites are allowed or blocked based on your preferences.
Pair with Unbound for total privacy – Set up Unbound to act as a local DNS resolver, preventing your internet provider from logging your browsing history.
Enhance your Ad blocker with Raspberry Pi 4
A Raspberry Pi 4 block ads setup can handle a large number of connected devices while running additional privacy tools like:
VPN integration – Block ads even when you’re outside your home network.
Custom block lists – Add community-curated block lists for better efficiency.
Real-time analytics – Monitor how many ads are being blocked and which devices are making requests.
Take control of your internet experience
Setting up a Raspberry Pi to block ads is one of the best ways to improve privacy, security, and browsing speed across all your devices. Whether you’re using a Raspberry Pi 4 for ad blocking or a smaller Pi Zero, this solution is a powerful alternative to traditional ad blockers—and completely under your control.
Say goodbye to annoying ads and trackers.
Check more Raspberry Pi articles:
- Raspberry Pi Python programming
- What is Raspberry Pi camera
- How to use Raspberry Pi
- Home assistant with Raspberry Pi
- Making video game console with Raspberry Pi
- Programming language used for Raspberry Pi
- How to run a program in Raspberry Pi
- Raspberry Pi network traffic monitor
- Raspberry Pi home automation
- Raspberry Pi as VPN server
- Raspberry Pi file server
- Raspberry Pi NAS server
