Hi everyone!
I made a detailed video guide about setting up Technitium DNS Server inside Home Assistant for whole-network ad blocking and DNS filtering.
The idea is simple: instead of installing an ad blocker on every device, all phones, laptops, Smart TVs, TV boxes and smart home devices use one local DNS server running in Home Assistant.
In the guide I cover:
- installing Technitium DNS Server in Home Assistant
- using the Host Network version for DNS port 53
- first launch and Web UI login
- dashboard overview
- DNS blocking setup
- blocklists
- DNS forwarders and DNS-over-HTTPS
- router DNS setup using a Xiaomi BE6500
- Windows DNS refresh
- testing blocked domains with nslookup
- the common IPv6 DNS bypass problem
- ad-blocking tests before and after setup
I also explain one important limitation: this is not a full replacement for uBlock Origin. DNS filtering blocks domains, but it cannot remove cosmetic elements from web pages and it does not guarantee full YouTube ad blocking. For me, the best setup is Technitium DNS for the whole network plus uBlock Origin in the browser.
Video guide:
I hope it will be useful for anyone who wants to use Home Assistant not only for automation, but also as part of the home network infrastructure.