Pi-hole With Raspberry Pi Zero W

Introduction

In this tutorial today, we would like to see how to setup the Pi-hole using the Raspberry Pi Zero W. First let's take a look on Pi-hole.

What is Pi-hole

Pi-hole is a network-wide ad-blocking software that functions as a Domain Name System (DNS) sinkhole. It is typically installed on a Raspberry Pi or any other compatible device and acts as a network-wide ad blocker, preventing advertisements and tracking domains from being loaded on devices connected to the same network.

Pi-hole works by acting as a DNS server for the network and intercepting DNS requests made by devices. When a device tries to load a website or an advertisement, Pi-hole checks its ad-blocking lists and blocks requests to known advertising or tracking domains. As a result, ads are effectively removed from websites and applications before they reach the devices on the network.

Pi-hole offers several benefits, including improved privacy, faster browsing speeds, reduced network traffic, and a more streamlined online experience. It can be customized with additional blocklists and settings to suit individual preferences. Pi-hole is particularly popular among home users who want to block ads across all devices on their network without having to install ad-blocking software separately on each device.

• Easy-to-install: our versatile installer walks you through the process and takes less than ten minutes
• Resolute: content is blocked in non-browser locations, such as ad-laden mobile apps and smart TVs
• Responsive: seamlessly speeds up the feel of everyday browsing by caching DNS queries
• Lightweight: runs smoothly with minimal hardware and software requirements
• Robust: a command-line interface that is quality assured for interoperability
• Insightful: a beautiful responsive Web Interface dashboard to view and control your Pi-hole
• Versatile: can optionally function as a DHCP server, ensuring all your devices are protected automatically
• Scalable: capable of handling hundreds of millions of queries when installed on server-grade hardware
• Modern: blocks ads over both IPv4 and IPv6
• Free: open-source software which helps ensure you are the sole person in control of your privacy

Hardware 

For this tutorial we would need the following hardware

1x Raspberry Pi Zero W

1x Raspberry Pi Approved MakerDisk microSD Card with RPi OS

1x Official RPi 12.5W (5V/2.5A) PSU microB UK Plug-White

Next we will look into how to setup the software for Pi-hole

Software

The step-by-step on how to install the software is shown in the video.

Demo

Some screenshot from the Pi-hole dashboard.