# Troubleshooting Pi-hole & AdGuard Home

**Are ads not being blocked?**
If you have just installed your adblocker but traffic is still getting through, you likely need to adjust how your network handles DNS.

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### 📖 Quick Menu
Select the method that best fits your network setup:

* **[Method 1: Router DNS (Easiest)](#method-1-router-dns-configuration-easiest)**
    * *Best for most users. Configures the router to send all traffic to your blocker.*
* **[Method 2: Swap DHCP (Medium)](#method-2-swap-dhcp-handling-medium-difficulty)**
    * *Best if you want individual device stats or if your router acts up.*
* **[Method 3: Per-Device (Hardest)](#method-3-manual-device-configuration-hardestmost-tedious)**
    * *The "last resort" if you cannot access router settings.*
* **[Alternative: New Hardware](#alternative-the-locked-down-router-solution)**
    * *What to do if your ISP router is locked down completely.*

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## Method 1: Router DNS Configuration (Easiest)
This is the most common and recommended method.

**⚠️ Warning for Netgear Users:** Changing your router's DNS to your Pi-hole or AGH can trigger a false LAN IP conflict. Your router will silently scramble its own IP and DHCP pool, breaking your network configuration.

1.  Log into your router's admin panel.
2.  Navigate to the **LAN** or **DHCP** settings.
3.  Change the **DNS Server** settings to point **ONLY** to your Pi-hole or AdGuard Home IP address.

> **⚠️ Critical Warning**
> Do **not** set a secondary upstream DNS (like Google 8.8.8.8) in "DNS 2".
>
> Many people assume DNS 2 is a "failover" for when DNS 1 is down. **It is not.** Routers often use both simultaneously. If you put a non-blocking DNS in slot 2, ads will sneak through.

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## Method 2: Swap DHCP Handling (Medium Difficulty)
Use this if you prefer your Pi-hole/AdGuard Home to manage IP addresses, or if your router's DNS settings are lackluster.

1.  **Disable DHCP** in your router settings.
2.  **Enable DHCP** in your Pi-hole or AdGuard Home settings.
    * *Note for AdGuard:* You may need to manually install `dhcpcd` for this to work.
3.  **Set a Static IP:** Ensure the machine hosting your adblocker has a static IP set on the device itself (not via the router, since you are turning off the router's DHCP).

> **Need Help?** If you don't know how to set a static IP on your host machine, feel free to ask!

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## Method 3: Manual Device Configuration (Hardest/Most Tedious)
If you cannot change router settings, you must manually configure every single device to use your Pi-hole/AdGuard IP for DNS.

* **Android:** [How to change DNS on Android](https://support.nordvpn.com/Connectivity/Android/1377835482/Change-your-DNS-servers-on-Android.htm) (Use your Pi-hole IP, not the ones in the guide).
* **iOS:** [How to change DNS on iPhone/iPad](https://www.howtogeek.com/261701/how-to-change-the-dns-server-on-your-ios-device/)
* **Windows:** [How to change DNS on Windows](https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-change-dns-servers-in-windows-2626242)
* **Mac:** [How to change DNS on macOS](https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mh14127/mac)
* **Linux:** [How to set DNS in CentOS/RHEL 7](https://wiseindy.com/blog/linux/how-to-set-dns-in-centos-rhel-7-prevent-network-manager-from-overwriting-etc-resolv-conf/)

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## Alternative: The "Locked Down Router" Solution
If your ISP-provided router does not allow you to change DNS settings (Method 1) or disable DHCP (Method 2), and configuring every device (Method 3) is too tedious, there is a hardware solution.

**The Fix:** Purchase a third-party router.
Connect the new router to the ethernet port of your ISP modem/router. Connect all your devices to this **new** router's WiFi/Ethernet. This gives you full control over your network.

**Benefits:**
* Allows you to use Method 1 or Method 2 easily.
* **Recommendation:** Use Method 2 (Pi-hole handles DHCP) with this setup to see detailed "per-device" query logs and fine-tune blocking.

### Recommended Routers
Ranging from cheap to high-performance:

| Model | Link |
| :--- | :--- |
| **GL-iNet Slate 7** | [Amazon Link](https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNet-GL-BE3600-Portable-Dual-Band-Computer/dp/B0F2MR53D6/) |
| **GL.iNet Beryl AX** | [Amazon Link](https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNet-GL-MT3000-Pocket-Sized-Wireless-Gigabit/dp/B0BPSGJN7T/) |
| **GL.iNet Flint 3** | [Amazon Link](https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNet-GL-BE9300-Tri-Band-High-Speed-Wireless/dp/B0FB8X43KJ/) |