Setting Up a Pi-hole at Home (Beginner, Real-World Guide)

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This is a step-by-step guide explaining how I set up Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi 4 for my home network, what confused me, what broke temporarily, and how I fixed it. This is written for people who are not networking experts and want something practical and honest.

1) What is a Pi-hole? (theory for nerds)

Pi-hole is a network-wide DNS blocker, but what is DNS?

DNS is not a mythical thing. In human language, DNS is the internet’s contact list.

For example, if you type google.com.

Your computer has no clue where that is.
So it asks a DNS server:

“Hey, what number is google.com?”

And the DNS replies:

“Here. 142.250.something.something.”

Your browser then goes to that number and loads the site.

Without DNS, you would have to memorize IP addresses like a deranged robot. Humans tried that once. It did not go well.

A DNS blocker, still in human language, is a bouncer for the internet.

When your device asks:

“Where is ads-tracker-evil.com?”

The DNS blocker says:

“Nope. That place doesn’t exist.”

So:

  • Ads don’t load
  • Trackers don’t track
  • Malware sites never open
  • Your pages load faster
  • Your soul rests slightly easier

Instead of installing ad blockers on every device, Pi-hole runs on one small computer (the Raspberry Pi 4 running a Linux OS) and blocks known ad and tracking domains before they ever reach your devices.

However, a quick note: Pi-hole blocks ads, trackers, telemetry, and analytics, but it does not reliably block YouTube ads, especially on smart TVs.

So no, a Pi-hole will not block YouTube ads. What it does do is avoid the leak of your personal data. Stuff like:

  • “What did this user click?”
  • “How long did they watch?”
  • “What device are they on?”
  • “Send usage stats back home”

Pi-hole blocks those calls, resulting in less spying and less profiling.

2) Hardware and Software Setup

Hardware

  • Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (2GB RAM)
  • 32GB microSD card
  • Ethernet cable (recommended over Wi-Fi)
  • HDMI + keyboard (only needed for initial setup)
  • Case with a fan (recommended, since it heats up)

Software

  • Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)
  • Pi-hole (official installer)

3) Start Installation

Step 1: Install Raspberry Pi OS

a) On my computer, I installed Raspberry Pi Imager using:
https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/

b) Download Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) from:
https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/operating-systems/

c) Insert the 32GB microSD card into the computer.

d) Open Raspberry Pi Imager and select the microSD card.
Make sure you select the correct storage device, since it will erase everything.

e) Flash the OS (do not copy files manually). This will take a few minutes.

f) It will ask you for:

  • Hostname
  • Country, time zone, and keyboard layout
  • Username and password
  • Wi-Fi info (optional)
  • Enable SSH

After entering this information, the OS will be written to the microSD card. This takes about 15–20 minutes.

g) Insert the microSD card into the Raspberry Pi (slot underneath).

Step 2: First Boot

a)       Connect the Raspberry Pi to your router using an Ethernet cable.
Use any Ethernet LAN port (usually labeled 1 to 4).

b) Connect the power cable.

c) For configuration, it is highly recommended to use an HDMI screen and keyboard.

d) Once connected, you will see a Linux-style desktop interface. After the initial setup, you’re ready to install Pi-hole.

Step 3: Install Pi-hole

a) Open the terminal and run:

curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | sudo bash

b) The installer will start downloading packages. This may take some time.

During installation:

  • Choose Yes to use a static IP
  • Accept “set static IP using current values”

  • Select Ethernet as the network interface
  • Choose Cloudflare as the upstream DNS provider
  • Accept the default blocklist
  • Enable query logging
  • Accept the web admin interface (you will need this later, and there is no reason not to install it)

At the end, it will show a screen with important information:

  • IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
  • Useful links
  • Admin web interface password

Take a screenshot or save this information.

Pi-hole is now installed and running.

4) Accessing the Pi-hole Dashboard

From any device on the same network, open:

http://<PI-HOLE-IP>/admin

Log in using the password provided by Pi-hole.

Now you should see the Pi-hole dashboard.

5) Enable DHCP on Pi-hole

In the Pi-hole dashboard:
Settings → DHCP

Configured:

  • DHCP Server: ON
  • IP Range: 192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.200
  • Router (Gateway): 192.168.1.254
  • IPv6 Support: OFF

Save settings.

Now Pi-hole assigns IP addresses and DNS.

6) Add More Blocklists (Optional)

You can install more blocklists from:
https://github.com/hagezi/dns-blocklists

I am currently using several from there.

The more you install, the more load you add. Try to use meaningful lists instead of just blocking millions of domains for no reason.

7) Configure Upstream DNS (Pi-hole)

In Settings → DNS:

Enabled:

  • Cloudflare (DNSSEC) – IPv4

Disabled:

  • IPv6
  • All ECS options

This is a simple, privacy-friendly setup.

8) Disable DHCP on the Router

Since Network routers do not reliably enforce custom DNS, I let Pi-hole handle DHCP.

On the router:

  1. Open http://your.router.ip
  2. Log in using the Device Access Code
  3. Go to Home Network → Subnets & DHCP
  4. Turn DHCP Server OFF
  5. Disable IPv6
  6. Save changes

IPv6 allows devices (especially TVs) to bypass Pi-hole. For a home setup, IPv4 is more than enough.

9) Reboot Everything

This step is critical.

Reboot:

  1. The router
  2. Reconnect your computer’s Wi-Fi or Ethernet

Do not reboot Pi-hole. If Pi-hole is your DHCP server and it goes down, your internet will stop working.

10) Confirm Pi-hole Is Working

In the Pi-hole dashboard:

  • Clients should appear
  • Queries should increase
  • Some domains should be blocked

If your TV shows up as a client, it’s working.

About YouTube Ads (Reality Check)

Even with a correct setup:

  • YouTube ads still appear on TVs
  • Ads and videos come from the same domains
  • Pi-hole cannot reliably block them

For browsers, use uBlock Origin.

Extra Note: Using Pi-hole with a VPN

If you use a VPN (for example, ProtonVPN):

  • VPN ON → that device bypasses Pi-hole
  • VPN OFF → Pi-hole works normally

This is expected behavior.

I use both: VPN when I’m outside my home network, and Pi-hole when I’m at home.

Key Rules I Learned

  • Exactly one DHCP server must always be ON
  • IPv6 is optional and safe to disable at home
  • Pi-hole is not a YouTube ad killer
  • If Pi-hole is your DHCP server, it must stay running

Final Thoughts

Pi-hole is:

  • Excellent for network-wide privacy
  • Great for smart TVs and IoT devices
  • Educational if you want to understand networking better

If you like technology projects, this is a good one. It’s not hard, it teaches you how your network actually works, and it helps protect you from the constant leaking of personal data on today’s internet.

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