Ad blocking
RaspAP is introducing a new feature to block DNS requests for ads, trackers and other undesirable hosts. This was mainly done in response to users on lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic who were struggling with slow internet.
In the best of times, ads are usually just annoying. When access to online services is hampered by requests for ads, the best tool in our arsenal is DNS blacklisting. RaspAP already uses dnsmasq to manage both DHCP and DNS, so implementing ad blocking was fairly straightforward.
As a beta feature, we invite testing and encourage feedback from users of RaspAP. To enable ad blocking with DNS blacklists, simply respond with 'Y' or press [Enter] when prompted by the installer:
Install ad blocking and enable list management? [Y/n]
The installer will download the blocklists, configure RaspAP to use them and enable the Ad blocking management page.
Manual installation steps will be forthcoming.
For the public beta release, blocklists are sourced from the notracking project on GitHub. This "list of lists" is gathered from multiple, actively maintained sources and automatically updated, cleaned, optimized and moderated on a daily basis. A complete list of sources is available here.
The notracking project maintains two blocklists; hostnames and domains. These are updated daily, so it's a good practice to refresh them periodically. You can do this from the Ad Blocking management page in RaspAP. Simply select the list from the dropdown and choose 'Update now'.
Note: to apply the latest blocklists, be sure to Restart Ad Blocking.
By default, DNS logging is disabled. If you'd like to see which hosts are being blocked, enable it on the DHCP Server > Logging tab by selecting the Log DNS queries toggle. Save settings and Restart Ad Blocking. The Logging tab on the Ad Blocking page will display blacklisted DNS queries with host addresses of 0.0.0.0. A sample of blocked ad/tracker requests is below.
dnsmasq[9633]: config static.ads-twitter.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config tag.bounceexchange.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config cdn.boomtrain.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config securepubads.g.doubleclick.net is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config c.amazon-adsystem.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config pixel.adsafeprotected.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config ad.doubleclick.net is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config www.summerhamster.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config c2.taboola.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config ads.servebom.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config s.cpx.to is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config pixel.quantserve.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config cdn.taboola.com is 0.0.0.0
dnsmasq[9633]: config sdk.iad-01.braze.com is 0.0.0.0
The notracking blocklists chosen for RaspAP adhere to these policies:
- Should not break useful websites or apps
- Blocks tracking servers
- Blocks advertising servers
- Blocks analytics servers
- Blocks scam websites
- Blocks malware servers
- Blocks webminers
- Blocks phishing servers
