Create your own secure Home Network using Pi-hole and Docker

Pi-hole is a free, open-source network-wide ad blocker that blocks unwanted advertisements and internet trackers. Docker can be used to run Pi-hole in a container for easy setup and management.

Ad Blocking: Blocks unwanted advertisements and internet trackers across the network.
Web Interface: Provides a graphical interface to manage blocklists and monitor DNS queries.
Network Use: Suitable for home and small office networks.
Docker: Runs Pi-hole in a container without requiring a direct installation on the host.

Setting Up pi-hole and Docker

Step 1 Open your terminal and Start docker

sudo systemctl start docker

Enter the command to download pinhole from docker hub

sudo docker pull pihole/pihole:latest

Step 2 Skip this if you are not using Ubuntu

sudo systemctl stop systemd-resolved.service

sudo systemctl disable systemd-resolved.service

Step 3 Change the DNS to something else like google

sudo nano /etc/resolve.conf

set DNS 8.8.8.8 and save.

Step 4 Copy this code

version: "3"

services:
  pihole:
    container_name: pihole
    image: pihole/pihole:latest
    ports:
      - "53:53/tcp"
      - "53:53/udp"
      - "67:67/udp"
      - "80:80/tcp"
      - "443:443/tcp"
    environment:
      TZ: 'Asia/Kolkata' #this is the time zone
    volumes:
       - './etc-pihole/:/etc/pihole/'
       - './etc-dnsmasq.d/:/etc/dnsmasq.d/'
    dns:
      - 127.0.0.1
      - 1.1.1.1
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    restart: unless-stopped

Configuration	Description
`services` / `pihole`	Defines the Pi-hole container.
`image`	Uses the Pi-hole Docker image.
`ports`	Exposes DNS, DHCP, and web interface ports to the host.
`environment`	Sets configuration such as the time zone.
`volumes`	Persists Pi-hole configuration and DNS settings on the host.
`dns`	Specifies DNS servers for the container.
`cap_add: NET_ADMIN`	Provides the network administration capability required by Pi-hole.
`restart: unless-stopped`	Automatically restarts the container unless it is manually stopped.

Now create a file named docker-compose.yml by using following command.

sudo nano docker-compose.yml

Copy the above code and paste it in the docker-compose.yml

Step 5 Run the compose file to launch pihole

sudo docker-compose up -d

Step 6 Move inside pihole container

sudo docker exec -it pihole bash

Change pihole password using this command.

pihole -a -p

exit

Step 7 Go to browser and search

http://localhost/admin/

Step 8 Login with the password

Now use the pihole as your DNS instead of any other.

Configure Pi-hole as the DNS Server on Windows

Open Settings → Network & Internet.
Select Ethernet or Wi-Fi, depending on your connection.
Click Change adapter options.
Right-click your active Wi-Fi/Ethernet connection and select Properties.
Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) → Properties.
Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
Enter the Pi-hole IP address as the preferred DNS server.
Click OK to save the changes.

You can also configure the same Pi-hole IP address as the DNS server in your home router so that all connected devices use Pi-hole automatically.

Create your own secure Home Network using Pi-hole and Docker

Setting Up pi-hole and Docker

Now use the pihole as your DNS instead of any other.

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