How to Block Ads and Trackers Across Your Entire Network with AI
Arise · 2026-02-28 · 5 min read
Why Browser-Level Ad Blocking Is Not Enough
uBlock Origin is great. But it only works in one browser on one device.
- Your phone still loads ads in apps
- Your smart TV still tracks your viewing habits
- Guest devices on your network have zero protection
- Browser extensions do not block DNS-level tracking
Network-level DNS blocking solves all of this. Block ads and trackers at the DNS layer and every device on your network is protected — phones, TVs, consoles, smart home devices — without installing anything on them.
The AdBlock DNS agent sets this up automatically.
How DNS-Level Blocking Works
When any device on your network visits a website, it first makes a DNS query to resolve the domain name to an IP address. The AdBlock DNS agent runs a local DNS resolver that checks every query against blocklists:
Device requests: ads.doubleclick.net
DNS resolver checks: is this on the blocklist?
Result: YES → return 0.0.0.0 (blocked)
Device requests: google.com
DNS resolver checks: is this on the blocklist?
Result: NO → return real IP (allowed)
The ad never loads. The tracker never fires. The malware domain never resolves.
Installation
curl -fsSL https://api.agentplace.sh/cli/install | bash
agentplace install adblock-dns
Setup in 3 Minutes
agentplace run adblock-dns setup --mode pihole --blocklists default --port 53
This installs and configures Pi-hole (or a lightweight equivalent) on your machine with curated blocklists pre-loaded.
Point Your Router to the New DNS
After setup, point your router DNS to the machine running the agent:
Router DNS settings:
Primary DNS: 192.168.1.X (your machine IP)
Secondary DNS: 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare, fallback)
Every device on your network now uses your local DNS resolver. Done.
Available Blocklists
| List | Domains Blocked | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| ~100K | General ad and tracker blocking | |
| ~500K | Maximum blocking (may break some sites) | |
| ~50K | Malware and phishing domains only | |
| ~10K | Social media trackers | |
| ~2M | Family-safe networks |
# Enable multiple lists
agentplace run adblock-dns setup --blocklists default,malware,social
Managing the Block List
# Check what was blocked in the last hour
agentplace run adblock-dns stats --last 1h
# Whitelist a domain (if something breaks)
agentplace run adblock-dns whitelist add spotify.com
# Add a custom domain to block
agentplace run adblock-dns blacklist add annoying-site.com
# Update all blocklists to latest version
agentplace run adblock-dns update
What Gets Blocked
With default lists enabled, expect to block:
- Google Ads, DoubleClick, AdSense
- Facebook Pixel and tracking scripts
- Twitter and LinkedIn analytics
- Amazon ad networks
- Most data broker domains
- Known malware distribution domains
- Cryptocurrency mining scripts
Performance Impact
DNS blocking actually speeds up browsing. When ads and trackers are blocked at DNS level:
- Pages load faster (fewer network requests)
- Less bandwidth consumed
- Battery life improves on mobile devices
Typical improvement: 20-40% fewer DNS queries, pages feel noticeably snappier.
Raspberry Pi Deployment
Run the DNS server on a Raspberry Pi for always-on protection:
# On your Pi
curl -fsSL https://api.agentplace.sh/cli/install | bash
agentplace install adblock-dns
agentplace run adblock-dns setup --mode pihole --autostart
The agent configures it to start on boot. Your entire network stays protected 24/7 on hardware that costs /year in electricity.
Conclusion
Network-level ad blocking is one of the highest-leverage privacy improvements you can make — blocking ads, trackers, and malware for every device at once. The AdBlock DNS agent makes setup a 3-minute task instead of an afternoon project.