(2) With pfSense methods (complex in part). If no suitable hardware is available on the local network, costs are incurred for a small-board computer (SBC) such as a Raspberry Pi. The NxFilter DNS appliance rounds out the list.Īll candidates in Table 1 are free of charge and use free blacklists. pfBlockerNG, Unbound-Plus, and Adblock join the fray for networks with pfSense, OPNsense, and OpenWrt, respectively. Pi-hole, the best-known candidate, has to face the challenger AdGuard Home and the outsider eBlocker. The test candidates come in the form of add-ons for an existing (router) operating system or as additional hardware.

Finally, I want the ad blocker to prevent access to websites with dubious content or adult entertainment, where applicable. Even the best software is useless if it does not recognize regional advertising. The ad filter must function in the local language. The ideal setup would have an ad blocker running on low-cost hardware or directly on the existing router, and I would like to be able to make changes to the blacklists if the software filters out too much (or too little). In this article, I compare ad blockers that run on the router or on a device on the network, in which case, the terminal devices do not require any additional software. If the editorial content only appears as an afterthought, it's time to filter out the ads.Īn ad filter can be applied to each individual device or make the ad invisible for all clients on a network at a central location.

Some websites overdo advertisements, piling on pop-ups, video snippets, and product placements in your browser.

Nxfilter pfsense