Imagine a home network free from annoying ads—pop-ups, banners, and video ads gone in an instant. With your ALPON X4 and Pi-hole, you can make this a reality. Pi-hole acts as a DNS sinkhole, blocking ads across all devices on your network before they even load. This guide walks you through setting it up using Sixfab Connect, step by step. For more advanced tweaks, check out the official Pi-hole documentation.

Let’s get started!

Deployment

Ensure the Pi-hole container is available in your Sixfab registry. If it is not, follow these steps to add it:

1. Open a terminal on your personal computer and pull the Pi-hole container:
   
   
   Shell

   docker pull --platform linux/arm64 pihole/pihole:latest
   

2. Log in to the Sixfab Connect platform, navigate to the Sixfab Registry page
3. Click on + Add Container and follow the prompts to push container to Sixfab registry.
   
   

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   Manage and Deploy Applications

   Visit the Manage & Deploy Applications page for all the necessary details on pushing your container image to the Sixfab Registry.

Alternative Deployment Option:

If you prefer not to use the Sixfab registry, select the I would like to use my own container path option during deployment and enter: pihole/pihole:latest

This will deploy the container directly from Docker Hub.

Configuration

1. Go to the Application section of your asset on Sixfab Connect.

2. Click the + Deploy button to configure and deploy the container.

3. In the Deploy Container window, use the following settings:
   
   

   • Container Name: pihole

   • Image: Select the Pi-hole image and tag pushed to the Sixfab Registry, or follow the steps mentioned in the 'Alternative Deployment Option'.

   • Environment: Click "+ Add More" in the environment section and add the following values:

     Key	Value	Description
     TZ		Sets your local time (e.g., America/New_York). Find yours here.
     WEBPASSWORD		Creates a secure password for the Pi-hole dashboard—don’t forget it!
     INTERFACE	eth1	Tells Pi-hole to use the ALPON X4’s network interface.

     📘

     Note

     Environment variables are not limited to the following, see Pi-hole documentation for detailed information.

   
   

   • Volumes: Click "+ Add More" in the Volumes section and configure the following volumes:

     Read/Write	Local Path	Target Path
     Read/Write	/root/etc-pihole	/etc/pihole
     Read/Write	/root/etc-dnsmasq.d	/etc/dnsmasq.d

     
     

   • Enable “Host Network”.

   • Click the "+ Deploy" button to deploy Pi-hole.

   
   

Check Deployment

Once deployed, find your ALPON X4’s IP address in Sixfab Connect (look under your device details). Open a web browser and type:

http://<DEVICE_IP_ADDRESS>/admin/login.php

You’ll land on the Pi-hole dashboard. Log in with the WEBPASSWORD you set earlier. If you see the dashboard, congrats—you’re almost there!

Set Your ALPON X4 as DNS Server

Now, tell your network to use the ALPON X4 as its DNS server. You’ve got two options:

Option 1: Using Router's DHCP Settings (Recommended):

1. Log Into Your Router: Open a browser, enter your router’s IP (often 192.168.1.1), and log in.
2. Find DHCP Settings: Look for something like “LAN Settings” or “DHCP Settings.”
3. Set the DNS: Enter your ALPON X4’s IP (e.g., 192.168.1.x) as the primary DNS server.
4. Save & Restart: Hit save, then reboot your devices to refresh their DNS settings.

Every device on your network gets ad-blocking automatically—no manual setup needed!

Option 2: Manual Device Setup

If you’d rather not touch your router, configure individual devices:

• Windows: Network Settings > “Set DNS server manually” > Enter the ALPON X4’s IP.
• Android/iOS: Wi-Fi Settings > Modify Network > Set DNS to the ALPON X4’s IP.
• macOS: System Preferences > Network > DNS > Add the ALPON X4’s IP.

Test It Out

Back in the Pi-hole dashboard, check the Query Log. You should see DNS requests flowing through—ads being blocked will show as “filtered.” Browse a few ad-heavy sites to see the magic in action. Fewer ads, faster loading—enjoy!

Bonus Tips

• Password Safety: Store your WEBPASSWORD somewhere secure—you’ll need it for future logins.
• Updates: Pi-hole updates itself, but keep an eye on Sixfab Connect for ALPON X4 firmware updates.
• Troubleshooting: If ads still sneak through, double-check your DNS settings or consult the target="_blank">Pi-hole community.