Earlier this week, I wrote about implementing Pi-hole on your home network for DNS security and privacy. As a father of young children just learning to use internet devices, the real eye-opener came when I analyzed the Pi-hole dashboard and saw exactly how much surveillance is happening in our home. Your smart TV, home assistants, streaming devices, and even your children's toys are constantly reaching out to tracking services, reporting your every move, preference, and habit.
Let me show you how to configure your router's DHCP server to use Pi-hole DNS and then analyze the dashboard to reveal the shocking reality of home device surveillance.
Configuring Your Router's DHCP Server for Pi-hole
Understanding DHCP and DNS
How DHCP Works:
- DHCP Server: Your router automatically assigns IP addresses to devices
- DNS Settings: DHCP also tells devices which DNS server to use
- Default Behavior: Most routers use ISP DNS servers (surveillance)
- Pi-hole Integration: Change DHCP to use Pi-hole as DNS server
Router Configuration Steps
1. Access Your Router Admin Panel:
# Common router IP addresses
192.168.1.1 # Most common
192.168.0.1 # Alternative
10.0.0.1 # Some ISPs
172.16.0.1 # Business routers
2. Find DHCP Settings:
- Location: Usually under "Network Settings" or "DHCP"
- Look for: "DHCP Server Settings" or "LAN Settings"
- Find: "DNS Server" or "Primary DNS" field
3. Configure DNS Settings:
Primary DNS: 192.168.1.100 (Your Pi-hole IP)
Secondary DNS: 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare as backup)
4. Alternative: Let Pi-hole Handle DHCP
# Disable DHCP on router
# Enable DHCP on Pi-hole
# Pi-hole will assign IPs AND DNS automatically
Testing Your Configuration
Verify DNS Resolution:
# Test from any device on network
nslookup google.com
# Should show Pi-hole IP as DNS server
# Check Pi-hole dashboard
# Should see the query in real-time
The Pi-hole Dashboard: Your Window into Home Surveillance
Dashboard Overview
Real-Time Statistics:
- Queries Today: Total DNS requests made
- Queries Blocked: Number of blocked requests
- Percentage Blocked: % of requests blocked
- Domains on Blocklist: Total blocked domains
- Status: Pi-hole operational status
Key Metrics to Watch:
- Queries per Second: Real-time request rate
- Blocked Queries: Real-time blocking rate
- Top Sources: Devices making most requests
- Top Blocked Domains: Most frequently blocked
Understanding Query Types
A Records (IPv4):
- Standard website lookups
- Most common query type
- Example:
google.com→142.250.185.78
AAAA Records (IPv6):
- IPv6 address lookups
- Increasingly common
- Example:
google.com→2607:f8b0:4004:c0c::65
Other Query Types:
- CNAME: Canonical name records
- MX: Mail exchange records
- TXT: Text records (often for verification)
- SRV: Service records
The Shocking Reality: Home Device Surveillance
Smart TV Surveillance
What Your Smart TV Reports:
# Common Smart TV Tracking Domains
ads.samsung.com # Samsung ad tracking
analytics.samsung.com # Samsung analytics
metrics.samsung.com # Samsung metrics
ads.lg.com # LG ad tracking
analytics.lg.com # LG analytics
ads.sony.com # Sony ad tracking
Tracking Behaviors:
- Viewing Habits: Every show, movie, and app you use
- Time Patterns: When you watch and for how long
- Content Preferences: Genres, actors, directors you prefer
- Ad Interactions: Which ads you skip or watch
- Device Usage: How often you use different apps
Real Dashboard Example:
Device: Living-Room-TV
Queries per hour: 150-200
Blocked domains: 45-60 per hour
Tracking services: Samsung Analytics, LG Ads, Sony Metrics
Home Assistant Surveillance
Amazon Echo/Alexa Tracking:
# Alexa tracking domains
amazon-adsystem.com # Amazon advertising
metrics.amazon.com # Amazon metrics
device-metrics.amazon.com # Device usage analytics
Google Home Tracking:
# Google Home tracking domains
google-analytics.com # Google Analytics
doubleclick.net # Google advertising
googlesyndication.com # Google ad syndication
What They Track:
- Voice Commands: Every question and request
- Device Interactions: When and how you use devices
- Home Automation: Which devices you control
- Music Preferences: What you listen to and when
- Shopping Habits: Products you ask about
Streaming Device Surveillance
Roku Tracking:
# Roku tracking domains
ads.roku.com # Roku advertising
metrics.roku.com # Roku metrics
analytics.roku.com # Roku analytics
Fire TV Tracking:
# Fire TV tracking domains
amazon-adsystem.com # Amazon advertising
device-metrics.amazon.com # Device analytics
Apple TV Tracking:
# Apple TV tracking domains
metrics.apple.com # Apple metrics
analytics.apple.com # Apple analytics
What They Monitor:
- Content Consumption: Every show, movie, episode
- Viewing Patterns: Binge-watching, time of day
- App Usage: Which streaming services you use
- Search Behavior: What you search for
- Recommendation Interactions: What you click on
Gaming Console Surveillance
PlayStation Tracking:
# PlayStation tracking domains
ads.playstation.com # PlayStation advertising
analytics.playstation.com # PlayStation analytics
Xbox Tracking:
# Xbox tracking domains
ads.xbox.com # Xbox advertising
analytics.xbox.com # Xbox analytics
What They Track:
- Gaming Habits: Games played, time spent
- Social Interactions: Friends, messages, parties
- Purchase Behavior: Games bought, DLC purchased
- Performance Data: Console performance metrics
IoT Device Surveillance
Smart Home Devices:
# Common IoT tracking domains
analytics.nest.com # Nest device analytics
metrics.ring.com # Ring camera metrics
analytics.philips.com # Philips Hue analytics
What They Report:
- Device Status: When devices are on/off
- Usage Patterns: How often you use devices
- Environmental Data: Temperature, humidity, motion
- User Interactions: App usage, settings changes
Children's Device Surveillance
Kids' Smart Devices:
# Children's device tracking domains
ads.roblox.com # Roblox advertising
analytics.roblox.com # Roblox analytics
ads.minecraft.net # Minecraft advertising
analytics.minecraft.net # Minecraft analytics
ads.youtube.com # YouTube Kids advertising
analytics.youtube.com # YouTube analytics
What They Track About Your Children:
- Gaming Habits: Games played, time spent, in-game purchases
- Content Consumption: Videos watched, apps used, websites visited
- Learning Patterns: Educational app usage, progress tracking
- Social Interactions: Online friends, chat patterns, multiplayer games
- Behavioral Profiling: Attention spans, preferences, interests
As a Father's Perspective: When I first saw the Pi-hole dashboard showing my children's devices constantly reaching out to tracking services, it was a wake-up call. Every educational app, every game, every streaming service was building detailed profiles of my kids' online behavior. What started as innocent screen time was creating comprehensive digital footprints that would follow them for years.
Real Example from My Dashboard:
Device: Kids-Tablet
Queries per day: 300-500
Blocked domains: 80-120 per day
Tracking services: YouTube Analytics, Roblox Ads, Educational App Analytics
Age of users: 6 and 8 years old
Analyzing Your Dashboard Data
Identifying Tracking Patterns
High-Frequency Queries:
- Look for: Domains queried multiple times per minute
- Common culprits: Analytics, advertising, telemetry
- Red flags: Unknown domains with high frequency
Device-Specific Patterns:
- Smart TVs: Constant analytics and ad requests
- Home Assistants: Regular metric reporting
- Streaming Devices: Content recommendation queries
- Gaming Consoles: Social and advertising requests
Time-Based Analysis:
- Peak Hours: When devices are most active
- Overnight Activity: Devices reporting while you sleep
- Weekend Patterns: Different usage on weekends
- Holiday Behavior: Special event tracking
Common Tracking Categories
Advertising Networks:
# Major ad networks to watch for
doubleclick.net # Google advertising
facebook.com # Facebook tracking
amazon-adsystem.com # Amazon advertising
ads.yahoo.com # Yahoo advertising
Analytics Services:
# Analytics tracking
google-analytics.com # Google Analytics
mixpanel.com # Mixpanel analytics
amplitude.com # Amplitude analytics
hotjar.com # Hotjar tracking
Telemetry Services:
# Device telemetry
telemetry.microsoft.com # Microsoft telemetry
metrics.apple.com # Apple telemetry
analytics.google.com # Google telemetry
Real-World Dashboard Analysis
Case Study: Family of Four
Devices on Network:
- 2 Smart TVs (Samsung, LG)
- 3 Smartphones (iPhone, Android)
- 2 Laptops (Mac, Windows)
- 1 Gaming Console (PlayStation)
- 2 Home Assistants (Alexa, Google Home)
- 1 Streaming Device (Roku)
Daily Query Analysis:
Total Queries: 15,000-20,000 per day
Blocked Queries: 3,000-4,000 per day
Blocking Rate: 18-22%
Top Blocked Categories:
- Advertising: 45%
- Analytics: 30%
- Telemetry: 15%
- Tracking: 10%
Device-Specific Findings:
Smart TVs: 500-800 queries per day each
Home Assistants: 200-300 queries per day each
Smartphones: 100-200 queries per day each
Gaming Console: 300-500 queries per day
Privacy Implications
What This Means:
- Every device is constantly reporting your behavior
- Multiple companies are tracking your family
- Cross-device profiling creates detailed family profiles
- Targeted advertising based on your entire household
- Data sharing between companies and platforms
Real Examples from Dashboard:
# Smart TV tracking example
ads.samsung.com (blocked 47 times today)
- Reports: Show watched, time spent, app usage
- Used by: Samsung for targeted advertising
- Shared with: Third-party ad networks
# Home Assistant tracking example
metrics.amazon.com (blocked 23 times today)
- Reports: Voice commands, device usage, music choices
- Used by: Amazon for product recommendations
- Shared with: Amazon advertising partners
Taking Action: Reducing Surveillance
Blocklist Recommendations
Understanding Pi-hole Gravity: Pi-hole uses a component called "Gravity" to manage blocklists. Gravity downloads, processes, and maintains your blocklists, automatically updating them and optimizing for performance.
Gravity Commands:
# Update all blocklists
pihole -g
# Update gravity and restart DNS
pihole -g -r
# Check gravity status
pihole -g --check
# Force gravity update
pihole -g --force
Enhanced Privacy Lists:
# Add these blocklists to Pi-hole
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PolishFiltersTeam/KADhosts/master/KADhosts.txt
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras/master/add.Spam/hosts
GitHub Blocklists for Known Bad Actors:
Malware and Threat Intelligence:
# Malware domains
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PolishFiltersTeam/KADhosts/master/KADhosts.txt
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/durablenapkin/scamblocklist/master/adguard.txt
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mitchellkrogza/The-Big-List-of-Hacked-Malware-Web-Sites/master/hosts
Advertising and Tracking:
# Ad blocking lists
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PolishFiltersTeam/KADhosts/master/KADhosts.txt
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/alternates/fakenews-gambling-porn/hosts
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/alternates/fakenews-gambling-porn-social/hosts
Telemetry and Analytics:
# Telemetry blocking
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/alternates/fakenews-gambling-porn-social/hosts
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PolishFiltersTeam/KADhosts/master/KADhosts.txt
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/alternates/fakenews-gambling-porn/hosts
Fake News and Scams:
# Fake news and scam domains
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/alternates/fakenews/hosts
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/durablenapkin/scamblocklist/master/adguard.txt
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mitchellkrogza/The-Big-List-of-Hacked-Malware-Web-Sites/master/hosts
Device-Specific Blocking:
# Block common tracking domains
pihole -b ads.samsung.com
pihole -b analytics.samsung.com
pihole -b ads.lg.com
pihole -b analytics.lg.com
pihole -b amazon-adsystem.com
pihole -b metrics.amazon.com
Managing Blocklists in Pi-hole:
# Add a new blocklist
# Go to Pi-hole Admin → Group Management → Adlists
# Add URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/username/repo/master/hosts
# Update all blocklists
pihole -g
# Check blocklist status
pihole -g --check
# View current blocklists
pihole -w
# Whitelist a domain (if needed)
pihole -w example.com
Advanced Gravity Features:
Custom Blocklists:
# Create custom blocklist for your family
# Add domains specific to your children's apps
pihole -b ads.roblox.com
pihole -b analytics.roblox.com
pihole -b ads.minecraft.net
pihole -b analytics.minecraft.net
pihole -b ads.youtube.com
pihole -b analytics.youtube.com
Gravity Database Management:
# View gravity database statistics
pihole -g --check
# Force gravity update (bypass cache)
pihole -g --force
# Update gravity and restart DNS service
pihole -g -r
# Check for gravity update errors
pihole -g --check --verbose
Blocklist Performance Optimization:
# Monitor gravity update performance
pihole -g --check --verbose
# Check disk space usage
df -h /etc/pihole/
# View gravity database size
ls -lh /etc/pihole/gravity.db
Recommended Blocklist Strategy:
For Families with Children:
- Start with Steven Black's hosts (comprehensive)
- Add KADhosts (malware and tracking)
- Add fake news blocklist (protect children)
- Create custom blocklist for children's apps
- Regular updates (weekly gravity updates)
For Maximum Privacy:
- Steven Black's comprehensive list
- KADhosts malware list
- Fake news and scam lists
- Telemetry blocking lists
- Custom device-specific blocks
For Performance:
- Limit to 3-5 blocklists to avoid slowdowns
- Regular gravity updates (weekly)
- Monitor query performance
- Whitelist essential domains if needed
Network Segmentation
Create Separate Networks:
- Trusted Devices: Personal computers, phones
- IoT Devices: Smart TVs, home assistants, cameras
- Guest Network: Visitors with limited access
- Children's Network: Restricted access for kids
Different Blocking Rules:
- Strict Blocking: Maximum privacy for trusted devices
- Moderate Blocking: Balanced protection for IoT devices
- Light Blocking: Minimal blocking for guest network
Device-Specific Recommendations
Smart TVs:
- Disable ACR (Automatic Content Recognition)
- Turn off personalized advertising
- Disable usage data collection
- Use external streaming devices when possible
Home Assistants:
- Review privacy settings regularly
- Delete voice recordings periodically
- Disable personalized features if possible
- Consider privacy-focused alternatives
Streaming Devices:
- Disable usage analytics
- Turn off personalized recommendations
- Use private browsing when possible
- Regularly clear cache and data
Monitoring and Maintenance
Regular Dashboard Review
Daily Checks:
- Review top blocked domains
- Check for new tracking services
- Monitor device query patterns
- Look for unusual activity
Weekly Analysis:
- Update blocklists
- Review device behavior patterns
- Check for false positives
- Optimize blocking rules
Monthly Review:
- Analyze long-term trends
- Update device privacy settings
- Review network segmentation
- Plan privacy improvements
Advanced Monitoring
Query Log Analysis:
# Export query log for analysis
pihole -q -all
# Filter by device
pihole -q -all | grep "Device-Name"
# Filter by domain type
pihole -q -all | grep "analytics"
Custom Alerts:
- High query volume from specific devices
- New tracking domains appearing
- Unusual activity patterns
- Blocking rate changes
The Bottom Line: Your Home is Under Surveillance
What the Dashboard Reveals
Constant Monitoring:
- Every device is reporting your behavior
- Multiple companies are tracking your family
- Cross-platform profiling creates detailed profiles
- Targeted advertising based on your entire household
Privacy Implications:
- Family profiling for advertising purposes
- Behavioral tracking across all devices
- Data sharing between companies
- Targeted manipulation through personalized content
Taking Control
Immediate Actions:
- Configure DHCP to use Pi-hole DNS
- Monitor dashboard regularly for tracking activity
- Update blocklists to catch new tracking services
- Review device settings and disable tracking features
Long-term Strategy:
- Network segmentation for different device types
- Privacy-focused alternatives for smart devices
- Regular privacy audits of all connected devices
- Education for family members about device surveillance
Your home network is a surveillance network. Every device is watching, listening, and reporting. Pi-hole gives you the visibility to see what's happening and the power to stop it.
Ready to see what your devices are really doing? Set up Pi-hole, configure your DHCP, and prepare to be shocked by the constant surveillance happening in your home.