AdGuard Home: The Essential Shield for My Homelab

In my previous homelab articles, I've shared my journey setting up hardware, connecting my NAS to my server, and exploring various self-hosted applications. Today, I want to focus on what has become the cornerstone of my homelab security and privacy: AdGuard Home.

Why a Local DNS Server is Essential

AdGuard Home logo

As I mentioned briefly in my top self-hosted applications article, a local DNS server is the first and most critical component of my homelab. After experimenting with various options, I chose AdGuard Home over alternatives like Pi-hole, and it has proven to be one of the best decisions for my setup.

The benefits of running your own DNS server extend far beyond what most people realize:

• DNS Caching: Faster browsing by storing frequent DNS requests locally
• Enhanced Security: Using DNS over HTTPS for encrypted lookups
• Network-Wide Protection: Ad and tracker blocking for every device on your network
• Granular Control: Complete oversight of your network's DNS traffic

My AdGuard Home Dashboard: The Numbers Don't Lie

AdGuard Home dashboard showing statistics of blocked requests

The impact of AdGuard Home on my network is staggering. In just the past month, my dashboard shows nearly 2 million DNS requests processed, with approximately 300,000 of them blocked as ads and trackers.

What's truly eye-opening is that these numbers exist despite already using browser-based ad blockers on all my devices. Imagine how many more intrusive ads and trackers would slip through without this network-level protection!

My Perfectly Balanced Blocklist Setup

After months of fine-tuning, I've developed what I consider the perfect blocklist configuration. It's comprehensive enough to block virtually all unwanted content while rarely requiring me to whitelist legitimate domains.

I've carefully selected HaGeZi's blocklists as the foundation of my setup because they provide excellent coverage across multiple threat categories while remaining family-friendly. This means non-technical family members can browse safely without constantly running into blocked legitimate content.

Here's my complete blocklist configuration:

Comprehensive Protection

• HaGeZi's Pro Blocklist: 189,866 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_48.txt
• HaGeZi's Threat Intelligence Feeds: 892,832 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_44.txt

Specialized Blocking

• HaGeZi's Encrypted DNS/VPN/TOR/Proxy Bypass: 3,839 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_52.txt
• Perflyst and Dandelion Sprout's Smart-TV Blocklist: 159 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_7.txt

Device-Specific Protection

• HaGeZi's Xiaomi Tracker Blocklist: 359 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_60.txt
• HaGeZi's Windows/Office Tracker Blocklist: 353 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_63.txt
• HaGeZi's Samsung Tracker Blocklist: 188 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_61.txt

Threat Protection

• HaGeZi's The World's Most Abused TLDs: 370 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_56.txt
• HaGeZi's Badware Hoster Blocklist: 2,105 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_55.txt
• HaGeZi's DynDNS Blocklist: 1,404 entries
  • https://adguardteam.github.io/HostlistsRegistry/assets/filter_54.txt

What makes this configuration special is its balance. Despite the massive number of blocked domains (over 1 million in total), I rarely encounter false positives. When family members browse the web, they're protected without even realizing it—no constant interruptions asking why a legitimate site isn't working.

Upstream DNS Configuration

For upstream DNS resolution (where AdGuard sends requests it doesn't block), I've configured two reliable, privacy-focused providers:

• https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query - Quad9's secure DNS service with malware blocking
• https://dns.nextdns.io - NextDNS for additional filtering and analytics

This dual-provider approach ensures redundancy while maintaining privacy and security. Both services use DNS over HTTPS (DoH) to encrypt my DNS traffic, preventing ISP snooping or man-in-the-middle attacks.

Real-World Impact

The real-world impact of this setup is remarkable. Even with browser-based ad blockers installed, AdGuard Home catches an additional 15% of my total network requests as ads or trackers. This demonstrates how many tracking attempts occur at the system level, outside of browsers.

For IoT devices, smart TVs, and mobile apps that don't support ad blocking, the protection is even more significant. These devices would otherwise be constantly phoning home with your usage data or displaying intrusive ads.

Easy Integration with Other Homelab Services

One of the best aspects of AdGuard Home is how seamlessly it integrates with my other homelab services. My Jellyfin media server, Home Assistant smart home hub, and all other self-hosted applications automatically benefit from the DNS-level protection without any additional configuration.

This integration creates a security foundation for my entire digital ecosystem. By placing AdGuard Home at the network level, every service and device inherits its protection automatically.

Conclusion

AdGuard Home has proven to be the essential first line of defense in my homelab security strategy. With over 2 million requests processed and 300,000 blocked threats in just one month, its impact on my network's privacy and security cannot be overstated.

The carefully balanced blocklist configuration I've shared provides comprehensive protection while remaining family-friendly—a perfect solution for protecting all devices in your home without constant maintenance or whitelisting.

If you're building or expanding a homelab, I highly recommend making AdGuard Home your first priority. The visibility, control, and protection it provides will transform how you view your network and dramatically enhance your digital privacy.