Pi-hole turns a small always-on board into network-wide DNS that blocks ads and trackers before they hit phones, TVs, and laptops on the LAN. The finished result is one quiet Raspberry Pi on Ethernet answering DNS for the household, not a browser extension on a single device.

This method is a mutually compatible shopping list: a Pi 4 with enough RAM, a PSU that will not throttle under load, a fast microSD for imaging and boot, and a wired Ethernet path so DNS stays stable when Wi-Fi flaps. It is a different project from the Home Assistant hub kit at /raspberry-pi-home-assistant-hub-everything-you-need — that build adds Zigbee and home automation; this one stays focused on DNS filtering. Who it is for: home-lab folks and privacy-minded households that want one box to cover every client.

What You Need

This is one compatible kit, not a mix-and-match catalog. Every core item is a live Amazon US listing already used on the site. No Zigbee dongle here — that differentiates the Home Assistant Pi kit. The T7 Shield is the only optional add-on.

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4GB)

The always-on host. 4GB is comfortable for Pi-hole plus a little headroom for Unbound or occasional SSH work without swapping. Gigabit Ethernet on the board is the path this method prefers for DNS uptime.

CanaKit 3.5A Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (USB-C)

Underpowered phone bricks cause random throttling and brownouts that look like "Pi-hole went down." A dedicated 3.5A USB-C supply keeps the 4B stable under continuous DNS load.

SanDisk Extreme 64GB microSDXC (UHS-I A2)

Imaging medium and default boot volume. A2-class cards handle the small random writes Pi-hole and the OS generate better than cheap Class 10 leftovers. 64GB is enough for OS + Pi-hole without babysitting free space.

Cable Matters Snagless Cat 6 (10 ft, 5-Pack)

Wire the Pi to the router or a nearby switch. Wired DNS survives Wi-Fi congestion and client roam events. A five-pack covers the Pi run plus spares for other desk gear.

Samsung T7 Shield 1TB (optional USB boot/storage)

Optional. Use this when the microSD should stay an imaging stick and the Pi should boot or keep heavy query logs on USB storage. Rugged enough for a closet shelf; USB 3 on the Pi 4 keeps transfers snappy.

What It Costs

About $175 to $190 as of writing for the core kit (Pi 4 4GB + CanaKit PSU + Extreme microSD + Cat6 pack). Add roughly $100 for the optional T7 Shield 1TB when USB boot or log storage is part of the plan. Skip a case until the Pi has a permanent shelf home.

Step-by-Step Setup

  1. Image Raspberry Pi OS Lite (or Desktop) onto the SanDisk Extreme 64GB with Raspberry Pi Imager. Enable SSH and set a hostname such as pihole before first boot.
  2. Seat the card in the Raspberry Pi 4 4GB, connect the CanaKit 3.5A USB-C PSU, and plug Cat 6 into the router or switch. Prefer Ethernet for this role.
  3. Give the Pi a DHCP reservation (or a static LAN IP outside the DHCP pool) so the DNS address never drifts after a reboot.
  4. SSH in and install Pi-hole with the official installer (curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash). This method keeps the default lighttpd admin UI on port 80 unless the LAN already uses that port.
  5. Point the router's DHCP DNS (or each client's DNS) at the Pi's LAN IP. Flush DNS on a phone and a laptop, then open the Pi-hole query log and confirm traffic is flowing.
  6. Optional: attach the Samsung T7 Shield 1TB, move the root filesystem or heavy log directories off the microSD following current Pi USB-boot docs, and keep the card as a recovery image only.

Mistakes to Avoid

Bottom line

For network-wide ad and tracker blocking, the Pi 4 4GB plus CanaKit PSU, Extreme microSD, and Cat6 is the complete wired kit. Add the T7 Shield only when USB boot or durable storage is part of the plan. For a related DIY on the same board family — home automation instead of DNS — see /raspberry-pi-home-assistant-hub-everything-you-need.