How to setup an ad-free experience using AdGuardHome

Category: Tutorials & Guides

In 2025, internet-connected devices have become an integral part of daily life, but they also come with significant risks. Many websites and services continuously collect data about users, tracking browsing habits, and even monetizing personal information. This pervasive surveillance can lead to targeted advertising, potential security threats, and the erosion of online privacy.

To combat these issues, more and more people are turning to network-wide ad blockers. These solutions not only block intrusive advertisements but also filter out tracking scripts and malicious domains before they even reach your devices. Among the many options available, AdGuard Home stands out as a powerful, open-source, and easy-to-use tool for safeguarding your network.

AdGuard Home functions as a DNS-level ad blocker, meaning it intercepts unwanted content before it loads on your devices. This approach enhances browsing speed, reduces bandwidth consumption, and significantly improves privacy. Best of all, it can be installed on a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, and Raspberry Pi. Follow the steps below to get started with AdGuard Home on your preferred system.

Linux Installation (Using PuTTY for Remote Access)

    1. Connect via SSH: Use PuTTY to SSH into your Linux server (Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu, or Debian-based system).
    2. Download & Install AdGuard Home:
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/master/scripts/install.sh | sudo bash
    1. Start & Enable the Service:
sudo systemctl enable --now AdGuardHome
  1. Access the Web UI: Open http://<server-ip>:3000 in a browser and follow the setup wizard.

Windows Installation

    1. Download AdGuard Home: Get the latest Windows version from AdGuard’s GitHub Releases.
    2. Extract & Run: Unzip the downloaded file and run AdGuardHome.exe using Command Prompt or PowerShell.
    3. Access the Web UI: Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser and complete the setup.
    4. (Optional) Run as a Windows Service: To automatically start AdGuard Home on boot, run:
AdGuardHome.exe -s install

Raspberry Pi Installation (Using Raspberry Pi Imager)

    1. Flash Raspberry Pi OS: Use Raspberry Pi Imager to install Raspberry Pi OS (Lite recommended).
    2. Enable SSH: After flashing, create an empty file named ssh (without an extension) in the boot partition of the SD card.
    3. Connect via SSH: Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi, power it on, and connect using PuTTY:
ssh pi@<rpi-ip>
    1. Install AdGuard Home: Run the following command:
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/master/scripts/install.sh | sudo bash
  1. Access the Web UI: Open http://<rpi-ip>:3000 in a browser and complete the setup.

Final Steps & Configuration

  • During the initial setup, AdGuard Home will prompt you to configure your network settings.
  • Set your router’s DNS to the IP address of the machine running AdGuard Home to filter all network traffic.
  • Customize blocklists and allowlists as needed to fine-tune ad-blocking performance.

Troubleshooting

    • If AdGuard Home does not start, check the service status:
sudo systemctl status AdGuardHome
  • For Windows, ensure no other application is using port 3000.
  • Refer to AdGuard Home Documentation for advanced configuration options.
  • Important Note: Due to recent changes, none of these network-wide ad blockers currently block YouTube without blocking the content as well. While we don’t advocate for blocking YouTube ads because content creators work hard to create their content and deserve to be compensated through it, you will need a different type of device based filter for YouTube ads.

Enjoy a cleaner and faster browsing experience with AdGuard Home!

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