How to pair Pi-hole with an OpenVPN to block ads and increase privacy on Ubuntu / Debian Linux

To pair Pi-hole with OpenVPN on Ubuntu or Debian Linux, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Install OpenVPN: Install OpenVPN on your Ubuntu or Debian Linux system by running the following command:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install openvpn
  1. Download OpenVPN configuration files: Download the OpenVPN configuration files from your VPN provider. These files should include a .ovpn file that contains the VPN connection information.
  2. Configure OpenVPN: Create a new OpenVPN configuration directory and move the .ovpn file to that directory:
sudo mkdir /etc/openvpn/client
sudo mv [filename].ovpn /etc/openvpn/client/

Replace [filename] with the name of the .ovpn file you downloaded.

  1. Start OpenVPN: Start the OpenVPN service by running the following command:
sudo openvpn --config /etc/openvpn/client/[filename].ovpn
  1. Test the OpenVPN connection: You can test the OpenVPN connection by visiting a website like ipleak.net and checking the IP address. It should be the IP address assigned by the VPN server.
  2. Install Pi-hole: Install Pi-hole by following the steps described in the Pi-hole documentation.
  3. Configure Pi-hole: In the Pi-hole web interface, go to Settings > DNS and change the Upstream DNS Server to 127.0.0.1#5353
  4. Test the Pi-hole + OpenVPN configuration: You can test the Pi-hole + OpenVPN configuration by visiting a website that shows ads and checking that they are blocked.

By following these steps, you will have successfully paired Pi-hole with OpenVPN on your Ubuntu or Debian Linux system. Your system will now be protected from ads and have increased privacy due to the VPN connection.

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