Re: Rbr50 assigning different dns server

lvangent · ‎2021-03-01

Hi, I’m looking at a way for my rbr50 to assign a different dns server than the default Orbi dhcp router. Is this possible?
I’m running a pothole and unbound service on my network and I want to assign groups with dedicated hosts for black listing.

lvangent · ‎2021-03-01

Not pothole but pihole server (spell checker)

Ha_Ku_Na · ‎2021-03-01

Use the Web admin GUI, there you can find the settings under "Advanced -> Setup -> Internet Setup".

Btw, I'm planning too, to add a own-hosted pi-hole in my network, but have not yet received the ordered hardware ...

CrimpOn · ‎2021-03-01

@lvangent wrote:
Hi, I’m looking at a way for my rbr50 to assign a different dns server than the default Orbi dhcp router. Is this possible?
I’m running a pothole and unbound service on my network and I want to assign groups with dedicated hosts for black listing.

Orbi DHCP will always provide the Orbi IP address as the DNS server. People have asked for a way to specify the DNS server IP that will be provided via DHCP, and Netgear has never provided a mechanism.

The Orbi itself can be configured to use the DNS server provided by the ISP or any other DNS servers. So those DNS lookups can be forwarded from the Orbi to Pi-hole for resolution.

The only way for Pi-hole to know which device requested DNS is to configure the device DNS IP's individually on the device, which users can easily change. The only method I know of to have different internet restrictions by device is to use some form of Parental Controls, either Disney Circle or the new Netgear Parental Controls.

CrimpOn · ‎2021-03-01

A Wiindows computer, for example, requires Administrator status to change network settings. So a Windows computer could be configured to go directly to Pi-hole for DNS and a regular user could not change the setting. I have no idea whether other devices have similar distinctions (Apple, XBox, PS4, televisions, etc.) but my guess is that many of them do not protect the network settings.

lvangent · ‎2021-03-01

Thanks for your response.

The problem with ONE DNS host, namely the forwarding from orbi router to pihole, defeats the use of groups in pihole. Assigning a dedicated DNS IP address on each host (mac,windows,iphone, android, streaming devices works but for any wifi device you no longer can connect to a different wifi network with a static DNS configuration. For devices like desktops this is not an issue but for portable devices like phones, pads, etc this will not work.

lvangent · ‎2021-03-01

Hi, very true.

On windows you have to assign network priviledge for network settings to be changed, you are correct that a none priv user cannot do this. For Mac you require administrator access.

Iphone, ipad can be protected but in general the network settings can be changed on the fly.

I don't know about android as I only have apple devices.

CrimpOn · ‎2021-03-01

@lvangent wrote:
For devices like desktops this is not an issue but for portable devices like phones, pads, etc this will not work.

This is so true. This feature has been requested on the "Idea Exchange" and has 137 Likes:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Idea-Exchange-For-Home/Additional-DNS-support/idi-p/1066702

The only other option is to abandon the Orbi DHCP function and use a different DHCP server on the LAN.

Pi-hole can function as a DHCP server, and can provide its own IP as the DNS server.

(Caveat: I have never configured my Pi-hole servers for DHCP, so the "how it works" is beyond my skill set.)

lvangent · ‎2021-03-01

@CrimpOn wrote:
@lvangent wrote:
For devices like desktops this is not an issue but for portable devices like phones, pads, etc this will not work.
This is so true. This feature has been requested on the "Idea Exchange" and has 137 Likes:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Idea-Exchange-For-Home/Additional-DNS-support/idi-p/1066702

The only other option is to abandon the Orbi DHCP function and use a different DHCP server on the LAN.
Pi-hole can function as a DHCP server, and can provide its own IP as the DNS server.
(Caveat: I have never configured my Pi-hole servers for DHCP, so the "how it works" is beyond my skill set.)

Hi,

I tried PIHOLE as DHCP server and my network devices worked but the RBS50 satellite would not get an IP address !!?? That is an other issue. network devices should have a static ip address; routers, switches, servers WIFI-AP's. also not possible with ORBI satellites.

I do have found a work around to assign a different DNS IPV4 address with RBR50 DHCP. (will need redoing after each reboot of RBR50)

enable telnet on web page RBR50 ( http://<router ip>/debug.htm )

telnet into RBR50 (putty or any other telnet client will work)

cd /tmp and update with vi file udhcpd.conf with correct DNS address;

stop the service - kill -9 <udhcpd process> and

start udhcp (CLI udhcpd /tmp/udhcpd.conf)

Now RBR50 will provide right IPV4 DNS address 🙂