AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[Raphie]

@thelonelycoder ab-solution now works perfect.
Already had no more rights issues when I replaced my USB with a USB3 Corsair on the rear port of my RT-AC5300 with 384.4b2.
But with the latest update, together with Skynet and Pixelserv test v5 it runs just beatiful. What a difference with 6 months ago.

Thank you again for your continued hard work

 

[IsaacFL]

@thelonelycoder ab-solution always works good for me, but I do have one issue during install.

I notice that if I already have an existing dnsmasq.postconf script, when I install ab-solution it will cause dnsmasq to stop working.

This is the contents of my script:

#!/bin/sh

CONFIG=$1
source /usr/sbin/helper.sh
pc_replace "constructor:br0" "constructor:br0,ra-names" $CONFIG
pc_append "host-record=$(nvram get computer_name),$(nvram get computer_name).$(nvram get lan_domain),$(nvram get lan_ipaddr_rt),$(nvram get ipv6_rtr_addr)" $CONFIG

What happens is when I run your install script it replaces my "source /usr/sbin/helper.sh" line with your script, but also appends your script to the end. So it gets ran twice, I think?

When I look at the damage to dnsmasq.conf I see your additions twice, and it causes dnsmasq to crash.

I usually remember to delete my script before installing ab-solution and then paste my stuff in after, but forgot this last time.

This isn't new, it has been this way for awhile. Also my scripting skills aren't the best, so maybe I am doing it wrong?

 

[Wycleff]

Hmmm, i noticed something fishy with AB-Solutions in combination with Youtube on Mac (Safari & Chrome)

Since several Weeks, every time I try to visit Youtube..the page looks broken.
Only after temporarily disabling AB-S, youtube is working again for some time.

https://imgur.com/a/JxwlP

 

[HuskyHerder]

Now with a new drive same brand and model, everything has been working without any kind of troubles

Yes indeed, a new drive seems to have fixed me up too.

 

[JaimeZX]

Help! I've just installed AB-Solution for the first time on my RT-AC3100. I was about to go to bed, satisfied that it was working, when I noticed the wireless is off. If I hover over the little (grey) wifi icon it says "2.4G: Disabled. 5G: Disabled."

I tried rebooting, no help.
I SSH'd into the router and tried "radio on," this also didn't help.

Ideas? Ach... terrific.

Edit: DISREGARD - went into "Wireless" and saw somehow the ironically-named radio buttons for both had shifted to "off." No idea how that happened, I certainly didn't do it. Fluke in the AB-S install script? Dunno. Anyway, it's back now.

 

[thelonelycoder]

4. Paste the content of the link https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hoshsadiq/adblock-nocoin-list/master/hosts.txt into custom_hosts_list.txt file, then save it.
5. Plug the USB drive back in the router and Enable JFFS custom script.
6. Change blocking file type in AB-solution to Custom+ (with "pre-populate to Medium" to Yes).
Thank you in advance!

The correct way to do is to paste the LINK and not the links content into the custom_hosts_list.txt. The content itself will do nothing at all in that file.

 

[thelonelycoder]

@thelonelycoder ab-solution always works good for me, but I do have one issue during install.

I notice that if I already have an existing dnsmasq.postconf script, when I install ab-solution it will cause dnsmasq to stop working.

This is the contents of my script:

#!/bin/sh

CONFIG=$1
source /usr/sbin/helper.sh
pc_replace "constructor:br0" "constructor:br0,ra-names" $CONFIG
pc_append "host-record=$(nvram get computer_name),$(nvram get computer_name).$(nvram get lan_domain),$(nvram get lan_ipaddr_rt),$(nvram get ipv6_rtr_addr)" $CONFIG

What happens is when I run your install script it replaces my "source /usr/sbin/helper.sh" line with your script, but also appends your script to the end. So it gets ran twice, I think?

When I look at the damage to dnsmasq.conf I see your additions twice, and it causes dnsmasq to crash.

I usually remember to delete my script before installing ab-solution and then paste my stuff in after, but forgot this last time.

This isn't new, it has been this way for awhile. Also my scripting skills aren't the best, so maybe I am doing it wrong?

Just add your content after the AB entries in /jffs/scripts/dnsmasq.postconf, like so:

#!/bin/sh

# DO NOT EDIT this part of the file #
# generated by AB-Solution 3.11
if [ -d "/tmp/mnt/<your device>" ];then
    source /tmp/mnt/<your device>/adblocking/scripts/ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh
    logger "AB-Solution linked ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh via $0"
fi
# end of DO NOT EDIT #

CONFIG=$1
source /usr/sbin/helper.sh
pc_replace "constructor:br0" "constructor:br0,ra-names" $CONFIG
pc_append "host-record=$(nvram get computer_name),$(nvram get computer_name).$(nvram get lan_domain),$(nvram get lan_ipaddr_rt),$(nvram get ipv6_rtr_addr)" $CONFIG

 

[thelonelycoder]

Hmmm, i noticed something fishy with AB-Solutions in combination with Youtube on Mac (Safari & Chrome)

Since several Weeks, every time I try to visit Youtube..the page looks broken.
Only after temporarily disabling AB-S, youtube is working again for some time.

https://imgur.com/a/JxwlP

Use f option 1 to see what's blocked, make a good guess what might be the cause of this and add the domain to the whitelist.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Edit: DISREGARD - went into "Wireless" and saw somehow the ironically-named radio buttons for both had shifted to "off." No idea how that happened, I certainly didn't do it. Fluke in the AB-S install script? Dunno. Anyway, it's back now.

AB-Solution does not contain code that could turn your Wi-Fi band(s) on or off.

 

[Quoc Huynh]

The correct way to do is to paste the LINK and not the links content into the custom_hosts_list.txt. The content itself will do nothing at all in that file.

Thanks @thelonelycoder! I opened the custom_hosts_list.txt with nano (thanks to @visortgw's guidance) and after viewing the content of that file, which was accidentally created (with pre-population of Medium blocking file) since my previous attempt, I successfully integrated the url link into it. At the moment, AB-Solution is working like a charm with 1,000+ new added domains

 

[IsaacFL]

Just add your content after the AB entries in /jffs/scripts/dnsmasq.postconf, like so:

#!/bin/sh

# DO NOT EDIT this part of the file #
# generated by AB-Solution 3.11
if [ -d "/tmp/mnt/<your device>" ];then
    source /tmp/mnt/<your device>/adblocking/scripts/ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh
    logger "AB-Solution linked ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh via $0"
fi
# end of DO NOT EDIT #

CONFIG=$1
source /usr/sbin/helper.sh
pc_replace "constructor:br0" "constructor:br0,ra-names" $CONFIG
pc_append "host-record=$(nvram get computer_name),$(nvram get computer_name).$(nvram get lan_domain),$(nvram get lan_ipaddr_rt),$(nvram get ipv6_rtr_addr)" $CONFIG

What I was talking about was during the installation of AB.

If there is already a dnsmasq.postconf script in place (contents above). Then AB installation will cause dnsmasq to crash by replacing the "source /usr/sbin/helper.sh" with "source /tmp/mnt/<your device>/adblocking/scripts/ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh". It looks like this:

#!/bin/sh

CONFIG=$1
a bunch of stuff/AdBlock/adblocking/scripts/ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh
pc_replace "constructor:br0" "constructor:br0,ra-names" $CONFIG
pc_append "host-record=$(nvram get computer_name),$(nvram get computer_name).$(nvram get lan_domain),$(nvram get lan_ipaddr_rt),$(nvram get ipv6_rtr_addr)" $CONFIG

# DO NOT EDIT this part of the file #
# generated by AB-Solution 3.11
if [ -d "/tmp/mnt/AdBlock" ];then
    source /tmp/mnt/AdBlock/adblocking/scripts/ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh
    logger "AB-Solution linked ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh via $0"
fi
# end of DO NOT EDIT #

I have to remember to delete my script first, then after installation, I insert my script back in and then it works fine.

If you try to duplicate it, don't reboot until you fix it, or it will never come back up.

 

[JaimeZX]

AB-Solution does not contain code that could turn your Wi-Fi band(s) on or off.

I admit it seemed unlikely, even to a n00b like me. Yet the only things I did in the SSH were format a thumbdrive and install AB-Solution. Although, come to think of it... I suppose it's possible I bumped the Wifi button on the front of the router when plugging/unplugging the thumbdrive... Since I never use that button that didn't occur to me until just now.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I have to remember to delete my script first, then after installation, I insert my script back in and then it works fine.

If you try to duplicate it, don't reboot until you fix it, or it will never come back up.

You're one of a few that encountered problems with the way I modify that file. I won't bother testing or changing anything, you have a solution to it.
AB4 will do it differently and will cause no headaches with existing code in that file.

 

[JaimeZX]

Here's a question I haven't seen directly addressed, but it may be buried somewhere in the previous 135 pages.

I think a lot of people run AdBlock+ or similar on their browsers. Clearly AB-Solution handles a lot of this load. Confusingly (for me) AB+ still shows 18 ads blocked on this page... I assume that means that the plugin sees calls for them in the HTML, but the content is already being blocked by the router. Is that accurate? To some extent I can verify this by disabling AB+ on any particular page and seeing that no ads load where I once would have expected them.

To that end, I would expect that AB+ is now using unnecessary processor time on the computer trying to block something that is already blocked. On the other hand, I have also loaded up Fanboy's Social Blocking List, Fanboy's Annoyance List, and so on into AB+. Somewhere in this thread you (TLC) have indicated that these items are incompatible with AB-Solution, which makes me think keeping AB+ running on the browser makes sense.

Just curious for your thoughts on this topic, if you have the cycles to spare. Thanks much!

 

[Makaveli]

I've actually been checking this same thing today when dealing with a pixelsev issue I was having. Totally disabled ab block in my browsers now don't think its necessary with AB Solution running.

 

[Butterfly Bones]

@thelonelycoder
XVortex will release 384.4 Beta3 soon.
Merlin suggests to do a factory reset when coming from 380 to 384 in his changelog: https://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/changelog-382
I guess when I do a factory reset, ab-solution will be gone?
What's the easiest way to backup and restore ab-solution and skynet?

He posted the method here.
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/ab-solution-the-ad-blocking-solution.37511/page-89#post-357054

 

[Butterfly Bones]

Cool, thanks.
My ab-solution is running on an USB stick. I guess when I do a factory reset on my R7000 it won't wipe the USB stick too?
So I guess I just have to start sh /mnt/<your device>/ab-solution.sh again one time after a factory reset?
Will it also restart skynet?

I cannot find the link, but numerous posts from RMerlin, thelonelycoder, and more suggest temporarily disabling JFFS scripts, then reboot the router, do the update, then enable JFFS scripts and reboot.

I follow that procedure and have never had either of my attached USB sticks wiped. I don't have to use the long command line to start ab-solution or amtm either. YMMV.

I still backup my ad-solution, entware, and skynet directories often via SFTP to a Linux computer. I am a firm believer in repetitive redundancy.

 

[Jack Yaz]

@thelonelycoder
XVortex will release 384.4 soon.
Merlin suggests to do a factory reset when coming from 380 to 384 in his changelog: https://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/changelog-382
I guess when I do a factory reset, ab-solution will be gone?
What's the easiest way to backup and restore ab-solution and skynet?

You are running asuswrt illegally by running it on a non asus router.

 

[Ubimo]

You are running asuswrt illegally by running it on a non asus router.

Did I write I have a R7000? Silly me, I surely meant I have a RT-AC8LU. Those typos, tststs....

 

[thelonelycoder]

On the other hand, I have also loaded up Fanboy's Social Blocking List, Fanboy's Annoyance List, and so on into AB . Somewhere in this thread you (TLC) have indicated that these items are incompatible with AB-Solution, which makes me think keeping AB running on the browser makes sense.

Those filter lists do not work in AB-Solution:
http://www.ab-solution.info/use/hosts-files.html
You can add them, but they are completely and unceremoniously dropped and will not make it into the blocking file.
Adding them anyway does not change the fact that these filter lists DO NOT work with the way AB blocks ads.
Keep in mind that AB is the commonly used abbreviation of AB-Solution in this thread.