AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[Diamond67]

I had an error trying to update:

Updated mine to 3.8 without problems.

Just got a tiny warning:

Warning:
DNS-based Filtering is enabled on this router

This may or may not work with AB-Solution
Disable it after installation if ad-blocking
does not work and see if that helps.

This is because I have excluded my Sony Television from ad blocking:

Spoiler: Instructions by thelonelycoder

This is how you exclude clients from ad blocking:
Go to /Parental Controls/DNS-Filtering/
- set 'Enable DNS-based Filtering' to ON
- set 'Global Filter Mode' to 'NO filtering'
- fill in 'Custom (user-defined) DNS 1' with, for example, Google's DNS 8.8.8.8
- select your client(s) in the Client List and set 'Filter Mode' 'Custom 1'
- click Apply

Now the client(s) in the Client list get the DNS from google and not from your router. This is how you exclude clients from ad blocking.

Ad blocking seems to work fine anyway (with other devices).

 

[JGN123]

I've updated my RT-AC86U to the latest Merlin 380.65_4. Cleared nvram, reformatted USB stick & config the router from fresh. Installed AB-Solution 3.8 and got a warning pixelserv would not work due to too old firmware. After AB finished installation, I tried to install ps but got an error as below
-----------------------------------------------------
Error: Your router's firmware (380.65) is too
old and not capable to run pixelserv-tls.
Upgrade your routers firmware first.
-----------------------------------------------------
Should I downgrade to an older version of Merlin?
Thanks!

 

[Martin_D]

Working great thank you @thelonelycoder

 

[thelonelycoder]

I had an error trying to update:

tmp/mnt/sda1# ./ab-solution.sh
./ab-solution.sh: line 3099: syntax error: unexpected end of file (expecting "fi")

Im going to try to remove everything and install
__________________
I removed the adblocking folder and sh downloaded again y setup from scratch to get it to work again, it tried to update but after the error above when executing again it would say access denied.

That might be a transmission error, try the curl command first before reinstalling everything.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I've updated my RT-AC86U to the latest Merlin 380.65_4. Cleared nvram, reformatted USB stick & config the router from fresh. Installed AB-Solution 3.8 and got a warning pixelserv would not work due to too old firmware. After AB finished installation, I tried to install ps but got an error as below
-----------------------------------------------------
Error: Your router's firmware (380.65) is too
old and not capable to run pixelserv-tls.
Upgrade your routers firmware first.
-----------------------------------------------------
Should I downgrade to an older version of Merlin?
Thanks!

Let me test that on a real router version before you do anything, I only tested version numbers with dashes virtually.
Thanks for reporting!

 

[thelonelycoder]

I've updated my RT-AC86U to the latest Merlin 380.65_4. Cleared nvram, reformatted USB stick & config the router from fresh. Installed AB-Solution 3.8 and got a warning pixelserv would not work due to too old firmware. After AB finished installation, I tried to install ps but got an error as below
-----------------------------------------------------
Error: Your router's firmware (380.65) is too
old and not capable to run pixelserv-tls.
Upgrade your routers firmware first.
-----------------------------------------------------
Should I downgrade to an older version of Merlin?
Thanks!

As expected, that worked without a hitch on my RT-AC66U on 380.65_4, the problem is not the firmware version number, but the router listens on IP 0.0.0.0 on port 80.
Please post full output of the following command:

netstat -tuln | grep :80 | grep -q '0.0.0.0:80'

If that returns empty, try this:

netstat -tuln | grep :80

 

[thelonelycoder]

Updated mine to 3.8 without problems.

Just got a tiny warning:


This is because I have excluded my Sony Television from ad blocking:

Ad blocking seems to work fine anyway (with other devices).

This message has intentionally been placed for the reason that if you do it wrong with DNS-based Filtering, adblocking might not work.
It works for your setup, all is fine then.

 

[thelonelycoder]

So far so good.
Thanks dear "the lonely coder"
View attachment 8951

No pixelserv-tls for you?
It really works well, blocks a lot more and provides a cleaner browser experience by not leaving gaps where ads would show.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I've updated my RT-AC86U to the latest Merlin 380.65_4. Cleared nvram, reformatted USB stick & config the router from fresh. Installed AB-Solution 3.8 and got a warning pixelserv would not work due to too old firmware. After AB finished installation, I tried to install ps but got an error as below
-----------------------------------------------------
Error: Your router's firmware (380.65) is too
old and not capable to run pixelserv-tls.
Upgrade your routers firmware first.
-----------------------------------------------------
Should I downgrade to an older version of Merlin?
Thanks!

Just checked with my RT-AC66U: Reset settings, minimal configuration and installed again without an error.
The above posted netstat commands returned correct.
What services other than AB do you run on this router?

 

[thelonelycoder]

Working great thank you @thelonelycoder

And the new update times are in use, good to see!
Edit: and since this looks like a new install, you got warned about having no label on your USB device...

 

[Martin_D]

And the new update times are in use, good to see!
Edit: and since this looks like a new install, you got warned about having no label on your USB device...

Yep got the warning about the USB

 

[JemTheWire]

Thanks again for you EXCELLENT program. As I keep saying to my wife, good things come in small packages!



One question: I am running Merlin FW 380.65_4 on my 88U, yet after I enabled the new FW check in AB, I got an email telling me that 380.65_4 was available. As I was already on that version I thought it was unusual.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Thanks again for you EXCELLENT program. As I keep saying to my wife, good things come in small packages!



One question: I am running Merlin FW 380.65_4 on my 88U, yet after I enabled the new FW check in AB, I got an email telling me that 380.65_4 was available. As I was already on that version I thought it was unusual.

Did you use the test function in that menu?
If not, then this must be firmware related as AB only creates the script, not the actual trigger to send it.

 

[shooter40sw]

I installed everything from 0 and its working ok, Never messed up with the pixelserve, do I need to export the certs to all mobile devices and the desktop?

 

[thelonelycoder]

I installed everything from 0 and its working ok, Never messed up with the pixelserve, do I need to export the certs to all mobile devices and the desktop?

Not necessarily, depends if you see errors.
I never need to, for some reason...

 

[JemTheWire]

Did you use the test function in that menu?
If not, then this must be firmware related as AB only creates the script, not the actual trigger to send it.

DOH. Guilty as charged. [emoji3]

 

[thelonelycoder]

DOH. Guilty as charged. [emoji3]

Well, at least you now know it'll work when new release comes out...

 

[stambeccuccio]

No pixelserv-tls for you?

Because:

Error: Your router's firmware (380.66) is too old and not capable to run pixelser-tls. Upgrade your router's firmware first.

.....

 

[thelonelycoder]

Because:

View attachment 8962

Please post full output of:

netstat -tuln | grep :80

 

[Makaveli]

Just upgraded via CU and everything completed flawlessly thank you sir!