AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[thelonelycoder]

RT-AC68U_380.66_4

OK, that's the correct version.

In the ssh terminal, enter

pixelserv-tls --help

This should return a series of pixelserv switches.
If not, pixelserv is not correctly installed on your router.
Please also post output of:

opkg list-installed

If pixelserv-tls is in the list, enter:

pixelserv-tls

Then look at the Syslog, it should say:
pixelserv[******]: Abort: Address already in use - :*:80

Please report back with as much details as possible.

 

[Miggy]

OK, that's the correct version.

In the ssh terminal, enter

pixelserv-tls --help

This should return a series of pixelserv switches.
If not, pixelserv is not correctly installed on your router.
Please also post output of:

opkg list-installed

If pixelserv-tls is in the list, enter:

pixelserv-tls

Then look at the Syslog, it should say:
pixelserv[******]: Abort: Address already in use - :*:80

Please report back with as much details as possible.

I tried to run those three comands and it says,
INPUT IS NOT AN OPTION.

I think Im doing something wrong?

 

[thelonelycoder]

I tried to run those three comands and it says,
INPUT IS NOT AN OPTION.

I think Im doing something wrong?

In the ssh terminal directly, not in the AB User Interface. These are no AB commands.

 

[Miggy]

UPDATE: everything works now for me. I have ext4 usb before, and i tried to format it to ext2.
After formatting, I reinstalled everything, and everything went right this time.

 

[Xentrk]

Blocking cdn.content.prod.cms.msn.com appears to have done the trick for all but one advertisement about the Power of Sleep. I will monitor over the weekend and also test it out on pfBlockerNG package on pfSense appliance to see if I get the same result.

I may have been mistaken with the above block. I discovered that Huffington Post is using an advertising tool developed by Facebook called Facebook Audience Network. I discovered this when I clicked on one ad and it took me to a FB page about this network.

I was logged into Facebook app on my iPad, which I hardly ever use BTW. Once I logged out of FB and returned to Huff Post, the ads were gone.

Searching for "blocking Facebook Audience Network" returned hits, including this one:
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/stop-facebooks-targeted-ads-from-stalking-you-around-the-internet/

From the searches I have done so far, blocking includes changing ad preferences in FB or using a link in the above article to change Digital Advertising Alliance ad preferences in a browser. None of which I find ideal.. However, no need for me to be logged into FB since I don't use it hardly at all.

I will keep researching. It would be nice to find a domain name instead to incorporate in AB-Solution.

 

[Alfsu]

I read this in the requirements for installation:

"*) Wireless router mode supported only.
If your device is in Repeater, Media Bridge or Access Point mode,
AB-Solution cannot work and will not install on your device."

What about if router has VPN with routing policies?

Will it work?

Thank you!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Xentrk]

What about if router has VPN with routing policies?

Will it work?

Thank you!

It does if you configure OpenVPN correctly. I have outlined the methods in the series of articles. Please give em a Like if they help you!

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/torguard-openvpn-2-4-client-setup-for-asus-merlin-380-65-380-65_2-part-i.38281/

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/torguard-openvpn-2-4-client-setup-for-asus-merlin-380-65-380-65_2-part-ii.38282/

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/torguard-openvpn-2-4-client-setup-for-asus-merlin-380-65-380-65_2-part-iii.38283/

 

[Alfsu]

It does if you configure OpenVPN correctly. I have outlined the methods in the series of articles. Please give em a Like if they help you!

For what I read in your method, my set up should work. I will give it a go soon... Business traveling at the moment!

Thank you!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Xentrk]

For what I read in your method, my set up should work. I will give it a go soon... Business traveling at the moment!

Thank you!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

You're welcome. Ping me if you have questions.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I read this in the requirements for installation:

"*) Wireless router mode supported only.
If your device is in Repeater, Media Bridge or Access Point mode,
AB-Solution cannot work and will not install on your device."

What about if router has VPN with routing policies?

Will it work?

Thank you!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

These other modes can not work because dnsmasq is not available to resolve the domains. Without it AB is unable to block ads. The binary is not available in these modes.
What you are after is an eventual routing problem that is just a matter of configuring it so that requests go through the routers dnsmasq. @Xentrk has done an impressive job to get it to work for those that need it.
AB-Solution will work for you, and soon you'll wonder how you ever lived without it...

 

[Xentrk]

I may have been mistaken with the above block. I discovered that Huffington Post is using an advertising tool developed by Facebook called Facebook Audience Network. I discovered this when I clicked on one ad and it took me to a FB page about this network.

I was logged into Facebook app on my iPad, which I hardly ever use BTW. Once I logged out of FB and returned to Huff Post, the ads were gone.

Searching for "blocking Facebook Audience Network" returned hits, including this one:
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/stop-facebooks-targeted-ads-from-stalking-you-around-the-internet/

From the searches I have done so far, blocking includes changing ad preferences in FB or using a link in the above article to change Digital Advertising Alliance ad preferences in a browser. None of which I find ideal.. However, no need for me to be logged into FB since I don't use it hardly at all.

I will keep researching. It would be nice to find a domain name instead to incorporate in AB-Solution.

Well, this morning I logged into FB and turned off my ad tracking settings per the article above. Just another reason for me not to want to use FB.... But it appears the only way for me to know what is going on with extended family members and old friends.. I will keep it to an occasional lurk for now.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Well, this morning I logged into FB and turned off my ad tracking settings per the article above. Just another reason for me not to want to use FB.... But it appears the only way for me to know what is going on with extended family members and old friends.. I will keep it to an occasional lurk for now.

This, and I find it infuriating that they show how many notifications your account has, even when you're logged out.
Only way around this, it seems, is to delete the cookie.

 

[bayern1975]

is there a solution to block ads in tapatalk 6.5.6 version? I wish the author of ab-solution can find solution for this problem....

Poslano z mojega EVA-L09 z uporabo Tapatalk

 

[thelonelycoder]

is there a solution to block ads in tapatalk 6.5.6 version? I wish the author of ab-solution can find solution for this problem....

If this is because they serve the ads via a hard-coded IP address instead of a domain, then there's nothing for me or AB to do.
Use the ipset scripts to block the IP address.

 

[bayern1975]

If this is because they serve the ads via a hard-coded IP address instead of a domain, then there's nothing for me or AB to do.
Use the ipset scripts to block the IP address.

how to get IP address to block it from firewall

Poslano z mojega EVA-L09 z uporabo Tapatalk

 

[thelonelycoder]

how to get IP address to block it from firewall

Poslano z mojega EVA-L09 z uporabo Tapatalk

One of the many ipset blocklists, perhaps?

 

[Xentrk]

how to get IP address to block it from firewall

I'm not sure either. But here are the ip addresses of www.tapatalk.com and tapatalk.com for your information.

www.tapatalk.com@8.8.4.4 (Default):
www.tapatalk.com.    299    IN    CNAME    elb.tapatalk-cdn.com.
elb.tapatalk-cdn.com.    299    IN    CNAME    elb.tapatalk.com.
elb.tapatalk.com.    299    IN    CNAME    tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com.
tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com. 59 IN A 52.72.97.113
tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com. 59 IN A 52.55.171.86

tapatalk.com@8.8.4.4 (Default):
tapatalk.com.        241    IN    A    50.17.254.140

Maybe try this:
https://t7ware.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/block-tapatalk/
https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=508947.0

 

[bayern1975]

i roll back 6.5.5 version of tapatalk and disable automatic updates in google play....with 6.5.5. is all ok....i realy not understand what they change in 6.5.6 version.....

www.tapatalk.com@8.8.4.4 (Default):
www.tapatalk.com.    299    IN    CNAME    elb.tapatalk-cdn.com.
elb.tapatalk-cdn.com.    299    IN    CNAME    elb.tapatalk.com.
elb.tapatalk.com.    299    IN    CNAME    tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com.
tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com. 59 IN A 52.72.97.113
tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com. 59 IN A 52.55.171.86

tapatalk.com@8.8.4.4 (Default):
tapatalk.com.        241    IN    A    50.17.254.140

if i block these addresses i am sure then tapatalk won`t working?

 

[Xentrk]

i roll back 6.5.5 version of tapatalk and disable automatic updates in google play....with 6.5.5. is all ok....i realy not understand what they change in 6.5.6 version.....

www.tapatalk.com@8.8.4.4 (Default):
www.tapatalk.com.    299    IN    CNAME    elb.tapatalk-cdn.com.
elb.tapatalk-cdn.com.    299    IN    CNAME    elb.tapatalk.com.
elb.tapatalk.com.    299    IN    CNAME    tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com.
tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com. 59 IN A 52.72.97.113
tapatalk-com-lb-28571031.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com. 59 IN A 52.55.171.86

tapatalk.com@8.8.4.4 (Default):
tapatalk.com.        241    IN    A    50.17.254.140

if i block these addresses i am sure then tapatalk won`t working?

I suspect that is what will happen as well. You can try to blacklist the domains with cdn in the name and see what happens. You can always delete the blacklist entry if it does block tapatalk. You can try to use the follow the log file option in AB solution to see if you can try to identify their ad server.

 

[Earthkeeper]

I've just installed the latest AB-Solution 3.8.1 on my RT-AC5300 Merlin 380.66_4. I'm using the AdsBeGone! blocking file and I'm noticing a weird effect. Ab-Solution seems to consume 25-40% of core1 CPU (from web gui) even when there's only a few clients running(and pretty much idle). When I disable Ab-Solution, the cpu usage immediately drops to single digit. It remains that way even when I re-enable the script. But frequently the cpu % will climb to 30%-40% for hours and sometimes when I check the Web gui, it will drop to single digit again without any known reason.

Is this normal? What is causing it? I checked the top command on ssh and there's minimal cpu % uasage when the web gui is reporting 40%.