AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[thelonelycoder]

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%.

Thats unlikely. What process uses that 30% in top?

 

[Earthkeeper]

top does not report any process utilizing 30%. It is shown only in the web gui. Whenever it happens, I manually disable Ab-solution in ssh and the % immediately drops. I've tried factory resetting and manually re-configuring the router and re-installing Ab-solution and it is still the same.

 

[thelonelycoder]

top does not report any process utilizing 30%. It is shown only in the web gui. Whenever it happens, I manually disable Ab-solution in ssh and the % immediately drops. I've tried factory resetting and manually re-configuring the router and re-installing Ab-solution and it is still the same.

AB-Solution has no separate processes running to do the ad-blocking.
For a standard installation, only dnsmasq runs continuously. Which is part of the default router binaries that run anyway.

When pixelserv-tls is installed, two processes of pixelserv-tls run as well as dnsmasq.
Thats it, no other processes run.

Should you have logging enabled, make sure your USB device has a decent read/write capability. This might be the cause.
Or the device itself has problems, look at the Syslog for errors.

 

[iManuB]

Hi, i've questions for AB-Solution:

1) Is it okay also an old USB stick with little writing accuracy?
2) Does the CPU load much increase?

Thanks so much!

 

[Bamsefar]

In my latest report I have ALOT (+100.000 requests) to:
dns.msftncsi.com

This seems to be something wild though, I have NO client that lists this website as top requested domains, still I have it on the top total requested list...?

I did find this though:
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/constant-unwanted-traffic-to-dns-msftncsi-com-from-rt-ac66u.35367/

So any ideas?

 

[thelonelycoder]

In my latest report I have ALOT (+100.000 requests) to:
dns.msftncsi.com

This seems to be something wild though, I have NO client that lists this website as top requested domains, still I have it on the top total requested list...?

I did find this though:
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/constant-unwanted-traffic-to-dns-msftncsi-com-from-rt-ac66u.35367/

So any ideas?

In the WebUI, Tools/Other Settings
At the bottom, set "Wan: Use DNS probes to determine if WAN is up (default: Yes)" to No.
Be aware that if you have fail over dual WAN this might no longer work.
But in most cases it is safe to turn that off.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Hi, i've questions for AB-Solution:

1) Is it okay also an old USB stick with little writing accuracy?
2) Does the CPU load much increase?

Thanks so much!

1. It is NOT OK to use a device/HDD/SSD/whatever that has write errors. Ever.
If you mean it is a slow device, then expect higher CPU usage all the time if logging is enabled.
2. Not if the above is true. In fact it is barely noticeable 1-2% in most cases.

 

[iManuB]

1. It is NOT OK to use a device/HDD/SSD/whatever that has write errors. Ever.
If you mean it is a slow device, then expect higher CPU usage all the time if logging is enabled.
2. Not if the above is true. In fact it is barely noticeable 1-2% in most cases.

Thanks so much, thelonelycoder. All clear!

 

[Earthkeeper]

AB-Solution has no separate processes running to do the ad-blocking.
For a standard installation, only dnsmasq runs continuously. Which is part of the default router binaries that run anyway.

When pixelserv-tls is installed, two processes of pixelserv-tls run as well as dnsmasq.
Thats it, no other processes run.

Should you have logging enabled, make sure your USB device has a decent read/write capability. This might be the cause.
Or the device itself has problems, look at the Syslog for errors.

I managed to fix the problem by turning on firewall. I don't know why, but it fixed the problem and the cpu % has been single digit for a few hours now.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I managed to fix the problem by turning on firewall.

Uh Oh, no Firewall before?
Bad, very bad.

 

[Xentrk]

I managed to fix the problem by turning on firewall. I don't know why, but it fixed the problem and the cpu % has been single digit for a few hours now.

Heavens to Murgatroyd!

Also, make sure you don't have any other services exposed to the Web. On Administration, System GUI page, make sure the following values or set or you will be asking for problems as others have experienced here on snbforums:
Enable SSH=LAN Only or No
Enable Web Access from WAN =No

How long did you have the firewall turned off for? You may want to look in the log file for login attempts. Did you change your default userid and password for the router? You'd be surprised how many probes I see on my router based on a report that shows me the source IP and ports they try to hack.

 

[Earthkeeper]

I managed to fix the problem by turning on firewall. I don't know why, but it fixed the problem and the cpu % has been single digit for a few hours now.

I rejoiced too soon. The CPU % has been low the whole day yesterday. Today it started to alternate between periods of 30-40% and single digit % again.
Since everything is still working fine, I'm leaving it that way for now.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I rejoiced too soon. The CPU % has been low the whole day yesterday. Today it started to alternate between periods of 30-40% and single digit % again.
Since everything is still working fine, I'm leaving it that way for now.

If that was my router, I would wipe the jffs partition, remove the attached devices and wipe them.
Then I would reinstall the firmware and completely manually configure everything, using new passwords all around.
Never expose any services to WAN, except you know exactly what you do, not even UPNP on WAN side.

Having unknown processes at a regular high percentage screams for a compromised router. And with that possibly your LAN devices.

 

[steelskinz]

In my latest report I have ALOT (+100.000 requests) to:
dns.msftncsi.com

Got the same. It's the dns called by your Windows OS to say "connected to internet".

You can disable it by registry edit :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services > NLaSvc > Parameters > EnableActiveProbing to 0

You can whitelist dns :
msftncsi.com
131.107.255.255
dns.msftncsi.com

 

[Adamm]

Got the same. It's the dns called by your Windows OS to say "connected to internet".

Its actually by the router for the "Wan: Use DNS probes to determine if WAN is up" setting.

Which uses the nvram value;

dns_probe_host=dns.msftncsi.com

It can be turned off under > Tools > Other Settings

 

[thelonelycoder]

Its actually by the router for the "Wan: Use DNS probes to determine if WAN is up" setting.

Which uses the nvram value;

dns_probe_host=dns.msftncsi.com

It can be turned off under > Tools > Other Settings

And for those routers with with firmware older than 380.66 (or 380.65? Cant remember in which version Merlin added it), in AB, use the es 'Wanduck on' setting in the sub menu.

 

[clvk07]

Hi How do you get pixelserver to block ads? I have ab 3.81 installed with pixelserver but HTTPS ads still get through

 

[thelonelycoder]

Hi How do you get pixelserver to block ads? I have ab 3.81 installed with pixelserver but HTTPS ads still get through

AB sets everithing up so that it works seamless. If http ads get blocked, so should https if you installed it through AB.
Post the content of dnsmasq.conf. You can view the file with the sf option in AB. Make sure pixelserv is turned on when you copy the content.

 

[clvk07]

Hi yes installed using ab solution and it is on

 

[thelonelycoder]

Hi yes installed using ab solution and it is on

So, what's the content of the file?