AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[Jack Yaz]

Move the browser window to the left monitor, move Notepad++ to the main center one, have file explorer and WinSCP open on the right and Xshell 5 at the top monitor, dim brightness and turn up the volume and start coding.

Now had did you know I had 4 monitors? haha

 

[thelonelycoder]

Now had did you know I had 4 monitors? haha

A wild guess while I was looking for the curser in limbo.

 

[stevec]

Found a small bug, or at least I think so.
When using a VPN for all devices, I can't update ab-solutions via the terminal interface because it fails to connect to ab-solutions.info. Also the updates of the block lists seems to fail.
Is there a fix for that?

 

[thelonelycoder]

Found a small bug, or at least I think so.
When using a VPN for all devices, I can't update ab-solutions via the terminal interface because it fails to connect to ab-solutions.info. Also the updates of the block lists seems to fail.
Is there a fix for that?

That's not a bug in AB-Solution but a configuration problem with your VPN.
Make sure the router terminal can access the interwebs.
ping ab-solution.info
It should answer with IP 80.74.156.155

If AB-Solution cannot access the internet, so probably can't the NTP, merlin updates and other services.

 

[Xentrk]

Found a small bug, or at least I think so.
When using a VPN for all devices, I can't update ab-solutions via the terminal interface because it fails to connect to ab-solutions.info. Also the updates of the block lists seems to fail.
Is there a fix for that?

I think I know the issue you are talking about. It has to do with the way Merlin implemented OpenVPN. You can see a recent discussion on this thread. I think it was around two weeks ago. I discovered issues with ABS when OpenVPN with policy rules. I discovered a routing issue with not being able to connect to the ABS server for updates and ABS not working over the VPN tunnel. You can see read about it in the links below in the section for policy rules and the settings to fix the issue. Let me know if it helps.

Spoiler: TorGuard VPN Setup Guide Links

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/t...for-asus-merlin-380-65-380-65_2-part-i.38281/

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/t...or-asus-merlin-380-65-380-65_2-part-ii.38282/

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/t...r-asus-merlin-380-65-380-65_2-part-iii.38283/

 

[Deleted member 51572]

I use Syslog Watcher to capture logging events from an Asus router over port 514, sent to a Windows computer with a static IP address. That all worked fine until recently, after I re-installed Ab-solution, and enabled Ab-solution’s logging feature; ‘l’ on the main menu. Now, when logging is enabled in Ab-solution, DHCP requests & acks no longer appear in the Syslog, nothing from Dnsmasq at all. I’m a Linux novice, so I don’t know enough about Dnsmasq configuration to fix the problem. If I disable logging in Ab-solution, then normal DHCP (Dnsmasq) logging activity resumes, and the events are captured by Syslog. It’s probably an easy fix, but I’m just learning Linux.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I use Syslog Watcher to capture logging events from an Asus router over port 514, sent to a Windows computer with a static IP address. That all worked fine until recently, after I re-installed Ab-solution, and enabled Ab-solution’s logging feature; ‘l’ on the main menu. Now, when logging is enabled in Ab-solution, DHCP requests & acks no longer appear in the Syslog, nothing from Dnsmasq at all. I’m a Linux novice, so I don’t know enough about Dnsmasq configuration to fix the problem. If I disable logging in Ab-solution, then normal DHCP (Dnsmasq) logging activity resumes, and the events are captured by Syslog. It’s probably an easy fix, but I’m just learning Linux.

In AB-Solution when logging is enabled, all Dnsmasq messages go to the logfile instead of syslog.
There is no work-around built into AB to pipe it to both - and no plans to do so.
Figure out a way to also include the /adblocking/logs/dnsmasq.log for your external log server if you wish to do so.

 

[Deleted member 51572]

In AB-Solution when logging is enabled, all Dnsmasq messages go to the logfile instead of syslog. There is no work-around built into AB to pipe it to both - and no plans to do so. Figure out a way to also include the /adblocking/logs/dnsmasq.log for your external log server if you wish to do so.

Alright thanks for the quick followup. I need DHCP (Dnsmasq) logging to work, so I’ll disable logging in Ab-solution, but then no Ads Stats unfortunately. I’m sure DHCP events were appearing in Syslog when I initially installed Ab-solution, even with Ad Stats logging enabled. It was only after I uninstalled Ab-solution, then reinstalled it later, onto a new USB drive, that I noticed DHCP activity stopped appearing in Syslog. I also took a look at the /adblocking/logs/dnsmasq.log file, it doesn’t contain any DHCP entries at all. I may uninstall Ab-solution for now, and endeavour to learn more about Dnsmasq.

Thanks

 

[thelonelycoder]

Alright thanks for the quick followup. I need DHCP (Dnsmasq) logging to work, so I’ll disable logging in Ab-solution, but then no Ads Stats unfortunately. I’m sure DHCP events were appearing in Syslog when I initially installed Ab-solution, even with Ad Stats logging enabled. It was only after I uninstalled Ab-solution, then reinstalled it later, onto a new USB drive, that I noticed DHCP activity stopped appearing in Syslog. I also took a look at the /adblocking/logs/dnsmasq.log file, it doesn’t contain any DHCP entries at all. I may uninstall Ab-solution for now, and endeavour to learn more about Dnsmasq.

Thanks

Before you uninstalled AB-Solution you may have had an entry such as log-dhcp in one of the custom files.
If you put log-dhcp into /jffs/configs/dnsmasq.conf.add you'll get these dhcp messages back.
Note that to see them in the Syslog you may have to set "Log only messages more urgent than" to all and have logging in AB disabled.

 

[Spydawg]

I'm having an issue with the asus website with ab-solution running..
If its running I can't select the drop down menu under "Please select OS" on web page

https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/ROG-MAXIMUS-IX-HERO/HelpDesk_Download/

I tried adding asus to the white list..

Not sure how to fix this..

 

[Xentrk]

I'm having an issue with the asus website with ab-solution running..
If its running I can't select the drop down menu under "Please select OS" on web page

https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/ROG-MAXIMUS-IX-HERO/HelpDesk_Download/

I tried adding asus to the white list..

Not sure how to fix this..

The drop down list works for me using AB-Max block list with Firefox. Try a different browser and temporarily turn off ABS to see if that makes a difference.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I'm having an issue with the asus website with ab-solution running..
If its running I can't select the drop down menu under "Please select OS" on web page

https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/ROG-MAXIMUS-IX-HERO/HelpDesk_Download/

I tried adding asus to the white list..

Not sure how to fix this..

The "Please select OS" is as dead simple html select dropdown menu. I highly doubt that AB even remotely has a chance to modify that page code.
If it can, let me know. That would be a break-through!
The menu is the same, no matter what browser or OS you use so it is unlikely dynamic via JS.

 

[Xentrk]

I have not seen any sites detecting I am using an ad blocker recently. Forbes used to. But I checked today and no issues. For ad block browser plugs in, such as Ad Block Plus, it may be a different story..

Spoiler: This is one of the adblock killers

https://github.com/sitexw/frackAdBlock

Spoiler: There are the anti adblock killers

https://github.com/reek/anti-adblock-killer
https://github.com/Mechazawa/frackFuckAdblock

 

[Spydawg]

The "Please select OS" is as dead simple html select dropdown menu. I highly doubt that AB even remotely has a chance to modify that page code.
If it can, let me know. That would be a break-through!
The menu is the same, no matter what browser or OS you use so it is unlikely dynamic via JS.

Well if I disable ad-solution it works fine..., I also tried with many browsers and even with my cell phone, only works with it disabled..

I don't know why

I can select the options in the drop down window.. it just won't load anything after I select an OS in the drop down

 

[thelonelycoder]

Well if I disable ad-solution it works fine..., I also tried with many browsers and even with my cell phone, only works with it disabled..

I don't know why

I can select the options in the drop down window.. it just won't load anything after I select an OS in the drop down

What blocking file type is in use?

 

[Spydawg]

Medium

And I just installed firefox still not working with ad-solution

 

[thelonelycoder]

Medium

And I just installed firefox still not working with ad-solution

Add www.googletagmanager.com to the whitelist.

 

[Spydawg]

Add www.googletagmanager.com to the whitelist.

Thanks that did the trick!

 

[56kbps]

AB-Solution no longer working.

 

[RMerlin]

AB-Solution no longer working.

Can you elaborate?