Diversion Diversion 4.3.3 - the Router Ad-Blocker, released April 02 2023

[jsbeddow]

In addition to my earlier comments, I have to imagine that this option has been generating more support questions and confusion among relatively recent Diversion users who may have missed the original discussions surrounding this "experimental" feature.

One more reason to drop it: to paraphrase an expression from the auto manufacturers, "Parts left out (optional, unnecessary ones) never break or cause service headaches down the line".

 

[thelonelycoder]

In addition to my earlier comments, I have to imagine that this option has been generating more support questions and confusion among relatively recent Diversion users who may have missed the original discussions surrounding this "experimental" feature.

One more reason to drop it: to paraphrase an expression from the auto manufacturers, "Parts left out (optional, unnecessary ones) never break or cause service headaches down the line".

It’s an option in Diversion that never really performed to my and users expectation. Every other option/function/feature in Diversion works exactly the way it’s supposed to. Thats how it should be.
The YT video ads blocking feature is the sore part in an otherwise - almost - perfect assembly of scripts.

 

[Tomo]

Drop

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

It’s an option in Diversion that never really performed to my and users expectation. Every other option/function/feature in Diversion works exactly the way it’s supposed to. Thats how it should be.
The YT video ads blocking feature is the sore part in an otherwise - almost - perfect assembly of scripts.

I have to say, the fact that you coded it made it worth the while to test. I tried the "pihole" version and it did not nearly work as well as the way you tweaked and coded your edition. I imagine if it was more successful, and worked across all platforms evenly, then it would be worth keeping. Tragically it only works in some setups and for a limited time before it has to start out fresh. That is definitely a factor in determining to drop it.

 

[bmn1]

Does it also block youtube ads e.g. on my LG SmartTV or my android phone?

@edit: okay seems like it doesn't work well according to the last few posts here

 

[thelonelycoder]

Does it also block youtube ads e.g. on my LG SmartTV or my android phone?

@edit: okay seems like it doesn't work well according to the last few posts here

Correct, the YouTube Video ads feature is sunsetted and will be removed with the next Diversion update.

 

[Dux]

I'm using Diversion in standard mode with 3 identical Roku Ultras using a few dozen wildcard filters with no hosts files. I don't use Diversion for any other clients. It is functional for that purpose, however as far as I know from searching the Diversion and Pixelserv forums, there is no way to add pixelserv certs to those devices. If that is the case, is there any router performance or blocking benefit at all to using Diversion standard with pixelserve instead of just using lite mode and 0.0.0.0 for blacklisting elements in stand alone Rokus? Thank you for any insights you may have on this.

 

[PeterLiljedahl]

I think you should keep it if it doesnt clutter up your main diversion code.
For me it works on my PC and Samsung TV for sure but not on my Sony TV
since it craves a connection with some goggle service.
Seriously what is the difference between blocking ads like ublock does and regular dns blocking like pihole?
ublock also uses lists which pihole also use.
Does it really matter if these lists are prosessed in the router or in the browser?
People wanting it removed probably are utube uploaders lol

I think its hilarious that ublock that has been around for awhile is open source
and all and youtube still hasn't come up with a way to circumvent it, isn't that strange.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Seriously what is the difference between blocking ads like ublock does and regular dns blocking like pihole?
ublock also uses lists which pihole also use.
Does it really matter if these lists are prosessed in the router or in the browser?

A browser blocker addon like ublock can act on the actual web code that is sent to the browser. A router only sees the request for a domain. Hence, only domains can be blocked with DNS ad blockers.
Pi-Hole uses its own heavily modified Dnsmasq version that supports wildcard and other features the regular Dnsmasq does not have. Filter lists for unlock therefore work partially in Pi-Hole. Diversion has no way to translate them into a usable form.

 

[PeterLiljedahl]

Aha now I understand a little better, didnt realize ublock has closer access to the communication with goggle servers
requests/responses due to browser integration.
Tried youtube again in windows 10 untouched edge browser without add-ons and I only got like 3 ads in total.
I tried to find these high subscriber accounts like mrbaest and started about 50 of his videos and got 2 ads in total
and also played alot of other random high ad-bombardment channels but got shelled with 2 short double-ad artillery
thats all.

I also tried to watch clips on my iphone with the official youtube app but got ads all the time - interesting

I also tried to watch clips on my iphone using default built-in safari browser which I never use and played youtube
from there and it worked brilliantly - only an initial ad and no other ads after clicking like 20 random videos.
I also fast-forwarded to test for midrollers but none ever came up.

I am not sure why some people are hesitant about this extra feature and wants it removed - it clearly works

 

[jsbeddow]

Aha now I understand a little better, didnt realize ublock has closer access to the communication with goggle servers
requests/responses due to browser integration.
Tried youtube again in windows 10 untouched edge browser without add-ons and I only got like 3 ads in total.
I tried to find these high subscriber accounts like mrbaest and started about 50 of his videos and got 2 ads in total
and also played alot of other random high ad-bombardment channels but got shelled with 2 short double-ad artillery
thats all.

I also tried to watch clips on my iphone with the official youtube app but got ads all the time - interesting

I also tried to watch clips on my iphone using default built-in safari browser which I never use and played youtube
from there and it worked brilliantly - only an initial ad and no other ads after clicking like 20 random videos.
I also fast-forwarded to test for midrollers but none ever came up.

I am not sure why some people are hesitant about this extra feature and wants it removed - it clearly works

Many people here were initially excited to see this working (blocking YouTube ads) for a short period of time when it was first introduced, but found out that it eventually stops working. No conspiracy, it has just been found ineffective.

 

[shama_001]

Many people here were initially excited to see this working (blocking YouTube ads) for a short period of time when it was first introduced, but found out that it eventually stops working. No conspiracy, it has just been found ineffective.

Well not 100% effective but happy when it happens . I was hoping the next move would be a mutualization of the discovered YT ads addresses.

 

[PeterLiljedahl]

Ok so my version is 386.5.2, dont know exactly when it was released but I installed diversion also as usual
and hasnt touched it since, so when is it supposed to stop working?
Will it degrade over time due to some list of addresses getting to big or to old?
I simply have to wait for this odd behaviour to occur.
I wonder if ads are regional to specific countries due to different languages.
If I see a specific ad in my language, will it have the same address the next time this ad is presented or
do jutube change the address for the exact same ad?

I wonder if diversion in the background when not used for example at night, can start random video clips
and when it detects that the video ended within lets say 30 seconds - it knows its an ad and saves the address
and moves along to the next one and so forth, during the night it will have built a pretty nice up to date list.
The accumulated list can then be shared regionally within diversion installations.
Can the list be shared from router to router or can it be uploaded to some place and retrieved and combined
by other routers.

I wonder if there is a time difference between loading an ad versus the clip such that the server needs to verify
which ad its going to serve versus going straight to the clip.
This would require diversion has access to maybe some millisecond timer to use for request-response timing.

 

[heysoundude]

Well not 100% effective but happy when it happens . I was hoping the next move would be a mutualization of the discovered YT ads addresses.

do not use chrome or the YouTube apps - diversion and Brave browser give me a (usually) ad-free viewing of the content there

 

[shama_001]

do not use chrome or the YouTube apps - diversion and Brave browser give me a (usually) ad-free viewing of the content there

Indeed, but on some device it's just more handy. For computer FF with uBlock origin makes me ads-free experience

 

[Tomo]

Lately i had encountered on youtube initial slowdowns in loading, disabling the blocking function it seems now all right.

 

[Ubimo]

Updating the large blocking list does not work anymore:

Oct 20 02:00:11 Diversion: https://dbl.oisd.nl/ is not a valid hosts file, using backup file

Anyone else? Or is this just me?

 

[Treadler]

Updating the large blocking list does not work anymore:

Oct 20 02:00:11 Diversion: https://dbl.oisd.nl/ is not a valid hosts file, using backup file

Anyone else? Or is this just me?

Oh yes! Seeing that here.
& yet, file is available in browser using that url. Go figure.

 

[Ubimo]

Go figure what?

 

[Treadler]

Go figure what?

“Go figure” = I don’t know what the problem is, just that there is one.