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

[Ubimo]

Oh, ok, thanks for the confirmation then.
Maybe @thelonelycoder can have a look at the problem?

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Oh, ok, thanks for the confirmation then.
Maybe @thelonelycoder can have a look at the problem?

Can confirm the same "error in downloading" large block list.
It does go on to "downloading from backup list"

Not sure if the backup is current and/or the same as the master list?

EDIT: Skynet took a longer time to manual update (option 3 then 1) after Diversion finished.

 

[bluzfanmr1]

Probably related to this?

oisd | domain blocklist

 

[Treadler]

Go figure what?

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

Oh, ok, thanks for the confirmation then.
Maybe @thelonelycoder can have a look at the problem?

Probably more a task for the maintainer of the Oisd list?
All a bit of a mystery.

 

[DJones]

Can confirm it’s not working


downloading Large blocking list, 1 file(s)
using 192.168.1.2 as blocking IP

processing file 1 of 1
remote file newer: getting new file

https://dbl.oisd.nl/

################################################### 100.0%
Error: https://dbl.oisd.nl/
Error: is not a valid hosts file, using backup file
file is in domains only format
processing file 1 done

removing whitelisted domains in blocking list, sorting file

writing Large blocking list



The large blocking host list is supposed to expire after a day and is regenerated I believe. Perhaps something weird happened in its generation and fails.

 

[Ubimo]

I think, it's working again? Can someone else confirm?

 

[DJones]

Can confirm it’s working. Must of been a issue when they compiled the last list.

 

[Justforfun]

Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum. I am new but I have been a spectator for years since I start using Diversion many years ago.

What make me wants to post a reply finally, because I want to echo @PeterLiljedahl post #50 after seeing that the Youtube ad-blocking is going to sunset. It looks like I am not the only one has the successful result. First, I am very appreciate @thelonelycoder developed Diversion and Youtube ad-blocks feature. Although the Youtube ad-block results I see from many posts or threads are mixed, I am very satisfy with it personally.

Based on the extensive uses over last 2 years, I want to share my experience about the YouTube ad-block feature.

First, I guess people are having too high expectation. I would like to say no, it is not blocking 100%. And it will NOT just work right after you enabled the feature. The script need to learn and accumulate google ad domains, and it takes long time. As of the time of writing, I accumulated 4281 domains in my list. Only once a while, an ad will sneak in on the computer Google Chrome, and the Samsung smart TV.

Second, the script will not block or cannot block the ads before the beginning of the videos.

Third, the feature does very little ad block on mobile Youtube app, at least on Android. (I don't have Apple products, so I don't know about iOS.) However, I can see the ad counts still less than without the script. I compare it based on my home wifi and on mobile data.

When the new Youtube feature came out, during the pandemic, while working from home, I opened up Google Chrome on the computers everyday, pick the video compilations that have a lot of "short" videos, and tune the video speed to 2x, open up 10 tabs with different video compilations and let it run all days during work hours. I also use b,8,5 enable alternating redirect IP, and b,8,6 force ip change frequency option 2. Very short time, I accumulate over 1000 domains. And the ads become fewer and fewer once one domain count increase. So, I confirm it works.

I did experience that video don't load with a spinning circle, but it is only a few occasions that my fingers can count. I maybe lucky to have this successful result. I just want to say the script does work.

I wish @thelonelycoder can keep this feature for old users, probably make it a hidden feature with default disable. Then new users will not use it and complain about it. Or break it up as a separate script? I just want to say the feature works, and should keep it. This is my vote.

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

 

[L&LD]

Welcome to the forums @Justforfun.

I don't believe what you wish for will transpire. You may need to hang on to that old version (don't upgrade/update it), for as long as you can.

 

[PeterR]

Feature request: Programmatically turning off Diversion

Hello, I have been a happy user of Diversion for many years, thanks for all your work. I was reading this post a few days back https://planetkris.com/2022/11/pie-stop-for-pi-hole/, and wondered if there is a way to programmatically turning on and off Diversion. Like the post author, sometimes my firewall setup blocks access to a site that other people in the house need access to. Usually it's just a matter of logging in and either adding entries to the whitelist or turning off Diversion for a minute or two.

Would be cool, though, to have a button that does it for the times I'm not available. I'm an electronic hobbyist, and I have more than enough random devices capable of sending any type of command over my home network. I guess I could write enough code to telnet into my Asus router, log in with my credentials, and interact with Diversion from the command line. It would require a bit of error checking to make sure that any update to Diversion would not break it, though.

Is there already, or would you consider adding, a way to send a command to Diversion the same way that Piehole accepts http disable commands?

There's some previous discussion on the topic, e.g. https://www.snbforums.com/threads/diversion-issue-with-freevee-aka-imdbtv.78843/post-762017

 

[^Tripper^]

Hi all.

I know @thelonelycoder has decided to remove the YouTube ad blocking feature and thou I may not, respectfully, agree with that decision, I respect his choice to do so. Just another data point re my own experience; knowing he was going to remove the feature, I turned it off to, I guess, prepare myself.

Good gosh, the amount of ads I started seeing on my desktop and "smart" TVs was nuts.

I had gotten so used to this feature working so seamlessly and without concern that, like some folks, I forgot it was doing anything. And I got complacent; for the few ads that got thru, I unfairly grumbled and expected more.

Losing it made me realise what an amazing feature this is and what a typical, complacent/never satisfied human I am.

What's that saying.... You don't know what you got until you lose it.

Thank you @thelonelycoder for all that you do, what you try to do and everything else that you're gonna. You've made a fantastic script (script? its almost an application at this point) that does what it says on the tin and does it exceedingly well.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Good gosh, the amount of ads I started seeing on my desktop and "smart" TVs was nuts.

Are you talking about Video ads or simple regular (static) ads?

 

[^Tripper^]

Are you talking about Video ads or simple regular (static) ads?

Video ads. Please tell me there aren't any static ads on smart tvs! Or have I just been that lucky and my tvs just don't do static ads...hmmm.

 

[Tomo]

Good evening, a week ago I re-enabled the "youtube Adblocking" option and i must admit that something does, especially in the ads during the video.
I agree with the request to leave this option active.
Thnaks

 

[harrybuckman]

@thelonelycoder I cannot login into this sun-life portal https://www.sunnet.sunlife.com/signin/mysunlife/home.wca when Diversion is active. I have tried adding it to the whitelist but that does not help. I have used Diversion for years and had no issues with the sun-life portal until the last month or two. An idea on what I can do to make it work. When I put username and passord into it and try to login it just erases what I have typed and does nothing. no errors. Thanks

 

[Skeptical.me]

Yesterday the 11th of December 2022 I started using VPN Director for my VPN Client and Diversion stopped working. Since then (now it's 5:15 am the 12th) I have rebooted my router (RT-AX88U) and downgraded from the Large List in Diversion to the Medium List. I have also forced an update on Diversion and none of this has worked. I'm not running the VPN Client at present and Diversion is not blocking ads across the network. Are there any other troubleshooting steps I can take to fix this? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Skeptical.me]

Following on from earlier, I just uninstalled Diversion and reinstalled it, rebooted the router, as well as check to see if any proxy was running on my browser (Safari), it is not. And I still have the issue of seeing ads on every device on my network, I have no idea what I can do.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Following on from earlier, I just uninstalled Diversion and reinstalled it, rebooted the router, as well as check to see if any proxy was running on my browser (Safari), it is not. And I still have the issue of seeing ads on every device on my network, I have no idea what I can do.

Have you tried TechPowerUp web site? I'm blocking ads OK on that site.

I'm also using the large blocking list and I'm not using the standard BL in Skynet (another from github) so I often have to make sure the 2 sync by forcing Skynet to merge lists.

 

[Skeptical.me]

Have you tried TechPowerUp web site? I'm blocking ads OK on that site.

I'm also using the large blocking list and I'm not using the standard BL in Skynet (another from github) so I often have to make sure the 2 sync by forcing Skynet to merge lists.

How do you merge the lists, haven't explored that before

 

[John Fitzgerald]

How do you merge the lists, haven't explored that before

Call up Skynet (2) with AMTM, ( skynet: option 3 then 1).