Diversion Diversion - the Router Ad-Blocker

[Chris_J]

Pardon my naivety, but setting the DNSFilter to on was not initially obvious to me when setting up Diversion. I understand that everyones' use-case is different, but would there be some initial recommended router configuration settings for these scripts (particularly the main ones like Diversion & Skynet)? Might help prevent the same things coming up time & again.

 

[dave14305]

Yeah, just checked them. They're empty.

Follow the dnsmasq log in Diversion. Do you see any activity from your device as you browse new uncached sites? While following the log, browse to https://diversion-adblocking-ip.address/

You should see it get blocked.

 

[L&LD]

I just tried that, I set DNSFilter to Global and tried different servers but I'm still getting the same result. This is odd.

Do you mean you set the DNSFilter Global filter mode to 'Router'?

If so, then reboot the router and the client devices (or, at least close all instances of the browsers you're using to test with) and wait a good 10 minutes (or until the CPU cores have settled to around 0%) before testing again. Clearing any browser caches will also help.

 

[Skeptical.me]

Follow the dnsmasq log in Diversion. Do you see any activity from your device as you browse new uncached sites? While following the log, browse to https://diversion-adblocking-ip.address/

You should see it get blocked.

I tried that URL but couldn't get it working. I did however view this:

As you can see facebook is being blocked, but I'm still able to access facebook.com

 

[dave14305]

I tried that URL but couldn't get it working. I did however view this:

As you can see facebook is being blocked, but I'm still able to access facebook.com

Why are you using the fast-switch blocking list (fs)?

 

[Skeptical.me]

Why are you using the fast-switch blocking list (fs)?

I wasn't aware that I was?? I don't think I even know what it does. Maybe I've accidentally done something.

 

[dave14305]

I wasn't aware that I was?? I don't think I even know what it does. Maybe I've accidentally done something.

Go into Diversion option b, 1, 3 and disable blocking list fast switch. Let's try to get to a baseline. Then post a screenshot of your Diversion main menu just for a sanity check.

 

[Makaveli]

I have disabled DNSFilter, all devices are using 192.168.50.1 for their DNS.

I added, for example, facebook to the blacklist and made sure the list was processed, and yet I'm still able to reach facebook on all devices and browsers.

Last time I setup diversion I didn't have these issues so I'm wondering if I've done something wrong.
But here is facebook, it's the same result on all devices using various browsers.

Hope i'm understanding your post correctly you are trying to block access to facebook from diversion?

Isn't that something you should be doing in Skynet.

 

[Skeptical.me]

Hope i'm understanding your post correctly you are trying to block access to facebook from diversion?

Isn't that something you should be doing in Skynet.

Ahh, okay. I'll try that then. I was under the impression you could block any url in diversion.

 

[dave14305]

Ahh, okay. I'll try that then. I was under the impression you could block any url in diversion.

Skynet will block based on IP. Diversion will block hostnames. Facebook has many possible IP addresses, so you cannot rely on a point-in-time IP block for facebook.com.

 

[Skeptical.me]

Go into Diversion option b, 1, 3 and disable blocking list fast switch. Let's try to get to a baseline. Then post a screenshot of your Diversion main menu just for a sanity check.

I didn't see this comment.

Here:

 

[Asad Ali]

I didn't see this comment.

Here:

Open your browser and write:

"https://facebook.com/servstats"

Did you see Pixelserv-tls stats page?

 

[dave14305]

I didn't see this comment.

Here:

As long as you're happy with the contents of "Custom+" under option b, we need to figure out if your devices are yet using the router IP for DNS. Check your iPhone Wi-Fi settings (tap the info icon) for your SSID and drill into DNS / Configure DNS to make sure it's set to Automatic and displaying your router IP address as sole DNS server.

 

[Skeptical.me]

As long as you're happy with the contents of "Custom+" under option b, we need to figure out if your devices are yet using the router IP for DNS. Check your iPhone Wi-Fi settings (tap the info icon) for your SSID and drill into DNS / Configure DNS to make sure it's set to Automatic and displaying your router IP address as sole DNS server.

I checked all of my devices and made sure they were pointed to the router for DNS yesterday and they are. Ads are being blocked successfully but for some reason the blacklist isn't.

 

[Skeptical.me]

As long as you're happy with the contents of "Custom+" under option b, we need to figure out if your devices are yet using the router IP for DNS. Check your iPhone Wi-Fi settings (tap the info icon) for your SSID and drill into DNS / Configure DNS to make sure it's set to Automatic and displaying your router IP address as sole DNS server.

I changed the list to just Large from Custom+ but it made no difference. Something must be wrong in the router. Maybe I should just reformat the USB Drive and re-install Diversion and Skynet.

 

[dave14305]

I changed the list to just Large from Custom+ but it made no difference. Something must be wrong in the router. Maybe I should just reformat the USB Drive and re-install Diversion and Skynet.

I would check the DNSFilter settings one more time to make sure nothing is enabled there Globally or by device. Your blacklist will work only if your browser doesn't change facebook.com to www.facebook.com. You could use a wildcard blacklist for facebook.com if you really want to get...wild.

 

[Skeptical.me]

I would check the DNSFilter settings one more time to make sure nothing is enabled there Globally or by device. Your blacklist will work only if your browser doesn't change facebook.com to www.facebook.com. You could use a wildcard blacklist for facebook.com if you really want to get...wild.

Okay, good news.

I also added www.facebook.com, m.facebook.com to the blockinglist and processed it. It did not work.

BUT


I also added instagram.com, www.instagram.com, messenger.com and www.messenger.com and now these sites are blocked.

So, I'm not sure what's going on with facebook. On every device it appears to be accessible even after re-boots, and caches emptied.

 

[L&LD]

Facebook is a virus.

 

[Skeptical.me]

Facebook is a virus.

Absolutely, that's why I want to completely block it. I can't stand facebook, it's the walmart of social media. I tried making this hosts file out of addresses I found online but I'm not 100% sure I did it correctly ... https://pastebin.com/raw/uGuivQad

 

[dave14305]

Absolutely, that's why I want to completely block it. I can't stand facebook, it's the walmart of social media. I tried making this hosts file out of addresses I found online but I'm not 100% sure I did it correctly ... https://pastebin.com/raw/uGuivQad

This is why the wildcard blacklist is useful. One facebook.com entry can block all those *.facebook.com domain names. You can add another for fbcdn.net if you really need to. Same for others that occur multiple times in your list.

But the original names may be cached on the client or in the browser after blocking them, based on their original DNS TTL (Time to Live). If you put your phone in Airplane Mode and take it out, I believe it will flush any DNS cache. Then try again.