DNS Director-No Redirection Question

[Khadanja]

I have DNS Director set to No Direction for a laptop as seen in screen shot below. AdGuard Home running on router. Which DNS server should this client be using? In WAN DNS setting I've tried different servers but doesn't seem to make a difference, client still shows as using the dns servers specified in AdGuardHome. Why is that? On laptop side DNS Server assignment is set to automatic.

 

[DJones]

I have DNS Director set to No Direction for a laptop as seen in screen shot below. AdGuard Home running on router. Which DNS server should this client be using? In WAN DNS setting I've tried different servers but doesn't seem to make a difference, client still shows as using the dns servers specified in AdGuardHome. Why is that? On laptop side DNS Server assignment is set to automatic.
View attachment 59458

Global redirection does exactly what it says. Redirects ALL dns traffic to the routers dns. Regardless of the table below. The table isn’t a whitelist or exception for global redirection, if you want to use the table below that’s you manually setting everything for all devices dns without global redirection set.

Correction ignore everything I said.

 

[bennor]

In WAN DNS setting I've tried different servers but doesn't seem to make a difference, client still shows as using the dns servers specified in AdGuardHome.

What do you have set for the LAN DHCP server's DNS servers?

It appears the way you have DNS director configure you are telling the router to redirect all clients, except the ones listed in the Client List, to the router.

I would venture to guess that If you want those Client List entries not to use AdGuardHome as their DNS servers, then you likely need to reconfigure those specific Client List entries to use another DNS server. By either manually configuring their DNS server setting to some other server (either on the client itself or in the manual IP reservation DNS Server Optional section), or try changing the Redirection option to User Defined (and in put a DNS server in the User Defined area) or select one of the other DNS servers from that Client List Redirection drop down box.

While a bit dated there is some very general information on DNS Director on the Asus-Merlin Wiki page:
https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin.ng/wiki/DNS-Director

 

[Twiglets]

Global redirection does exactly what it says. Redirects ALL dns traffic to the routers dns. Regardless of the table below. The table isn’t a whitelist or exception for global redirection, if you want to use the table below that’s you manually setting everything for all devices dns without global redirection set.

Your comment appears to be at odds with the text displayed at the top of the 'DNS Director' page:

It states that "No Redirection" will bypass a global redirection ..." or have I mis-understood !!!???

See:

 

[Khadanja]

What do you have set for the LAN DHCP server's DNS servers?

It appears the way you have DNS director configure you are telling the router to redirect all clients, except the ones listed in the Client List, to the router.

I would venture to guess that If you want those Client List entries not to use AdGuardHome as their DNS servers, then you likely need to reconfigure those specific Client List entries to use another DNS server. By either manually configuring their DNS server setting to some other server (either on the client itself or in the manual IP reservation DNS Server Optional section), or try changing the Redirection option to User Defined (and in put a DNS server in the User Defined area) or select one of the other DNS servers from that Client List Redirection drop down box.

While a bit dated there is some very general information on DNS Director on the Asus-Merlin Wiki page:
https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin.ng/wiki/DNS-Director

 

[dave14305]

So by default, the device will be offered the router IP as the DNS server through DHCP, before DNS Director comes into play.

 

[Twiglets]

View attachment 59462

If you move the mouse over the Text labels for the fields then click the left-mouse button, it will display what the field is for and what blank entries mean, on a pop-up window. (Example below)

 

[bennor]

I am not familiar with the usage of AdGuardHome and how exactly it interacts with the Asus router, but the following is indicated on the AdguardHome on Asus Merlin GitHub site under Current Features:

GitHub - jumpsmm7/Asuswrt-Merlin-AdGuardHome-Installer: The Official Installer of AdGuardHome for Asuswrt-Merlin

The Official Installer of AdGuardHome for Asuswrt-Merlin - jumpsmm7/Asuswrt-Merlin-AdGuardHome-Installer

github.com

• Redirect all DNS queries on your network to AdGuardHome if user chooses to use Merlin DNS Filter Option

@Khadanja, you may want to ask your question directly to the AdGuardHome addon developer (@SomeWhereOverTheRainBow), or in the addon's subforum, to get their take on using DNS Director with AdguardHome running on the router.

Normally, as I understand it, when using the DNS Director configuration as OP has configured; those clients in the Client List should be bypassing the DNS Director routing. Normally DNS Director, under the settings the OP is using, should route any client not listed in the Client List to the router where the router first uses the LAN DHCP Server DNS fields. If those fields are blank it uses the router as the DNS. Which means it should be using the WAN DNS values when the LAN DHCP Server DNS fields are empty. If I understand correctly how DNS Director works.

Not being familiar with AdGuardHome script for Asus-Merlin. Is it possible AdGuardHome takes over the WAN DNS regardless of how it's set in the router WAN section, and that is why the OP is consistently seeing AdGuardHome rather than other user selected DNS servers?

One should ensure that they are cycling the LAN clients to make sure they are pulling updated DHCP/DNS information when ever changes are made to the router or DHCP Server DNS settings.

 

[DJones]

Your comment appears to be at odds with the text displayed at the top of the 'DNS Director' page:

It states that "No Redirection" will bypass a global redirection ..." or have I mis-understood !!!???

See:
View attachment 59459

You are correct. My apologies I was having a moment lol. Didn’t bother referencing the special exception which as you say is at odds with what I said, because I was assuming it worked differently. And you know what they say about that.

So ignore what I said. Thanks for the correction I’ve learned something new.

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

I have DNS Director set to No Direction for a laptop as seen in screen shot below. AdGuard Home running on router. Which DNS server should this client be using? In WAN DNS setting I've tried different servers but doesn't seem to make a difference, client still shows as using the dns servers specified in AdGuardHome. Why is that? On laptop side DNS Server assignment is set to automatic.
View attachment 59458

You are correct by adding the device to DNS Director client list, and specifying "No Redirection"; however, that is not how you tell the device to use a different DNS service. It just means that the device is not being "forced" to use AdGuardHome. If you wish for that Device to use a different DNS service, you must either
1) Assign it on the Device itself by taking it off "On laptop side DNS Server assignment is set to automatic",
or
2) You need to use the "DHCP Reservation List" to Manually specify an IP address and DNS server for the specified laptop device,
or
3) You can just choose a different DNS service using the DNS Directors options that are different than "No Redirection".

Option's 1 and 2 above require you to leave the device listed as "No Redirection" on the DNS Director Client list. Option 3 only requires you to change the specified DNS redirection for the device on the client list to either one of the Hardcoded DNS services listed for DNS Director's drop down menu, or you can use the CUSTOM 1, 2, or 3, to specify a Custom DNS service to Forcefully Redirect the Laptop to use.

If you choose to use the DHCP Reservation list, You need to add the Laptop to the static reservations list and specify a DNS specific for that device on the DHCP Reservation List, if you do not want that device to use the Router's DNS server (a.k.a AdGuardHome) as DNS. The routers "DHCP services" will assign the DNS server you specified for that specific device, to that device. Do not mess with the WAN dns of the router itself.

Also, do not mess with this section:

 

[Khadanja]

Thanks everyone. Can someone also please look at my other post & give advise? Could be because of my current DNS Director Settings. https://www.snbforums.com/threads/h...t-set-up-access-local-lan-provider-dns.90576/

 

[Khadanja]

Even with VPN connected using WireGuard laptop uses AdGuard, is that correct? So their is no other way to force laptop to use VPN provider DNS without one of the three methods mentioned by @SomeWhereOverTheRainBow If I connect VPN by downloading the provider software then all DNS traffic seems to go through VPN provider. What I basically want it, VPN set up in WireGuard on laptop & when connected VPN provider DNS should be used, otherwise router provided which is AdGuardHome.