[Release] AB-Solution 3 - The Ad Blocking Solution

[akb]

This clearly hints of another instance of pixelserv running on your system. Enter top to see how many are running.
Check /opt/etc/init.d/ if there are two instances of S80pixelserv* files. Mine is marked with AB-Solution in the ARGS section.

I only have one pixel server is ps or top. I already wiped my disk and did fresh install of ab3. 0 and got to the same point of ps install where i get a log output saying pixel ip is in use. Currently my ip is out of my dhcp range and i have no devices connected. Ping fails until i enable ps in ab3.0. Any pointers please on what to do.

 

[charlie2alpha]

Busybox's ping works fine:

admin@Stargate88:/tmp/home/root# ping -q -c 2 -W 1 -w 3 www.ab-solution.info
PING www.ab-solution.info (80.74.145.2): 56 data bytes

--- www.ab-solution.info ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 116.078/116.474/116.871 ms
admin@Stargate88:/tmp/home/root#

admin@Stargate88:/tmp/home/root# ping -v
BusyBox v1.20.2 (2016-10-30 14:50:06 EDT) multi-call binary.

Usage: ping [OPTIONS] HOST

Send ICMP ECHO_REQUEST packets to network hosts

    -4,-6        Force IP or IPv6 name resolution
    -c CNT        Send only CNT pings
    -s SIZE        Send SIZE data bytes in packets (default:56)
    -t TTL        Set TTL
    -I IFACE/IP    Use interface or IP address as source
    -M hint        Path MTU Discovery strategy [do|want|dont]
    -W SEC        Seconds to wait for the first response (default:10)
            (after all -c CNT packets are sent)
    -w SEC        Seconds until ping exits (default:infinite)
            (can exit earlier with -c CNT)
    -q        Quiet, only displays output at start
            and when finished

Aren't you compiling the firmware with a change in threading support? That could cause issues.

Actually no, it's vanilla your git I'm running. This is confusing me even more now.

EDIT: Flashed your latest beta image, still the exact same segfault. If you are testing with an RT-AC56U, then it must some other factor but I can't think right now what could affect it like this.

EDIT2: Well, turns out I was able to think of one thing that could affect DNS resolution and the busybox applets: the hosts file, which I've modified. Seems that busybox or the uclibc itself can't process long lines in that file, so I split those lines into many smaller ones. It works now!

 

[swatc1h]

this is really some nice work but i have one problem . if i try to awake a device i get dhcp no address available . i did the install per pixelserv steps and ip is set @192.168.1.254 .

 

[RMerlin]

EDIT2: Well, turns out I was able to think of one thing that could affect DNS resolution and the busybox applets: the hosts file, which I've modified. Seems that busybox or the uclibc itself can't process long lines in that file, so I split those lines into many smaller ones. It works now!

You're correct, that's a known issue with uclibc.

 

[Digital Noise]

I believe it works fine for gmail, but google now requires you enable "insecure apps" to let a third party authenticate and send mail against your account (potential security risk):

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6010255?hl=en


FYI, most email providers are cracking down on account access these days (2FA, recovery accounts, phone apps (Microsoft and Google) for RSA type keys). Keep in mind the recent dumps of account information sold on the "dark and scary web".

My suggestion is to make a google account just for monitoring, so you don't expose your personal.

That doesn't appear to have anything to do with email hosted via Google/Gmail - as the specific option mentioned is turned off in my domain control panel, yet I'm still able to authenticate against smtp.gmail.com using SSL and send email from the router.

My point was that the email address doesn't have to be a gmail.com email address - it simply has to be an email address hosted by Google.

 

[thelonelycoder]

this is really some nice work but i have one problem . if i try to awake a device i get dhcp no address available . i did the install per pixelserv steps and ip is set @192.168.1.254 .

Unless other devices have the same problem, I doubt this has anything to do at all with what AB-Solution does to your routers DHCP function.
Maybe that device was in the now reserved IP range and wanted to connect to a address outside of the DHCP pool. Perhaps even the very address you assigned to be the PS IP.
You could turn logging or adblocking to off and back on, this restarts Dnsmasq and could resolve your issue.
Otherwise, post the full content of /etc/dnsmasq.conf for us to find clues.

 

[thelonelycoder]

That doesn't appear to have anything to do with email hosted via Google/Gmail - as the specific option mentioned is turned off in my domain control panel, yet I'm still able to authenticate against smtp.gmail.com using SSL and send email from the router.

My point was that the email address doesn't have to be a gmail.com email address - it simply has to be an email address hosted by Google.

It has more to do with the used server certificate.
AB-Solution uses a GeoTrust Root Certificate (formerly Equifax Secure) for the transport layer security. It is used and accepted by gmail and likely more google services.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I only have one pixel server is ps or top. I already wiped my disk and did fresh install of ab3. 0 and got to the same point of ps install where i get a log output saying pixel ip is in use. Currently my ip is out of my dhcp range and i have no devices connected. Ping fails until i enable ps in ab3.0. Any pointers please on what to do.

Clearing your disk does not completely remove AB-Solution or Entware from your system.
A standalone AB-Solution will place two files into /jffs/scripts/:
- dnsmasq.postconf
- post-mount
Entware, using the (ps) option or a direct install, additionally places three more files into it, not counting the post-mount:
- services-start
- services-stop
- wan-start (when installed with (ps), for pixelserv-tls)

Delete these files as well, reboot and install again.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Just out of curiosity - and I realize this may have been asked before - but in the logging that tracks which IP's have requested what, would it be possible to include the hostname at the time it's logged?

I'm asking because I'm seeing some odd requests from IP's in the log, that when I back track either no longer exist, or shouldn't have come from the host that currently has that IP - and I realize this is do to DHCP, but it's just difficult to track anything down with only the IP in the log.

The hostname is not logged by Dnsmasq, only the device's IP address. There is no option to do this.
Therefore, that information is not available to the stats function and would be very difficult to obtain at the time the stats are generated.

 

[thiggins]

If I'm in SNB, then to support the site, i can live with ads for the latest router/NAS etc etc shoved in my face... but I'm not really interested in "dating russian singles" ( no offence intended to all those lovely russian ladies..just an example) or buying some life assurance...

I try to keep ads to a minimum and relevant to technology. But it's not a perfect process, especially given the way some advertisers game the programmatic ad systems that have taken over and are driving Ad revenue further into the toilet.

SNBForums does not pay its way and is subsidized by the main site. If I could make enough using just Amazon affiliate, I would stop running ads entirely. But ad blocking solutions block Amazon ads too.

I have resisted putting out the tip jar because SmallNetBuilder is a business and should not depend on charity. If it comes to the point where I can't make enough to justify the time, effort and expense it takes, then I will just throw the off switch and find something better to do with my time.

 

[tomsk]

Does anyone know how one might detect which web page an ad request may have originated from with scripting? dnsmasq only sees the hostname and the source IP but has no knowledge of that. Im informed that info is buried in the javascript.

 

[bryantjopplin]

Does this program autostart if the router is rebooted?

 

[L&LD]

Speaking of this, Does this program autostart if the router is rebooted?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I would assume that was line code #1.

 

[tomsk]

Speaking of this, Does this program autostart if the router is rebooted?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

The script which manages AB solution is started and stopped from the command line and doesn't need to be running all the time. Other tasks are run by cron jobs which should be unaffected by router reboot. Pixelserv if used will restart on reboot via the entware init process.

 

[bryantjopplin]

[emoji3]

 

[RMerlin]

I have resisted putting out the tip jar because SmallNetBuilder is a business and should not depend on charity.

Call it a "premium membership".

 

[Kim Puleston]

Great release, all setup on the AC88U and it was seamless. Fab work and many thanks !

 

[thelonelycoder]

I would assume that was line code #1.

Function write_jffsfile() on line 1552 to be exact.

 

[tomsk]

Call it a "premium membership".

Seriously... i wouldn't mind paying a small premium, as i consider the forums are a really fantastic community resource... but of course thats just a personal point of view , and its just as likely that it wouldn't be nearly as vibrant if we lost those forum members that might not be so inclined.

 

[thelonelycoder]

If it comes to the point where I can't make enough to justify the time, effort and expense it takes, then I will just throw the off switch and find something better to do with my time.

It would be a very sad day for all of us here if that ever happens.
And I feel kind of guilty, providing a tool that undermines your business strategy.
On the other hand, looking at the stats on my website, the impact from users of AB-Solution cannot be that high that I need worry too much.
I have no accurate number of users, nor would I post them here. But I rest well every night.