Using AdGuard as the default DNS server, is it safe to disable my browser Ad Blocker?

[Logi]

 

[L&LD]

Safe?

Just test it and see.

Would also help to know which router and firmware you have and what other options/features you have enabled.

 

[Spartan]

View attachment 52039

When I tried it, I still see ads on mobile devices. Also remember, when you install the browser extension, you have many filters you can add such as the annoyances filter which include cookie notices and whatnot. Another think to consider is some websites don't play well with adblockers where you can individually whitelist those sites in your browser extension and even save the settings for later use where as you can't do that with the DNS level blocking.

 

[Tech9]

AdGuard DNS as typical DNS filtering service destroys Web pages arrangement and can't do anything about ads served from streaming servers like YouTube. Browser extension like popular uBlock Origin doesn't have this issue. It re-arranges Web pages (no blank fields) and deals with YouTube ads in a more intelligent way. I would rather keep the browser extension and use malware/phishing only filtering DNS service instead.

 

[drinkingbird]

AdGuard DNS as typical DNS filtering service destroys Web pages arrangement and can't do anything about ads served from streaming servers like YouTube. Browser extension like popular uBlock Origin doesn't have this issue. It re-arranges Web pages (no blank fields) and deals with YouTube ads in a more intelligent way. I would rather keep the browser extension and use malware/phishing only filtering DNS service instead.

Same here, I use uBlock and no ad filtering on DNS. Heck I even got rid of malicious site DNS filtering as it was slowing me down and ublock (as well as most browsers and AV software) do it just as well, if not better. Plus you can override false positives much easier.

I'm reminded of just how good it is when I watch youtube on my phone and want to throw it across the room from all the ads.

 

[Tech9]

By the way OpenDNS is now filtering advertisements pretty efficiently in user selected categories with free account. It wasn't working before, but it works now and shows blocked domains. I have one Cisco system using OpenDNS upstream and noticed recently no ads are displayed with no browser extension. One requirement is no IPv6 in use because there is no custom categories option with IPv6.

Example from the OpenDNS control panel:

It destroys Web pages as expected though. Blank fields and squares everywhere the ads supposed to be.

 

[rudoyeugene]

Hmm, I use adguard DNS on each device, incl router. I can say I'm than happy, num of ads decreased significantly! But, you can't block everything using DNS. Most - yes, but not all. Btw, I use subscription with explicit servers per device I own.
So, based on my experience I can strongly recommend adguard DNS!

 

[RMinNJ]

I tried it on my router but then false positives blocked some sites completely...there was no way to whitelist as it was my primary dns.

 

[EPR]

By the way OpenDNS is now filtering advertisements pretty efficiently in user selected categories with free account. It wasn't working before, but it works now and shows blocked domains. I have one Cisco system using OpenDNS upstream and noticed recently no ads are displayed with no browser extension. One requirement is no IPv6 in use because there is no custom categories option with IPv6.

Example from the OpenDNS control panel:

View attachment 52054

It destroys Web pages as expected though. Blank fields and squares everywhere the ads supposed to be.

Sure looks like OpenDNS has really amped up there network filtering since I have looked. Thanks for heads up on that @Tech9!

If you want to clean up the web page, you can use a DNS blocking service and block networking stuff at the DNS level and use uBlockOrigin on device and only use cosmetic filters to make webpages look good.

 

[rudoyeugene]

I tried it on my router but then false positives blocked some sites completely...there was no way to whitelist as it was my primary dns.

Indeed, but with free plan, in non free one you can white/blacklist any host.

 

[RMinNJ]

Indeed, but with free plan, in non free one you can white/blacklist any host.

I would think. I simply tried the ad guard dns setting in the stock asus firmware...since it was so easy to toggle on.

 

[Amplifier]

View attachment 52039

Safe, from what? Very broad question.
Compared to which Ad Blocker?
Considering some browsers don't come with ad blockers, neither do routers. And they are considered safe and not vulnerable.

Best I can come up with, About "Why uBlock Origin works so much better than Pi‑hole does?" · gorhill/uBlock Wiki · GitHub, which should apply to other "Ad Blockers".

Same here, I use uBlock and no ad filtering on DNS. Heck I even got rid of malicious site DNS filtering as it was slowing me down and ublock (as well as most browsers and AV software) do it just as well, if not better. Plus you can override false positives much easier.

I'm reminded of just how good it is when I watch youtube on my phone and want to throw it across the room from all the ads.

If you are on an Android why not try NewPipe - a free YouTube client.
(There is also ReVanced for native app, though this I haven't tried.)

 

[drinkingbird]

If you are on an Android why not try NewPipe - a free YouTube client.
(There is also ReVanced for native app, though this I haven't tried.)

Because I'd rather watch an ad the rare times I watch YouTube on the phone than install a questionable app. It takes a lot for an app to make it on my phone (or PC for that matter).

 

[Amplifier]

@drinkingbird I don't have a habit of running questionable S/W, nor sharing it. (Not more questionable than Android itself, with a track record. Like the rest.)
My intent was not to increase stress, but to alleviate it, while not putting Android in jeopardy.
In vain… I tried…
To each their own.

Edit to whom it is directed at

 

[Spartan]

Same here, I use uBlock and no ad filtering on DNS. Heck I even got rid of malicious site DNS filtering as it was slowing me down and ublock (as well as most browsers and AV software) do it just as well, if not better. Plus you can override false positives much easier.

I'm reminded of just how good it is when I watch youtube on my phone and want to throw it across the room from all the ads.

or if you have an Android device, I dare you to click on any of the news articles in the Google app, you see 90% ad where you have to click X to hide them then provide feedback as to why you don't like the ad just to read a couple of paragraphs. This is the main reason I hate ads even if they were interesting to me, they shove them in our faces to the point where we don't even wanna look!

 

[TheLyppardMan]

I've discovered two new ways of blocking ads today; using a browser called "Brave" and if you have a Fire TV Stick, there's an app called "SmartTubeNext" which can even block the ads of YouTube.

 

[rudoyeugene]

I've discovered two new ways of blocking ads today; using a browser called "Brave" and if you have a Fire TV Stick, there's an app called "SmartTubeNext" which can even block the ads of YouTube.

Browser: nice alternative but in apps, anywhere else ads will still be present.
Reg YouTube, wee, I pay for family, so I just don't remember when I wss using YouTube ad blocker...

 

[drinkingbird]

I've discovered two new ways of blocking ads today; using a browser called "Brave" and if you have a Fire TV Stick, there's an app called "SmartTubeNext" which can even block the ads of YouTube.

I can do it with browsers called "Chrome", "Firefox" and "Edge", and what else is that app on your fire stick doing that you don't know about? Do you know anything about the creator?

 

[drinkingbird]

Browser: nice alternative but in apps, anywhere else ads will still be present.
Reg YouTube, wee, I pay for family, so I just don't remember when I wss using YouTube ad blocker...

On the other hand router/dns ad blocking may break those apps or websites and now you have to scratch your head for a while and eventually realize you need to log into the router, try and figure out what to add an exception for, etc etc.

 

[RMinNJ]

Ok i'll ask .. does the free, turning on AdGuard for all DNS in the stock asus firmare, allow for exception list on the router?