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Comment by gnufied | Hacker News Reader

So I have tried using pi-hole in past and I think one of the problems is - some websites refusing to function if ads are blocked. IIRC - British Airways website uses some javascript that requires ad to be disabled for finishing checking in. It may have changed now but there are other websites too which may or may not work as expected.

With browser extensions it is typically easy to disable the ad blocker one time and check if that fixes it. With pi-hole IIRC, it was much harder to do.

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I’ve been running this kind of setup for over 5 years on my home network, and the only complaint I’ve ever gotten was the Google search results that are ads or shopping links don’t work (yes, my wife clicks on these). If a web site didn’t function I wouldnt know it was due to DNS, because I never turn this off. I’d simply chalk it up to it being a defective website and not use it.

Yes - but sometimes you don't have that choice. Would you rather not use a essential service(flight check-in or pay electricity bill) or disable the adblocker temporarily? To each its own I guess and tricky thing with pi-hole is, it is VERY hard to tell if website isn't working because of adblocker or because you are using Linux or it is simply broken.

In the situation I would just disconnect from my wifi and use 4g.

If a site refuses to work when there are network issues, then you can just close the window. British Airways' competitors will be happy to have your business.

It's super easy to turn it off for five minutes in the admin interface.

> some websites refusing to function if ads are blocked

Don't visit those sites!

They want your eyes and/or your money (if a subscription is an option) and you don't want to give it to them. Just stop going there!

Edit: I don’t understand the downvotes. Sites aren’t obligated to give you something for nothing. Why does it feel like that’s the default view here?

but there are other people that live in or visit my home. Maybe they want to visit those sites.

I'd love a pi-hole like solution that was as easy to temporarily disable as a browser extension.

Like some buttons? https://www.nickearl.net/2018/05/27/controlling-pi-hole-with...

That is why I don't use pi-hole myself.

I wish it would redirect to a different local webpage that allows you to click a button to temporarily unblock the domain for your ip, like the ublock blocked webpage that pops up sometimes:

https://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1424503

If it gets abused, then you can turn it off as an option.

Isn’t that the compromise of roommates or family? Not everyone gets what they want.

Either they’ll move out, resent you, deal with it, or you’ll do what they want?

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