In our last post, we journeyed from local machines to the cloud, discussing servers and VPS hosting. Now, we’re going to dive into one of the most transformative technologies in modern IT: Containerization, with a focus on its most popular tool, Docker.

The Problem: “But it works on my machine!”

Every developer has said it. You write code on your Windows laptop with a specific version of Python, and it works perfectly. Then, you give it to a colleague who uses a Mac with a different Python version, and it breaks. Or worse, you deploy it to a Linux server in the cloud, and nothing works at all.

This is where containers come in. They solve this problem by packaging an application and all its dependencies—libraries, system tools, code, and runtime—into a single, isolated “box.”

Virtual Machines vs. Containers: What’s the Difference?

In Part 2, we learned that a Virtual Machine (VM) virtualizes the hardware to run a full-blown guest operating system.

• VMs are like Houses: Each house is fully self-contained with its own infrastructure (plumbing, electricity, etc.) and is quite heavy.
• Containers are like Apartments: Multiple apartments exist in one building, sharing the building’s core infrastructure (foundation, main water line) but having their own isolated living spaces.

Containers virtualize the operating system, not the hardware. They sit on top of a single host OS and share its kernel, making them incredibly lightweight and fast to start.

Introducing Docker

Docker is the platform that made containers mainstream. It provides a simple set of tools to build, share, and run containers. Let’s break down the core concepts.

1. The Dockerfile: The Blueprint

A Dockerfile is a simple text file that contains instructions on how to build a Docker image. It’s like a recipe for your application’s environment.

Example Dockerfile for a simple web server:

# Use an official Nginx image as a starting point
FROM nginx:alpine

# Copy our custom website files into the image
COPY ./my-website /usr/share/nginx/html

This file says: “Start with a lightweight Nginx web server, then copy my website’s HTML files into the directory where Nginx serves files from.”

2. The Image: The Template

A Docker Image is the result of running a Dockerfile. It’s a read-only template that contains your application and its environment. You build it once with the docker build command.

# Build an image from the Dockerfile in the current directory
# and "tag" it with the name "my-cool-website"
docker build -t my-cool-website .

3. The Container: The Running Application

A Container is a running instance of an image. You can start, stop, and delete containers. This is where your application actually lives and breathes.

# Run a container from our new image
# -d: Run in the background (detached)
# -p 8080:80: Map port 8080 on our computer to port 80 inside the container
# --name my-site: Give the container a memorable name
docker run -d -p 8080:80 --name my-site my-cool-website

If you run this command, you can now open your web browser to http://localhost:8080 and see your website running, perfectly isolated inside its container!

Docker Compose: For Multi-Container Apps

What if your application needs a database? You could run two separate docker run commands, but that gets complicated. Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container applications using a simple YAML file.

I use this for my own projects, including running an AdGuard Home setup.

Example docker-compose.yml for WordPress:

version: '3.8'

services:
  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: somepassword
      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:latest
    ports:
      - "8000:80"
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db:3306
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: root
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: somepassword
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress

volumes:
  db_data:

With this single file, you can run docker-compose up and it will automatically start both a MySQL database and a WordPress container, and even connect them for you.

Conclusion

Docker and containerization are fundamental to modern DevOps and Cloud Native practices. They provide consistency, portability, and efficiency. I highly recommend installing Docker Desktop and trying to run a simple Nginx container yourself.

In the next and final part of this introductory series, we’ll tie everything together and discuss how to build a simple project using these technologies to showcase your new skills.

Continue to Part 5: [Link will be here once Part 5 is created]

In Part 2, we talked about Virtual Machines (VMs) running on your own computer. This is a great way to learn without breaking your main machine. However, in the professional world, most services don’t run on a laptop… they run on Servers.

What is a “Server”?

Technically, any computer can be a server. A server is simply a device or program that provides services to other computers (known as “clients”) on a network.

When you visit a website, your browser is the client, and the computer hosting the website is the server. In IT, we usually designate powerful, headless (no monitor/keyboard) machines as servers because they are built to run 24/7.

Home Labs vs. Virtual Private Servers (VPS)

As you start your IT journey, you’ll hear the term Home Lab a lot. This usually means a dedicated computer or raspberry pi in your house running services. While Home Labs are great for learning hardware and networking, they have limitations (bandwidth, power usage, and making them accessible from the internet safely).

This is where a VPS (Virtual Private Server) comes in.

What is a VPS?

A VPS is a virtual machine hosted in a data center by a provider like Linode (Akamai), Vultr, or DigitalOcean.

Benefits of a VPS:

1. Accessibility: It has a public IP address, meaning you can access it from anywhere in the world.
2. Reliability: These servers are in professional data centers with redundant power and internet.
3. Simplicity: You can “spin up” a new server in seconds and delete it when you’re done, only paying for the time it was running.

Introduction to Cloud Computing

If a VPS is like renting an apartment, Cloud Computing is like renting a whole utility grid.

When people talk about “The Cloud,” they are usually referring to the big three providers:

• AWS (Amazon Web Services)
• Microsoft Azure
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Why the Cloud?

As a student currently in a Cloud Computing degree program, I can tell you that the industry has shifted away from managing physical hardware and toward “Services.”

In the cloud, you don’t just rent a server; you can rent a database as a service, a website hosting platform as a service, or even AI processing power. It scales automatically and you only pay for what you use.

Your First Steps into the Cloud

Most major cloud providers offer a Free Tier for new users.

• AWS Free Tier: Offers 12 months of free usage for certain services, including a small Linux server.
• Oracle Cloud: Known for having a very generous “Always Free” tier that includes surprisingly powerful VMs.

A Word of Warning:

Before you sign up for a cloud provider, always set up a Billing Alarm. It is very easy to accidentally leave a resource running and end up with a surprise bill at the end of the month.

Conclusion

Understanding the shift from your local PC to remote servers and eventually the cloud is a huge milestone in your IT journey. It opens up the possibility of hosting your own portfolio, game servers, or web applications for the world to see.

In Part 4, we’ll dive into Containerization (Docker) and why it’s slowly replacing traditional VMs in the modern workplace!

Continue to Part 4: The Magic of Containers with Docker

In Part 1, we covered the broad foundations of what IT is and why it’s such an exciting field to enter. Now, it’s time to get our hands dirty. One of the most powerful tools in an IT professional’s arsenal is Virtualization.

What is Virtualization?

At its simplest, virtualization allows you to run multiple “virtual” computers (Virtual Machines or VMs) on a single physical computer. Each VM acts like a completely independent system with its own operating system, CPU, memory, and storage, all while sharing the resources of your physical “host” machine.

Why is this a game-changer for learning?

1. Safety: You can experiment, break things, and even catch viruses in a VM without any risk to your main computer. If something goes wrong, you can just delete the VM or revert to a “snapshot” (a saved state).
2. Cost: You don’t need to buy five different computers to learn five different systems. You just need one reasonably powerful machine.
3. Versatility: You can run Linux, Windows, and even older versions of macOS all at the same time.
4. Snapshots: Think of these as “save points” in a video game. Before you try a risky configuration, take a snapshot. If it fails, you’re one click away from being back where you started.

Choosing Your Virtualization Software

There are several great options to get started, depending on your needs and OS:

• Oracle VM VirtualBox (Free & Open Source): This is the gold standard for beginners. It’s cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) and very well-documented.
• VMware Workstation Player (Free for Personal Use): A very polished and high-performance option for Windows and Linux users.
• Proxmox VE (Advanced): If you have an old PC lying around and want to turn it into a dedicated “Home Lab” server, Proxmox is an incredible Type-1 hypervisor that runs directly on the hardware.

Choosing Your First Operating System (OS)

While you’re likely familiar with Windows or macOS, the majority of the IT world runs on Linux.

Why Linux?

Linux powers the vast majority of the world’s servers, cloud infrastructure (like what I’m studying in my bachelors!), and even your Android phone to certain extent. Learning the Linux command line is arguably the most valuable skill you can acquire early on.

Recommended “Distros” (Distributions) for Beginners:

1. Ubuntu: The most popular choice. It has a massive community, making it easy to find help online.
2. Linux Mint: Great for those coming from Windows, as the interface feels very familiar.
3. Fedora: A bit more “bleeding edge” and great for learning how Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) works—a staple in corporate environments.

Still not sure what distro to start with?

Go with Ubuntu. Most guides on the internet-whether if it is gaming or debugging a weird application issue are written for Ubuntu and the distributions based on it.

Setting Up Your First VM

Regardless of the software you choose, the process is generally the same:

1. Download an ISO: This is the “disk image” of the OS you want to install (e.g., the Ubuntu Desktop ISO).
2. Create a New VM: Give it a name, select the OS type, and allocate resources.
   • Tip: I recommend at least 2 CPU cores and 4GB of RAM for a smooth experience, if your host machine allows it.
3. Mount the ISO: Tell the VM to “boot” from the ISO file you downloaded.
4. Install the OS: Follow the on-screen prompts just like you would on a real computer.
5. Install “Guest Additions” or “Tools”: This is a crucial step that enables features like shared clipboards, folder sharing, and better screen resolution.

Conclusion

Virtualization is your playground. It removes the fear of breaking things and opens up a world of experimentation. I highly encourage you to download VirtualBox and try installing Ubuntu today or over the weekend and have fun with it.

I personally use VMs to test code changes (e.g. this website) before making them public.

In Part 3, we’ll move beyond the desktop and talk about Servers, VPS, and the basics of Cloud Computing.

Continue to Part 3: How to Get Started in IT! Part 3 - Servers, VPS, and the Cloud

Information Technology, or IT, encompasses the use of computers, storage, networking, and other physical devices, infrastructure, and processes to create, process, store, secure, and exchange all forms of electronic data. It’s a vast and dynamic field that underpins nearly every aspect of modern life and business. IT is a huge rabbit hole when you think about it.

IT professionals are involved in a wide range of tasks, including:

• Networking: Designing and maintaining communication systems.
• Cybersecurity: Protecting systems and data from threats.
• Software Development: Creating and maintaining applications.
• System Administration: Managing servers and infrastructure.
• Data Management: Organizing and securing information.
• Cloud Computing: Utilizing internet-based resources and services.

If your wondering what my interest are, I have a keen interest in system administration and cloud computing (as of 2025 I am doing a bachelors program in cloud computing).

Why Learn IT?

The world of IT offers numerous compelling reasons to dive in:

• High Demand & Job Security: The digital transformation across industries means a constant and growing need for skilled IT professionals.
• Diverse Career Paths: From coding and cybersecurity to data analysis and cloud architecture, IT offers a role for nearly every interest.
• Innovation & Impact: IT is at the forefront of innovation, allowing professionals to contribute to groundbreaking technologies and solve real-world problems.
• Competitive Salaries: Many IT roles offer attractive compensation packages.
• Continuous Learning: The field is always evolving, providing endless opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Fundamental Concepts to Explore

To begin your journey in IT, it’s helpful to grasp some core concepts:

1. Hardware Basics

Understand the physical components of a computer system, including CPUs, RAM, storage (HDDs/SSDs), motherboards, and peripherals.

2. Operating Systems (OS)

Learn about the different types of operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux) and their basic functionalities, command-line interfaces, and file systems.

3. Networking Essentials

Familiarize yourself with basic networking concepts:

• IP Addresses: How devices are identified on a network.
• DNS: How domain names are translated into IP addresses.
• Routers & Switches: How data traffic is directed.
• Protocols: HTTP, TCP/IP, etc.

4. Software & Applications

Distinguish between system software, application software, and how they interact.

5. Data Management

Understand the basics of how data is stored, organized, and retrieved.

6. Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Learn about common threats (malware, phishing), basic protective measures (passwords, firewalls), and the importance of security.

Your First Steps in IT Exploration

Starting in IT can feel overwhelming, but here are some practical first steps to not feel overwhelmed:

• Online Resources: Utilize free online courses (Coursera, edX, freeCodeCamp), YouTube tutorials (highly recomend), and blogs to learn fundamental concepts.
• Hands-on Experience:
  • Virtual Machines (VMs): VMs are excellent for safely experimenting with different operating systems without affecting your main computer. Software like VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Player are great starting points.
  • Raspberry Pi: A low-cost single-board computer perfect for learning Linux, setting up small servers, or experimenting with IoT projects.
  • Home Network Exploration: Understand your home router settings, IP addresses of your devices, and basic network troubleshooting.
• Community & Networking: Join online forums, local tech meetups, or Discord servers to connect with other enthusiasts and professionals.

This is just the beginning! In the next part of this series, we will delve deeper into setting up your first virtual environment and exploring different operating systems.

Continue to Part 2: How to Get Started in IT! Part 2 - Virtualization and Operating Systems

This post was originally posted on September 12, 2024. This is updated to include new settings.

My start with DNS servers

Starting out early in my IT journey and taking privacy, and security in mind. After reading articles and watching videos online. Using a different DNS server can sometimes be a small improvement to your online experience. For this reason I had always pointed my devices to quad9 or Cloudflare servers because of were they are based and their logging policies.

Using Pihole

Now, I do not have any hate for pihole, I could never seem to find my way around the menu. To many this software does wonders. For me, it felt too technical to use and stuck with DNS servers that filter ads and more with providers like AdGuard DNS. For a while this suited my needs, then I wanted to include more extensive lists to expand the coverage.

Sure using providers like AdGuard DNS or NextDNS are awesome. The only factor that keeps me from using them are having to pay monthly to keep the filtering service active as most limit the free tier to around 300k requests a month. I did use NextDNS on my phone exclusively for a while to see if I could hit that monthly limit. I have to say, it’s not, so bad live off on the free tier if only one device is pointed to the server with your identifier.

The release of AdGuard Home

When this software came out, I decided to try it out and deployed it on my network. To me this software has a more modern take on handling DNS request and the ability to use DNS-Over-HTTPS and DNS-Over-TLS protocol. Something that pihole can not do out of the box without you having to set up additional software to use DNS-Over-HTTPS.

AdGuard Home can handle different types rules when it comes to blocking IP’s and domains. It understands traditional rules used in ad blocking extensions, host-style (IP addresses), or just a list of domain names.

Since AdGuard Home is a self-host solution, you have more control over what it can do compared to a cloud solution like AdGuard DNS in terms of fine-tuning to your liking.

My configuration

There are many ways to set up AdGuard Home as there a few ways to block and whitelist domains. I have closely followed yokoffing’s guide on NextDNS-Config as a based for filters. The rest of my config was inspired from Reddit posts I saw and experimenting with settings. Any area that I do not cover should be left alone at the default.

General settings

TIP

Most lists, including the ones I’m using update once a day.

Filter update interval: 24 hours

WARNING

These web services preforms API lookups on the domains you browse. Do not enable if this is a concern.

Optional: Enable AdGuard browsing security web service

Optional: Enable AdGuard parental control web service

TIP

Logs can be handy when needing to whitelist domains. Set the rotation lower if you wish.

Enable log(on by default):

Optional: Anonymize client IP

Query logs rotation: 30 days

TIP

This keeps track of request made, how many are blocked, etc. It is what is shown on the dashboard page.

Enable statistics (on by default):

Statistics retention: 30 days

Settings

DNS settings

Upstream DNS servers:

TIP

h3 is DNS-over-HTTPS with forced HTTP/3 and no fallback to HTTP/2 or below

h3://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query
h3://1.1.1.1/dns-query
h3://1.0.0.1/dns-query
h3://unfiltered.adguard-dns.com/dns-query
h3://94.140.14.140/dns-query
h3://94.140.14.141/dns-query

TIP

This helps to speed up resolving to hit the fastest DNS server

Set mode to Parallel requests

Fallback DNS servers:

Leave this entry empty, servers listed above will be used to resolve DNS requests

Bootstrap DNS servers:

TIP

Needed since DNS-over-HTTPS servers are specified for upstream

1.1.1.1
1.0.0.1
2606:4700:4700::1111
2606:4700:4700::1001
94.140.14.140
94.140.14.141
2a10:50c0::1:ff
2a10:50c0::2:ff

Upstream timeout

10

DNS server configuration:

TIP

Rate limit is per client/device per second. 20 is a good starting point, you may want to increase this. 0 disables the rate limit entirely, which is useful for homelabs or environments where you don’t want to worry about being throttled.

Rate limit: 0

Subnet prefix length for IPv4 addresses: 24 (default)

Subnet prefix length for IPv6 addresses: 56 (default)

Leave EDNS client subnet disabled or disable if enabled

Enable DNSSEC

TIP

AdGuard Home understands several types of syntax, Null IP ensures what we want blocked is blocked

Blocking mode: Null IP

Blocked response TTL: 10

DNS cache configuration:

Cache size (in bytes):

67108864

Leave override minimum and maximum TTL empty or set to zero.

Enable Optimistic caching

TIP

I recommend clearing the cache occasionally if loading times feel slow.

Access settings:

Feel free to utilize this section, can be handy if the DNS server is reachable from outside your local network.

Leave version.bind, id.server, and hostname.bind filled in the disallowed domains section. Do not add webite URLs to be blocked here, it won’t be tracked for statistics.

Encryption settings

This requires for you to have a domain to use if you want to use DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS. Adguard has made a guide to set up encryption. You can this at https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/wiki/Encryption.

Client settings

This setting is particularly useful if you want to customize blocked services, set different DNS upstreams, and set identifiers. This is handy if you utilize the allow client feature in the DNS settings page.

DHCP settings

It is only recommeded to use this feature if your router like ones from ISP like AT&T, it can be benefital to use this to get around this roadblock of havig to configure every device on your network.

DHCP IPv4 Settings

Gateway IP: You would use your routers IP here in my case with an AT&T hardware it is 192.168.1.254. The software should have it correctly listed on the page.

Range of IP addresses: 192.168.1.64 - 192.168.2.253 You can use whatever range you like, just make sure your subnet mask is correct for the range

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

DHCP lease time (in seconds): 86400

DHCP IPv6 Settings

Here you can pick your range, if you are using an AT&T gateway like me, you need to disable DHCP for both IPv4 and IPv6 so that Adguard Home is the only one advertising DHCP for all devices.

Filters

This is how the software understand what to block and what to not block, and can also preform rewrites

DNS blocklists

Any list specified here will block the domains that are listed.

Some of these lists can be added by clicking the “Add blocklist” then click “Choose from the list”

Lucky for us the lists I am using are in this list.

Go ahead and put a checkmark on the following:

• HaGeZi’s Threat Intelligence Feeds
• HaGeZi - Multi PRO
• Dandelion Sprout’s Anti-Malware List
• Phishing URL Blocklist (PhishTank and OpenPhish)
• AdGuard Mobile Ads filter
• HaGeZi’s Windows/Office Tracker Blocklist

These lists should give you an overall good protection against ads, trackers, and malware. However, not all ads can be blocked at the DNS level. You will need a extension/addon to take care of the ads that aren’t blocked by AdGuard Home.

If you use Firefox or any fork you can use yokoffing filterlists guide for a great uBlock Origin setup. Link to guide.

If using chrome, I recommend you consider Brave browser. Which has a built in ad-blocker.

DNS allowlists

Any list here will allow blocked domains to be resolved. Unlike the blocklists page, there isn’t any built-in lists to choose from. The easy way to whitelist domain is to click unblock on the request that was blocked in the query log page.

Alternatively you can host your list on GitHub or anywhere the .txt file is accessible. You can refer to my make a whitelist post here to learn how to write one.

DNS rewrites

This lets you rewite domain names to an IP of your choice. Useful if you are running a home lab. For example, you can use .local as this will only resolve within your local network. It can also stop domains like .zip that either redirects to a scam site or execute malware on your computer.

Add the following domains to the page exactly as you see it in the table below.

I also use this for internal services in my homelab:

The * is used as a wildcard, targeting every domain regardless if the domain has a subdomain. The answer 0.0.0.0 leads to nowhere, thus being unable to resolve the domain.

Blocked services

This is a personal preference, I encourage you to look through this list and toggle the website/service that you want blocked. There is a feature if you should want to pause this filter on a schedule.

Custom filtering rules

Wanted to know where your selection goes when you unblock or block a domain from the query log is saved? It is saved here! Nothing much else to mention here besides for the domains that I have blocked in addition to the blocklists.

||acfeedbackws.icloud.com^
||api-adservices.apple.com^
||feedbackws.fe.apple-dns.net^
||feedbackws.icloud.com^
||iadsdk.apple.com^
||notes-analytics-events.apple.com^
||notes-analytics-events.news.apple-dns.net^
||weather-analytics-events.apple.com^
||weather-analytics-events.news.apple-dns.net^
||syndication.twitter.com^
||events.gfe.nvidia.com^
||mask.icloud.com^
||mask-h2.icloud.com^
||mask-canary.icloud.com^

Wrap up

This is it, my config. Feel free to use it as a base or use it as is.

Sources

AdguardTeam. (2023a, April 18). DHCP. GitHub. https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/wiki/DHCP

AdguardTeam. (2023b, August 30). Encryption. GitHub. https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/wiki/Encryption

yokoffing. (2022). Setup guide for NextDNS, a DoH proxy with advanced capabilities. GitHub. https://github.com/yokoffing/NextDNS-Config

yokoffing. (2022). Setup guide for NextDNS, a DoH proxy with advanced capabilities. GitHub. https://github.com/yokoffing/NextDNS-Config

Before we get started, there are a few things that I assume you have on hand, have the knowledge of and are comfortable doing.

• Know the layout of your UEFI/BIOS menu
• Boot override
• A dedicated drive to install your choice of Linux distribution

Downloading the ISO

First, you want to navigate to your choice of Linux distribution website and save the ISO file somewhere you can easily find it. For this guide, I am going to use Nobara Linux as an example.

Flashing the ISO to thumb drive

To keep it simple, we are going to use balena etcher to write our image (the ISO file) to our thumb drive aka USB stick.

Go to https://etcher.balena.io/ and download the installer, then open the file and install the application as normal, accept all defaults.

After installing balena etcher, go ahead and insert your thumb drive into your computer, then open the app if it is not yet open already.

Click on “Flash from file” button and locate your downloaded ISO file and click open.

Before you continue, if you have any data on your thumb drive that you like to keep, now would be the time to back it by simply copying your files either to a cloud storage or to another folder on your computer. Click on “Select target” and choose your flash drive, then click on select to confirm. Then click on “Flash!”.

Installing the OS

Congrats, you just flashed an operating system to your thumb drive, yay! Now time to install that operating system to your spare drive. Restart your computer and press your BIOS key to enter the bios, the most common key is the delete key aka Del on your keyboard. Find your way around the menu and look for boot override section, then select your thumb drive and press enter. This will boot you off of the thumb drive.

Grub bad shim signature

One common thing to happen is getting an error message saying somewhere along the line of “Bad Shim Signature”. This is due to the kernel not being compatible with secure boot. To get around this, just turn off secure boot in your BIOS and try booting off your thumb drive again.

Once you are successfully booted off your thumb drive, you should see an application to start the installation process. For some operating systems like Nobara you might be shown the grub menu. In this case, I selected “Start Nobara 38”.

Set up your location and keyboard to your liking, when it comes to where you want to install the operating system to a drive, be sure to select your spare drive and not the drive that has your windows’ installation. From there, you can choose if you want the drive to be encrypted or what not, and finish the installation of your new operating system.

That’s all!

Now that you have installed the operating system of your choice to a dedicated drive, can you just choose what operating system you want to use when you turn on your computer. Personally I use the menu selection that’s built-in with my motherboard, I believe there are other ways of doing this, but that’s how I like to do it.

I hope you found this guide to be helpful, feel free to take a look at my other works and writings.

That my dear reader is because the “team” never pitched in to help me with the development, leaving me to do everything.

Got bored & moved on to other things

Not only that doing this had me bored out of my mind. I had an “itch” to do something more valuable with my free time. And that was repurposing my VPS to run DNS (Domain Name Server) and configure it to block ads, trackers, malware, etc… NO you can not use it.

Why not?

Because this has been setup in away that it works for me, making it usable to everyone will make maintaining hard.

However will give you the github link to the software that I am using. Feel free to deploy your instance if it fits your needs.

Sofware mentioned Adguard Home (DNS)

If your familiar with ad blockers then this is what it is essentially. A list (similar blocklist) listing domains that tells your ad blocker and/or your pi hole or AdGuard Home server to allow requests from the domains in that list to be processed.

The reason why I recommend that you make your own whitelist is because certain websites that you visit or your app that connects to the internet may be blocked by whatever extension or adblocking server. I had my fair share of this. My bank, yes seriously my bank! My bank has their domain CNAME to another server that my AdGuard Home instance blocks, of course there is a built in whitelist function but blacklists have a priority over the built in whitelist. Same thing happened to a game. So I decided to make my own whitelist that is dedicated to my needs since only my devices are configured to use the dns server in my household. Making the whitelist pretty much tells the adblocker or in my case my AdGuard Home server to allow the domains I specify to be processed.

So how can I make my own whitelist?

It’s quite easy if I’m being honest, once you know the rules for adblocking. Don’t know? It’s OK. Here’s the documentation that should work for most adblock extensions & servers like AdGuard home: https://kb.adguard.com/en/general/how-to-create-your-own-ad-filters#introduction

If that article didn’t help then try reading this one: https://help.eyeo.com/en/adblockplus/how-to-write-filters

So after reading up on those, you should now have a pretty good understanding how to mack filter lists. I’ll give an example of a domain to whitelist:

@@||tinyurl.com^*

This code whitelists tinyurl.com, a well known link shortener service. In certain block list this domain could be blocked. You may be wondering (if you read the articles I had linked) that I added ^* to the end of the domain. This ensures that the domain & all it’s pages can load without being blocked. This is from personal experience but most cases @@||(domain here) should do the trick.

You can checkout my whitelist & use it as a reference. Or you can use it, all up to you! https://aaronplayzgaming.com/recommended-whitelist.txt

Written with StackEdit.