Lesson 5.3: Network Integration

Network Integration with Pi-hole

Network Architecture Planning

Before integrating Pi-hole, map your network topology and understand device requirements.

Integration Strategies

• Router DHCP Integration: Configure router to advertise Pi-hole as DNS
• Manual Device Configuration: Configure DNS on each device individually
• Hybrid Approach: Combine both methods for flexibility

Router Configuration

Most routers allow you to set custom DNS servers in DHCP settings:

1. Access router admin interface
2. Navigate to DHCP/LAN settings
3. Set Primary DNS: 10.44.10.53 (Pi-hole)
4. Set Secondary DNS: 1.1.1.1 (fallback)
5. Save and restart DHCP service

High Availability Setup

For production environments, consider redundancy:

• Primary Pi-hole: 10.44.10.53
• Secondary Pi-hole: 10.44.10.54
• Automatic failover configuration
• Configuration synchronization

Testing and Validation

Verify your DNS integration:

# Test local domain resolution
nslookup metube.mct.lan 10.44.10.53

# Test from different devices
ping nextcloud.mct.lan

# Check Pi-hole query logs
docker logs pihole --tail 100