A home server DNS setup is outgrowing Pi-hole
A setup is using two Pi-hole instances for failover across different parts of the . The router gives clients as DNS servers, and those machines send their own DNS requests upstream to the Pi-holes. The Pi-holes also handle DHCP, and both keep the same list of fixed local addresses.
Two main hosts run all day and night; each host has Pi-hole installed directly, plus Samba-based . Each server uses its own host’s Pi-hole as the first upstream DNS choice and the other host’s Pi-hole as the backup. Pi-hole settings are synchronized with gravity-sync, but fixed DHCP lists are still updated by hand for extra safety.
The practical problem is whether there is a cleaner and more professional way to run DNS and DHCP with proper failover, better Samba integration, no , and Pi-hole-style ad blocking.
Key points
- Two Pi-hole instances are being used so DNS can keep working if one side fails.
- The router points clients to for DNS.
- The machines use the Pi-holes as upstream DNS servers.
- Both Pi-holes also run DHCP, so fixed address lists must be kept in sync.
- The open question is how to combine failover, Samba , and ad blocking with less manual work.