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Please help - Can't properly set up NextDNS CLI on Rpi4

I want to see device names, so I installed NextDNS CLI on an Rpi 4B on my network (thank you @Iosnad).

But I don't know enough to understand how to set up all the options, because it isn't working.

Here are the contents of my config file:

discovery-dns 
mdns all
use-hosts true
timeout 5s
log-queries false
max-ttl 5s
bogus-priv true
setup-router false
auto-activate true
listen localhost:53
config [my 6-digit ID from the NextDNS.io Setup page is in here]
cache-max-age 0s
report-client-info true
detect-captive-portals false
hardened-privacy false
max-inflight-requests 256
control /var/run/nextdns.sock
cache-size 10MB

___________________

What is wrong about this setup?  I'm just trying to use NextDNS CLI the way I was using PiHole - just as the DNS server not DHCP or anything.  

Thank you for any help!!

7 replies

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    • Quentin_Alten
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    If it helps, my Setup page on nextdns.io says:

    "This device is not using NextDNS.

    This device is currently using ”Cloudflare” as DNS resolver."

    Which is probably because I set 1.1.1.1 as my secondary DNS.  The primary DNS is my LAN address of my RPi, which is 192.168.1.[the last number]

    • R_P_M
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Maybe set it to listen on the LAN IP? As requests presumably are coming in on that address. 

      • Quentin_Alten
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      R P M Thanks, I'm new at this and everything Linux.  Any idea how I would set it to listen in on the LAP IP?  Can I just type something into my configuration file?

      • R_P_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Quentin Alten You could edit the config file directly adding “listen [LAN IP]:53” on a new line next to the other listen option.

      Or in terminal type in

      sudo nextdns config set -listen [LAN IP]:53

      Then after you’ve done either way, terminal again 

      sudo nextdns restart

      Should be good to go unless there is a firewall in place.

      • Quentin_Alten
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      R P M I finally got around to doing this, but it’s not working right: In Analytics page, 99% of queries coming from “Unidentified devices,” with the message:

      “Learn how to identify your devices on the Setup page.”

      Should I delete the line 

      listen localhost:53

      since now I have a line 

      “listen [IP of RPi]:53”?

      • R_P_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Quentin Alten welcome back. 

      No, you don't need to remove that line, it's not going to resolve the Unidentified Devices issue. 

      If your DHCP server is not giving out 'friendly names' one way I have found is to, first set devices to use a permanent local IP, next add to/create a hosts file on the RPi with those IPs and names you want to use. Restart NextDNS of course for it to pick up.

      Just use test.nextdns.io on the devices to see if it's working.

      • Quentin_Alten
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      R P M Wow I was about to follow your advice and then I realized after I made your first config changes, I typed the NextDNS IP numbers into the router's DNS server list instead of the Raspberry Pi's internal IP address.  I fixed that and it looks like it's working great now.  Thank you so much!  Not all the names are "friendly" though like you say, so I'll try your next set of advice. 

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