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Run NextDNS on Raspberry Pi instead of ASUS router?

Currently I'm running NextDNS on an ASUS router with Asuswrt-Merlin custom firmware. However, there have not been updates to this firmware for quite some time, due to ASUS not releasing any GPL sources, because of legal issues (on ASUS side). If that does not change I might have to revert to stock ASUS firmware in the future, which means I won't be able to run NextDNS on the router any longer.

Can I run NextDNS on a (spare) Raspberry Pi 3 instead?

If so, what do I need to configure on the router and the Pi? (No guide for this combination?)

8 replies

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    • Pro Subscriber ✅
    • Jorgen_A
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Having the same thoughts as you to run Nextdns outside the router if having to leave Merlin for stock firmware. Hoping the GPL issue will be solved the upcoming weeks, but always good with a plan B.

    Plan C for me is to switch to Unifi/Ubiquiti or setup pfSense and run Nextdns on that box.

    • NextDNs
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    You can run it easily on a Pi. You will have two changes two things manually:

    • Change the DHCP configuration of your router to set the DNS IP of you LAN devices to your Pi's
    • [Optional] Set the dns-discovery parameter of the CLI with the IP of your router to get DHCP names for your LAN clients in NextDNS logs
    • Brian_Ward
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Yes very easy to setup.  I setup Ubuntu server with nextdns cli.  Pointed my router towards my server so the clients pick up the dns info.

      • Pro subscriber ✓
      • DynamicNotSlow
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Brian Ward this isn’t easy nor recommend. Why not just add NextDNS to your router?

      • Brian_Ward
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      DynamicNotSlow Why wouldn't it be recommended?  Takes the load off the router and puts in on a machine with more power.  If you know what you are doing, very easy and very doable.  Basically you point the lan DNS to the nextdns cli and then point the server back to the router.  Takes about 5 min to setup.

      • Pro subscriber ✓
      • DynamicNotSlow
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Brian Ward because nearly all users use bad configuration or broken systems. 
      DNS doesn’t need power. Every router can and will handle it without problems. 
       

      Using a external device just for DNS is not only overpowered, it will end in problemlos we read in this forum. Also it increase your maintenance and attack surface without providing any advantages. 

      • Brian_Ward
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      DynamicNotSlow hasn't caused issues yet.  Not only that if you look in all the configuration documents, there are multiple ways of configuring the CLI besides using the router.  Even nextdns points it out a few lines above.  The other thing is if you can't install the CLI on the router itself, these are alternatives you can use.  Using the CLI on the router vs something else has the same advantages.

    • Donald24
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    @DNS - why not? It's completely irrelevant on which device the nextdns cli runs, as long as somebody knows what he/she is doing and, if using DHCP, the right dns-ip gets served.

    For my part, I run the nextdns cli on Raspberry Pi3 AND Ubuntu Server (Core I-5 (4 cores) VM), while on Raspberry Pi3, I get a meridian of 50ms response time, against 20ms from Ubuntu running on Core-I5. I am guessing mere Mhz and cpu-extensions are making more out of it.

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