Blocking your TV's ads at the router
· 2 min read
Everything else on this site requires your television to be an Android. This does not. Filtering at the network level works with any connected device, including Samsungs on Tizen and LGs on webOS.
The idea#
When the television wants to send telemetry or load an advert, it first asks DNS for that server's address. If DNS answers that it does not exist, the connection is never made.
You are not modifying the television. You are deciding what your own network resolves.
The three options, least to most work#
1. A public DNS with filtering. Change the router's DNS and you are done. Free, five minutes.
Known options: AdGuard DNS, NextDNS, Mullvad DNS. NextDNS also shows you what each device in your house is asking for, which is revealing in itself.
2. Pi-hole or AdGuard Home. Your own DNS server on a Raspberry Pi or any machine you leave running. More work, total control, and detailed per-device statistics.
3. Rules on the router, if yours allows blocking domains directly.
Working out what to block#
With Pi-hole or NextDNS, the tool itself shows you the queries. Filter by the television's IP and you will see its real traffic. It is the most instructive exercise you can do: plenty of people discover this way how many queries an hour their television makes while switched off.
An important caution#
Blocking too much has side effects:
- Block the update domain and you stop receiving patches.
- Some streaming apps share infrastructure with advertising and may stop working.
- Some televisions check connectivity against a specific domain and sulk if it does not answer.
The practical recommendation: start with a conservative block list, use the television for a few days, and refine.
The best thing about this method#
It is completely reversible and touches nothing on the device. If something breaks, you remove the filter and everything is back instantly. That makes it a good first measure before getting into ADB.