Home Setup

A step-by-step guide to building the NullPrivate network ad-blocking service at home

Setting Up NullPrivate at Home

NullPrivate is an enhanced fork of AdGuard Home, purpose-built for superior network-level ad blocking and privacy protection. This tutorial walks you through installing and configuring NullPrivate on your home network.

Project Overview

NullPrivate is an open-source fork of AdGuard Home that offers both SaaS hosting and a rich set of extra features, all aimed at delivering a better DNS resolution and network-filtering experience.

Key Features

Original Features

Network-wide ad blocking: Block ads and trackers across the entire network
Custom filtering rules: Add personalized blocklists and allowlists
Encrypted DNS support: DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNSCrypt
Built-in DHCP server: Ready-to-use DHCP functionality
Per-client settings: Tailor settings for each individual device
Parental controls: Block adult content and enforce Safe Search
Cross-platform: Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and more
Privacy-first: No usage analytics or telemetry

NullPrivate Add-ons

DNS routing rule lists: Route DNS queries using rule lists in a config file
App-level blocking rules: Target specific application sources
Dynamic DNS (DDNS): Automatic hostname resolution updates
Advanced rate limiting: Efficient traffic management and control
Enhanced deployment: Load balancing, automatic certificate renewal, optimized connectivity

Installation Methods

Method 1: Download the Binary

Visit the Releases page and grab the binary for your OS.
Create a working directory:
```
mkdir -p ./data
```

Launch NullPrivate:

./NullPrivate -c ./AdGuardHome.yaml -w ./data --web-addr 0.0.0.0:34020 --local-frontend --no-check-update --verbose

Method 2: Use Docker

Docker is the easiest and most portable way to deploy:

docker run --rm --name NullPrivate \
  -p 34020:80 \
  -v ./data/container/work:/opt/adguardhome/work \
  -v ./data/container/conf:/opt/adguardhome/conf \
  nullprivate/nullprivate:latest

Supported Platforms

✅ Windows
✅ macOS
✅ Linux
✅ Docker
✅ Other Unix-like systems

Configuration Guide

Initial Setup

After launch, open the web UI to finish configuration:

Default admin URL: http://localhost:34020
Create an admin account on first run
Optionally import an existing AdGuard Home config

Configuration Files

The main file is AdGuardHome.yaml, which contains:

DNS server settings
Filtering rules
Client definitions
Security options

Command-Line Flags

Flag	Purpose
`-c`	Path to the configuration file
`-w`	Working directory
`--web-addr`	Address and port for the web UI
`--local-frontend`	Use the embedded web interface
`--no-check-update`	Disable automatic update checks
`--verbose`	Enable detailed logging

Usage Tips

Network setup: Point your router’s DNS to the NullPrivate IP
Rule updates: Refresh blocklists periodically for best coverage
Performance monitoring: Check DNS query stats in the web UI
Security hardening: Enable HTTPS and use a strong password
Backups: Regularly back up the config file and data directory

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Port conflict: Make sure port 34020 is free
Permission errors: Ensure correct file permissions on Linux
Startup failure: Verify the config path and working directory exist

Getting Help

Read the official docs
Open an issue on GitHub Issues

Wrap-up

You should now have a working NullPrivate instance at home, giving you a cleaner, more private internet experience. NullPrivate’s rich feature set and flexible configuration options make it easy to tailor the service to your exact needs.