Installing ad blockers on every machine has become somewhat of a standard for modern internet users. But makers in the Raspberry Pi community have found a way to stop them at the source with the advent of Pi-Hole. This is a system designed to stop advertisements at the DNS level on your network but what if you need to let them through for a little while? That’s where maker and developer Kris from Planet Kris comes in with his Pie Stop button project.
To dig into this project, it helps to know how Pi-Hole works. Check out our guide on how to install Pi-Hole to get an idea of what the application does and how to set it up on the Pi. Unfortunately for Kris, Pi-Hole prevented critical access to important work-related websites. He didn’t want to remove the system so he opted to devise a way to temporarily disable Pi-Hole on his network.
The solution was to create a big button that connects to Wi-Fi that he could press to stop Pi-Hole for just long enough to access the restricted websites. The system triggers a command to the Pi that will cause it to turn Pi-Hole off for a few minutes so it can no longer block perceived advertisements on the network.
This button system is driven by an ESP-01S, a smaller form factor of the popular ESP8266 module. A button is connected for interfacing and a Lithium battery charger and 18650 battery is included to keep the unit mobile. To house everything together, Kris developed a 3D-printed enclosure.
Kris was kind enough to share a breakdown of the project on his website. While he didn’t share the source code in its entirety, he does share plenty to get you off the ground if you want to make something similar. He also shared the 3D printer files for the button enclosure over at Printables for anyone who wants to print their own at home.
If you want to recreate this Raspberry Pi project, check out the official project post over at the Planet Kris website and be sure to follow him for more cool creations.
