Privacy explained simply
DNS Filtering, VPNs and Ad Blockers: What Does Your Home Need?
By Datante · Prepared
Illustration
DNS filtering
Checks the website name during a lookup and can block known unwanted websites.
VPN
Uses an encrypted connection to another network. Websites may see a different connection address.
Browser ad blocker
Works inside a supported browser to hide or stop ads and some trackers on the page.
Want fewer ads? Less tracking from your TV? More private browsing? Different tools help with different jobs.
- Choose DNS filtering to block known unwanted websites that your devices try to contact, including websites used by ads and trackers.
- Choose a VPN to help hide your browsing from your local network and internet provider through an encrypted connection to another network. It does not hide everything from everyone.
- Choose a browser ad blocker to block ads and hide ad boxes inside a supported browser.
You can use more than one. Your laptop's ad blocker does not protect your TV. And a VPN does not stop a website from knowing who you are when you sign in.
What does DNS filtering do?
When you open a website, your device first needs to find it.
DNS is the internet's name lookup service. It turns a website name into an internet address: the location where a web page or server can be found on the internet.
A DNS filter checks the website name before giving your device directions. If that name is on its blocklist, it can stop the connection.
This helps block known websites used for ads, tracking or harmful activity. It does not read your messages or remove every ad. Some ads come from the same website as the video or page you want.
AdGuard explains the difference between DNS filtering and browser blocking here.
Which tool helps with which problem?
| What you want | Home DNS filtering | VPN connection alone | Browser ad blocker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block known ad and tracker websites | Yes, on devices using the filter | Not by itself; some VPNs add blocking | Yes, inside the browser |
| Hide ad boxes on a web page | No | No | Yes, where supported |
| Change the internet address websites see for your connection | No | Usually, for connections using the VPN | No |
| Help protect a TV through router settings | Yes, if the TV uses those settings | Depends on the router and VPN | No |
Use this table to check a service's claim. Ask which devices it helps and what settings it needs.
Where do Datante and the alternatives fit?
Datante offers user friendly guided router setup, managed filters and simple household controls. You do not need to run your own DNS server or maintain blocklists.
AdGuard offers several different tools. Its browser extensions work in browsers. Its device apps work on supported phones and computers. AdGuard DNS is an online filtering service. AdGuard Home runs on equipment you manage.
NextDNS is also an online DNS filtering service. Pi-hole runs on equipment you manage at home.
These products are not all doing the same job. Choose based on your devices and how much setup you want to handle.
What did Datante's tests show?
In seven configurations tested by Datante, two test websites gave different scores. Here are four of those setups:
| Setup | Turtlecute test score | adblock-tester.com score |
|---|---|---|
| No filtering reported | 7% | 56% |
| Datante | 97% | 87% |
| AdBlock Plus, default settings | 23% | 92% |
| Hotspot Shield VPN, default settings | 10% | 44% |
A 97% test score does not mean 97% of all tracking stopped. It means that setup scored 97% on that particular test.
Turtlecute checks different things, including website blocking and hiding ads. Its test has changed, so old scores may not match today's results.
AdBlock Plus allows some ads by default. You can turn that option off.
How should you start?
- Decide which devices you want to help protect.
- Save your old router settings before changing them.
- Set up one tool and check that your normal apps still work.
- Add another tool only if it helps with something else you need.
A VPN or a browser's own DNS setting may change which filtering service a device uses. Check again after turning either on. Keep any security tools required for work.
For more help choosing, read Datante vs AdGuard or Datante vs Pi-hole vs NextDNS. If you want managed home filtering, see Datante's plans.
About the tests
These results were reported by Datante, which also sells a service in this comparison. They are early test results, not an independent review. Test dates, software versions and repeat runs were not supplied. A browser test does not prove that every device in a home is protected.