# Install AdGuard Home Cross-Platform Pi-Hole Alternative on Windows

## What is AdGuard Home?

> AdGuard Home is a network-wide software for blocking ads and tracking. After you set it up, it'll cover ALL your home devices, and you don't need any client-side software for that.
> It operates as a DNS server that re-routes tracking domains to a “black hole”, thus preventing your devices from connecting to those servers. It's based on software we use for our public AdGuard DNS servers, and both share a lot of code. -https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdguardHome

## Installing AdGuard Home

1. Download AdGuard Home for Windows Download
2. Navigate to the Download location > Right click the downloaded AdGuardHome .zip file > Properties
3. At the bottom of the dialog, look for a security message with an Unblock checkbox > If it exists, check Unblock > Click Apply > Click OK
4. Extract the downloaded .zip file
5. Copy the extracted AdGuardHome directory to a safe location to run from, C:\Program Files for example
6. Right click AdGuardHome.exe > Properties
7. Check the Run this program as an administrator box > Click Apply > Click OK
8. Hold the SHIFT key and right click in the white space > Open PowerShell windows here...
9. Type the following in the PowerShell window to test run AdGuard Home
   .\AdGuardHome.exe
10. Click Allow access if you receive a Windows Defender Firewall popup
11. Back in the web browser, navigate to http://DNSorIP:3000
12. Click the Get Started button
13. Set the Admin Web Interface and DNS Server network interfaces and ports > Click Next
14. Enter an admin username and password > Click Next
15. Click Next on page 4
16. Click Open Dashboard on the Congratutations page
17. Log in using the admin username and password created during the install
18. Welcome to AdGuardHome

## Install as a Windows Service

1. Click the open Command Prompt and press CTRL+C to close it
2. Type the following command in the PowerShell window to run AdGuard Home as a Windows service
   .\AdGuardHome.exe -s install
3. Close the PowerShell window

## Testing AdGuard Home DNS

1. Click the Start button > Type control panel > press Enter
2. Click View By > Small Icons
3. Click Network and Sharing Center
4. Click Change adapter settings
5. Right click on the network connection > Properties
6. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties
7. Select the radio option next to Use the following DNS server addresses
8. Input the IP address of the AdGuard Home host
9. Click OK on both of the open dialog windows
10. Right click the Start button > Command Prompt (Admin)
11. Type the following commands to flush your DNS cache and restart the network connections (note: your network connection will drop if running the commands on a remote machine)
    ipconfig /flushdns
    ipconfig /release
    ipconfig /renew

Source: https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/wiki/Getting-Started