Artefacts - PBerry / DEV

If you want network-wide ad blocking without dedicating a separate Raspberry Pi to the job, running Pi-hole on a UGREEN NAS is a tidy option if you already have one. The most practical way to do it is with Docker Compose, which keeps the setup reproducible, and much easier to maintain.

This guide walks through the process on a UGREEN NAS using its Docker support.

Why use Docker on a UGREEN NAS?

You can sometimes force software into a NAS operating system directly, but that is usually the messy route. On a UGREEN NAS, Docker is the cleaner and more supportable choice because:

it keeps Pi-hole isolated from the NAS itself
updates are easier
configuration is portable
recovery is much simpler if something goes sideways

In short: less heroics, fewer regrets.

Before you start

You will need:

a UGREEN NAS with Docker support enabled
access to the Docker or Projects / Compose section in the NAS interface
a static IP address for the NAS, or at least confidence that its IP will not change
access to your router settings, so you can later point DNS at Pi-hole

Important caveat before installation

Pi-hole needs to listen on DNS port 53. That means:

nothing else on the NAS should already be binding to port 53
if your NAS is already running another DNS-related service, you will need to move or disable it
you should not switch your whole network over to Pi-hole until you have confirmed it is working

Also note that if your router does not let you set a custom DNS server for your LAN, you may need to configure DNS per device, or work around it using DHCP settings if your router supports that.

Step 1: Create folders for persistent data

On your NAS, create a folder structure for Pi-hole data. For example:

/docker/pihole/etc-pihole
/docker/pihole/etc-dnsmasq.d

These folders keep your Pi-hole configuration and data safe if the container is recreated.

Step 2: Use this Docker Compose file

Create a docker-compose.yml file with the following content:

services:
  pihole:
    container_name: pihole
    image: pihole/pihole:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "53:53/tcp"
      - "53:53/udp"
      - "8081:80/tcp"
    environment:
      TZ: "Europe/London"
      FTLCONF_webserver_api_password: "change-this-password"
      FTLCONF_dns_listeningMode: "all"
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/pihole/etc-pihole:/etc/pihole
      - /volume1/docker/pihole/etc-dnsmasq.d:/etc/dnsmasq.d
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN

A few notes on that compose file

Port 53 is required for DNS.
Port 80 inside the container is mapped to 8081 on the NAS so it does not clash with the NAS web interface.
Replace:
change-this-password with a proper password
/volume1/docker/... with the correct path for your UGREEN NAS if it differs
Europe/London if you want a different timezone

If your NAS stores shared folders under a different mount path, adjust the volume mappings accordingly.

Step 3: Deploy the stack

You can usually do this in one of two ways on a UGREEN NAS:

Option A: Through the Docker Projects / Compose interface

Open the Docker app on the NAS
Go to Projects or the Compose section
Create a new project
Paste in the compose file
Deploy it

Option B: Through SSH

If you prefer the terminal and have Docker Compose available:

docker compose up -d

Once the container starts, Pi-hole should be running.

Step 4: Open the Pi-hole web interface

In your browser, go to:

http://YOUR-NAS-IP:8081/admin

For example:

http://192.168.1.50:8081/admin

If the password does not work, double-check the environment variable, and then restart the container.

Step 5: Configure an upstream DNS provider

Inside the Pi-hole admin panel, choose an upstream DNS provider such as:

Cloudflare
Quad9
Google
your own preferred resolver

This is where Pi-hole forwards requests that are not blocked locally.

Step 6: Point your network at Pi-hole

This is the step that makes Pi-hole actually useful.

The best option is usually to update your router’s DHCP or DNS settings so that devices on your network use the NAS IP as their DNS server.

Set the DNS server to the IP address of your UGREEN NAS, for example:

192.168.1.50

Then renew DHCP leases on your devices, or reconnect them to the network.

Step 7: Test that it works

A few quick checks:

open the Pi-hole dashboard and confirm queries are appearing
visit a site that normally serves obvious adverts
run a DNS lookup from a machine on your network

For example on a Linux or macOS machine:

nslookup doubleclick.net 192.168.1.50

If Pi-hole is working properly, you should see that the request is blocked, or resolved, according to your rules.

Troubleshooting

Port 53 is already in use

This is the most common issue.

Check whether another DNS service is already running on the NAS. If something else owns port 53, Pi-hole will not start correctly until that conflict is resolved.

The admin page opens, but DNS does not work

Usually this means one of three things:

your devices are not actually using Pi-hole yet
your router ignored the custom DNS setting
firewall or network rules are blocking traffic to port 53

The web UI password is rejected

This can happen if the environment variable was not applied as expected. Confirm the password setting in the compose file, redeploy the container, and try again.

Some devices bypass Pi-hole

A few devices and browsers try to use their own secure DNS settings. If you want full-network control, you may need to disable DNS over HTTPS or similar features on those clients.

Updating Pi-hole later

When you want to update the container:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Because your data is stored in mounted volumes, your configuration should persist.

Final thoughts

Running Pi-hole on a UGREEN NAS is a solid little upgrade for a home network. The trick is not the installation itself, that part is fairly straightforward, but making sure your router, DNS settings, and port usage all line up properly.

If you want the shortest path with the fewest moving parts, use Docker Compose, map the web UI away from port 80, and only switch your network DNS over once you have confirmed the container is answering queries correctly.

How to install Pi-hole on a UGREEN NAS