How to Set Up Technitium DNS Server for Your Home Network

Pi-hole with Unbound is a fantastic combination, but it’s not the only path to a private, full-featured DNS setup. Technitium DNS Server offers an alternative that bundles recursive resolution, ad-blocking, and DHCP server functionality into a single application with a genuinely polished web interface — appealing to homelab users who’d rather manage one tool instead of stitching several together.

What Is Technitium DNS Server?

Technitium is a free, open-source, self-hosted DNS server built specifically to be an all-in-one solution: it can act as a recursive resolver (similar to what Unbound provides), block ads and trackers through configurable blocklists (similar to Pi-hole), and optionally serve as your network’s DHCP server too, all managed through one unified dashboard.

Why Consider It Over Pi-hole + Unbound

• Single application – one tool to install, update, and maintain instead of two separate pieces working together
• Built-in recursive resolution – no separate Unbound installation and integration steps required
• DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS support – built-in support for encrypted DNS protocols without additional configuration layers
• Optional DHCP server – can fully replace your router’s DHCP functionality if desired, giving more granular control over network-wide settings
• Cross-platform – runs on Linux, Windows, and even directly on a Raspberry Pi, appealing if you’re not exclusively in a Linux-only environment

Installing Technitium DNS Server

On Linux, installation is handled through an official script:

curl -sSL https://download.technitium.com/dns/install.sh | sudo bash

This installs Technitium as a systemd service, automatically starting on boot.

Accessing the Web Console

Once installed, open a browser and navigate to:

http://your-server-ip:5380

Complete the initial setup wizard, creating an administrator account and confirming your preferred recursive resolution settings.

Configuring Blocklists

Under Settings → Blocking, add blocklist subscription URLs (many of the same popular blocklists used by Pi-hole work identically here) to enable network-wide ad and tracker blocking. Technitium periodically refreshes these lists automatically based on a schedule you configure.

Setting Up as Your Network’s DNS Server

Point your router’s DNS settings (or individual device DNS settings) to your Technitium server’s IP address, exactly as you would with Pi-hole, so all DNS queries on your network route through it for both resolution and ad-blocking.

Enabling DHCP (Optional)

If you want Technitium to also manage IP address assignment for your network, navigate to DHCP in the dashboard, configure your desired IP range and lease settings, and disable DHCP on your router to avoid the two systems conflicting with each other.

Setting Up DNS-over-HTTPS Forwarding

For added privacy on the upstream side (queries Technitium can’t resolve recursively on its own, or if you prefer forwarding instead of full recursion), configure a DNS-over-HTTPS forwarder under Settings → DNS, encrypting queries between your Technitium server and whichever upstream provider you choose.

Monitoring Query Logs

Technitium’s dashboard includes a built-in query log and statistics view, similar in spirit to Pi-hole’s query log, showing which domains are being queried, how many were blocked, and by which device — useful for spotting unexpected traffic or verifying blocklists are working as intended.

Technitium vs Pi-hole + Unbound: Which to Choose

Choose Technitium if you’d prefer a single, all-in-one application with a modern interface and don’t need Pi-hole’s specific ecosystem of third-party integrations and community documentation. Choose Pi-hole + Unbound if you value the massive community support, extensive third-party integration guides, and the familiar dashboard many homelab tutorials already assume you’re using.

Final Thoughts

Technitium DNS Server offers a genuinely capable alternative to the Pi-hole and Unbound combination, consolidating recursive resolution, ad-blocking, and optional DHCP into a single, well-maintained application. For homelab users who’d rather manage one tool than integrate two, or who want built-in encrypted DNS protocol support without extra configuration, it’s well worth evaluating alongside the more commonly recommended Pi-hole setup.