Selective use of A B Solution

[TheLyppardMan]

Until recently, I had A B Solution on my ASUS RT-AC86U, but some sites would not work properly. For example, https://www.hacw.nhs.uk/our-services/physiotherapy/move-to-improve/ would not allow me to make a selection (nothing happened if I clicked on one of the links). My daughter also had problems with one of her game sites. I tried changing my PC from the global default (router) to OpenDNS, thinking that would by-pass A B Solution, but I still couldn't get the above example to work, so I uninstalled A B Solution , installed the uBlock Origin add-on in Firefox and then disabled filtering for the NHS site. Result: success. I did think I could get away with this by adding (for example) hacw.nhs.uk to the A B Solution white list, but I just received a message saying it didn't need to be added as it wasn't on the blacklist.

Question: Is there a way to have A B Solution only work on certain devices (e.g. mobiles) and if so, how would I configure my router?

 

[kowra]

not as far as i know. but apparently the new absolution will come with a command to shut it down. directly without going into the menu.
./absolution.sh disable

you could use a mobile client with a script that runs that from a widget.

also probably best to check the log, on what is blocking your site.
i bet is not the domain you're going but some some of other tracking rubbish.

 

[JimmieNoName]

If you want to exclude certain devices, the instructions are here: https://www.ab-solution.info/faq-reader/how-to-exclude-a-client-from-ad-blocking.html

 

[TheLyppardMan]

If you want to exclude certain devices, the instructions are here: https://www.ab-solution.info/faq-reader/how-to-exclude-a-client-from-ad-blocking.html

I think I'm even more confused now. Doesn't setting the Global option to no filtering (as on the linked web page) stop filtering for everyone on the network unless added as an exception? Also, what is the relationship between the DNS settings in the DHCP Server page, the DNS settings in the WAN page and A B Solution? (in simple terms please)

 

[JimmieNoName]

Well, to be embarrassingly honest, I'm not sure how it works. I just know it does. I'm pretty sure that you don't need anything in the DNS fields on the DHCP server tab. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

 

[ScottW]

You mentioned trying to whitelist the main site, and that it didn't help.... Web sites often load assets from other domains, and that is probably the case here. I suggest turning on logging in AB-Solution, then visit the site that had problems. Immediately look at the log, and see what was blocked -- that will give you the domains you need to whitelist.

For more help, consider posting in the dedicated ab-solution thread, more ab-solution users are likely to see it there.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

Well, to be embarrassingly honest, I'm not sure how it works. I just know it does. I'm pretty sure that you don't need anything in the DNS fields on the DHCP server tab. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

I did find a couple of threads about this and from what I read, I think the DHCP DNS fields should normally be left blank. I think they are something to do with changing the IP address that clients on the network see from the normal 192.168.1.1, but I'm not 100% sure if that is correct.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

I've put a link to this thread in the A B Solution section.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

I thought I had found a way to have selective filtering by A B Solution (for mobiles, where ad filtering doesn't seem to work very well with apps), while disabling it for the PCs and laptops, where excellent plug-ins like uBlock Origin or standard alone programs like Adguard can handle ad blocking in Firefox/Chrome, etc. However, I hit a problem.

I found that for devices that were still being filtered through A B Solution, i.e., our mobile phones (via the Router settings), everything was fine, but for the rest of the devices which were by-passing A B Solution via the Global Setting (OpenDNS in our case), the script to enforce Google Safe Search was also being by-passed. It came down to either losing A B Solution or Safe Search, so the former had to go. We’ll just have to put up with advertisements on our mobiles and use uBlock Origin or equivalent on our PCs/Laptops.