How to disable advertising through the Xiaomi router: the complete guide

Modern devices, especially Android and Smart TV smartphones, are literally oversaturated with intrusive content that pops up in the most unexpected places of the interface. Users often find that banners appear even in the system menu or when the screen is locked, which significantly reduces the comfort of operation of equipment. The solution to this problem is centralized filtering of traffic directly at the router level, which allows you to protect all gadgets on the home network without installing additional software on each device.

Xiaomi routers have enough flexibility to implement such scenarios, but standard settings are often hidden from the average user. Blocking ads through a router is the most effective way, as it prevents the ad modules from loading even before they reach the screen of your smartphone or TV. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to set up the settings. DNS-servers and manually add domains to the blacklist.

It’s important to understand that it can be difficult to completely cut out all ad traffic without losing some apps’ functionality, but it can be drastically minimized. We’ll look at both the built-in web interface and more advanced methods of working with host system files. The key is to correctly identify the domains that are responsible for displaying banners so that legitimate services don’t work.

The principles of traffic filtering on routers

To effectively manage data flows, you need to understand the basic mechanism of how a router handles requests from connected clients. When your device tries to load a page or show a banner, it sends out a message. DNS-A request that the router forwards to the provider's server or a manually specified address, intercepting these requests allows you to redirect calls to known ad servers to nowhere or to a local address, thereby blocking the download of content.

Unlike browser extensions that only work inside the tab, router filtering is global, especially for Smart TVs and applications where blocking is impossible or limited by system rights. However, some services use the same domains for analytics and advertising, so a rough lock can lead to malfunctioning applications.

Xiaomi routers typically run on a modified OpenWrt or proprietary system that allows you to implement filtering rules. The packet processing algorithm checks the destination address and checks it against internal routing and lock tables. If the address matches the lock rule, the connection is reset or redirected.

Preparation for setting up the Xiaomi router

Before making changes to the network configuration, you need to ensure a stable connection to the administrative panel of the device. It is recommended to connect to the router via an Ethernet cable to prevent communication breaks during the setup process, which can lead to loss of access to the interface, it is also desirable to have up-to-date data for entering the control panel at hand.

First, check the firmware version of your Mi Router or Redmi Router router. Manufacturers periodically update the software, changing the location of the menu and available features. The current version of the software ensures the latest security patches and the stability of network services.

To log in to the web interface, type 192.168.31.1 or miwifi.com in your browser address bar. If you have changed your default password, use it, otherwise you will need the standard combination shown on the sticker at the bottom of the device. Access security is critical, as any changes to the router settings affect the entire home network.

Method 1: Use of safe DNS-server

The easiest and most effective way to cut off a significant part of advertising is to change the DNS-Instead of standard provider servers, which often inject advertising themselves, the router will send requests to specialized servers that automatically filter known advertising domains. This solution does not require deep technical knowledge and works out of the box».

In the settings of the Xiaomi router, find the section responsible for settings of the Internet or WAN. Here you need to manually specify the DNS addresses. A popular and proven solution is the use of AdGuard DNS servers, which specialize in blocking trackers and advertising. The frequency of updating databases of such servers is very high, which provides protection from new advertising domains in almost real time.

To set up, go to Network Settings → WAN → DNS. Turn off automatic address acquisition and enter the following values: primary DNS 94.140.14.14 and secondary 94.140.15.15. Once you save the settings, the router may need to restart to apply the changes.

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Use a family-coded DNS (e.g. 94.140.14.15) if you want to block access to adult websites, which is important for family networks.

It’s worth noting that this method doesn’t guarantee 100% blocking of all ads, as large platforms are constantly changing domain names, but it removes up to 80% of intrusive content and significantly speeds up page loading by caching requests on the DNS-provider side, and the response rate of such servers is usually higher than that of standard ISPs.

Method 2: Manual lock through Hosts file and blacklist

For more advanced users who need spot settings, manually blacklisting domains is available. In Xiaomi routers, this feature can be implemented through the Security or Parental Control section, where you can create rules for specific users. URL. This allows you to block specific advertising networks that are skipped by the Internet. DNS-filter.

The process is this: you identify the domain from which the ad is downloaded (this can be done through router logs or PC traffic sniffers), and add it to the list of prohibited. The router will break any connection to that address. Point lock is effective when you want to remove ads in a particular application without affecting it.

And the rest of the traffic.

If the standard interface does not allow you to add arbitrary domains, you can use the mode of work with the hosts file. Some firmware allows you to download a custom hosts file, which spells out the rules for redirecting advertising domains to 0.0.0.0. This emulates the operation of the hosts system file on a computer, but on a network scale.

⚠️ Attention: When manually blocking domains, be careful. Blocking system domains Google or Xiaomi can lead to service failure (push notifications), time synchronization or voice assistant operation.

To add a rule, you usually need to go to Security → Access Control or similar, where you create a new set of rules that include a domain name, such as ad.xiaomi.com or tracking.miui.com. Once the rules are applied, the changes take effect immediately.

Comparison of blocking methods and their impact on the network

The choice of blocking method depends on your technical skills and network requirements. DNS-Filtering is simple and fast, but less flexible. Manually configuring through a blacklist takes time to find domains, but gives you complete control. Below is a table comparing the main characteristics of these approaches.

Using the built-in tools of the Xiaomi router is preferable for most users, since it does not require the purchase of additional equipment. However, if the power of the router is not enough to handle complex filtering rules, the network can run slower.

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The best solution for most users is a combination. DNS-filtering (as a database) and manually blocking only the most aggressive advertising domains.

Advertising blocking in the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystem

Xiaomi and Redmi devices often broadcast ads not only over the Internet connection, but also through system services that can use secure connections or their own methods of bypassing locks. To completely get rid of banners in the MIUI interface, one DNS change on the router may not be enough, and additional client-side setup or deeper integration may be required.

However, a router can block access to MIUI analytics servers that collect user data and generate personalized advertising. Blocking domains like data.mistat.xiaomi.com or api.ad.xiaomi.com at the router level reduces the number of ads received, which is especially useful for older TV and phone models that no longer receive security updates.

In some cases, users resort to installing alternative firmware on the router (for example, OpenWrt or Padavan), which have built-in powerful packages for traffic filtering, such as AdBlock Plus or koolproxyR. Flashing the router is a radical step that removes all the limitations of the manufacturer, but requires high qualification and deprives of warranties.

⚠️ Attention: Installing third-party firmware on a Xiaomi router can turn the device into a “brick” if you do the wrong thing.

If you're not ready to flash, stay within standard functionality using a combination of DNS and manual rules, a safe compromise that keeps the network stable and eliminates most of the visual noise.

Diagnostics and solution

After making changes to the router settings, it is important to make sure that the lock is working correctly and does not disrupt access to the necessary resources. DNS-The server is not available or blocked by your ISP, and if you do, you should try alternative addresses such as Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8), although they do not block ads.

To test the effectiveness of the lock, you can use online services to test the DNS leak or simply observe the behavior of ads in applications. If the ads still appear, try clearing the DNS cache on the client device or rebooting it. DNS caching at the level of the smartphone operating system can save old records, ignoring the new router rules.

In conclusion, setting up Xiaomi’s ad-blocking router is a powerful tool for creating a comfortable digital environment. Even basic settings can significantly reduce distractions. Check your router’s firmware updates regularly, as manufacturers often improve security and traffic filtering mechanisms.

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Regular cleaning of the DNS cache on client devices after setting up the router is mandatory for the rules to take effect immediately.