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🚫 Remove ads across your entire network: The complete guide to Pi-hole

2025-10-21

Tired of intrusive ads that slow down page loads and track your every move?
Browser extensions are good, but what if you could block ads for your entire home network — smartphones, Smart TVs and IoT devices — all at once?

Meet: Pi-hole. It’s a free open-source tool that turns your small computer (for example, a Raspberry Pi) into a DNS server and network-wide ad blocker. It works at a level browser plugins can’t reach, providing a clean and fast internet for all your gadgets.

How to set up professional email on your domain in 5 minutes with ImprovMX

2025-10-11

Many website owners, startups and small projects want an email like info@вашдомен.ru, but aren’t ready to pay for corporate email hosting.
ImprovMX solves this — it forwards incoming mail from your domain to any personal mailbox (for example, Gmail or Yandex) for free. The free plan has limits on the number of aliases and forwarded mail volume; active use may require a paid plan.


🧐 Step 1. Create a free email alias

  1. Go to improvmx.com.
  2. In the Your domain name field enter your domain (for example, vashdomen.ru). Make sure it’s registered and active.
  3. In the Your email address field enter the address where all mail will be forwarded (for example, my.personal.email@gmail.com).
  4. Click Create a free alias.

After that the service will generate the required DNS records for your domain.

118 | BIMI: Add your logo to your emails and stand out! 📧✨

2025-10-09

Noticed how in Gmail or other mail services the logos of big companies — and even a blue checkmark — appear next to their messages?
It’s not just pretty — it’s the result of BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification).

With BIMI your message looks professional, inspires trust, and stands out in a crowded inbox. 😎

In this article we’ll cover what BIMI is, why it matters, and how to set it up step by step so your logo appears next to your emails. Let’s go! 🚀

SSL certificates via DNS: automating Let’s Encrypt issuance

2025-10-06

Introduction

Let’s Encrypt is the standard for obtaining free TLS certificates. Most often certificates are issued via the HTTP-01 method, which requires a reachable web server on port 80. However, for internal services or wildcard certificates (for example, *.example.com) it is more convenient to use DNS-01, which verifies domain ownership via TXT records in DNS and does not require open ports.

This article covers:

  • Issuing certificates via the Cloudflare API,
  • Issuing certificates via Amazon Route 53 (AWS),
  • Integration with web servers Nginx, HAProxy and Traefik,
  • Automation of certificate renewal.

Note: Instructions are relevant for Certbot 2.x, acme.sh 3.x, Nginx 1.18+, HAProxy 2.4+, Traefik 2.x on Linux (Ubuntu/Debian). For other OSes or tool versions adjustments may be required.

Moving or restoring a website for beginners: don't be afraid, it's easier than it seems

2025-10-05

Moving a website to a new server or restoring it after a failure can sound like a scary task, especially if you’re new to web development or administration. But don’t panic. With the right approach and a step-by-step plan you can handle it without stress. Below is a breakdown of the whole process: from backup to functionality checks, including ISPmanager and FreePanel panels and local testing via hosts without changing public DNS.

Network Troubleshooting for Beginners: The Internet’s Phone Book (DNS)

2025-09-14

Introduction

You’ve gone through all the checks from the previous articles:

  • The computer has the correct IP address (ipconfig).
  • The router responds (ping 192.168.1.1).
  • Ping to a public address (ping 8.8.8.8) works.

Looks like the internet is fine! But the browser won’t open google.com. 🤔 Welcome to the most common cause of such issues — DNS failures.


What is DNS? 📖

The internet runs on IP addresses (e.g., 142.250.184.110), but people prefer names (google.com).

031 | Proxy Servers in Action: 3proxy — A Compact and Multifunctional Proxy Server

2025-06-23

031 | Proxy Servers in Action: 3proxy — A Compact and Multifunctional Proxy Server 🤏⚙️

In our exploration of proxy servers, we’ve already looked at giants like Nginx and HAProxy, as well as the versatile SOCKS-focused Dante. Today, we turn our attention to 3proxy — a surprisingly compact yet incredibly multifunctional solution that could become your Swiss army knife in the world of proxying.


What is 3proxy?

3proxy is free, open-source software that, despite its small footprint (hence the “3”), is one of the most versatile proxy servers available. It is designed to run on various operating systems including Windows, Linux, macOS, and BSD. Its main strength is its ability to act as a proxy for a wide range of network protocols, often not supported in more specialized solutions.

010 | Setting Up DNS for Mail and Website: Part 3 — How to Configure and Verify

2025-05-31

Now that you know about the different types of DNS records, let’s figure out how to configure them and, just as importantly, how to ensure everything is working correctly. Proper DNS setup is a key step to your website’s stable operation and effective email delivery.

Where and How to Configure DNS Records?

DNS record configuration is typically done in the control panel of your domain registrar (where you purchased the domain) or through the interface of a service you use to manage DNS (e.g., Cloudflare, if you use it).

009 | DNS Setup for Mail and Website Part 2 — Mail Protection (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

2025-05-30

Continuing the topic of DNS, in addition to the basic A and MX records, there are three other critically important records that are responsible for the security of your mail and its deliverability — that is, ensuring your emails don’t end up in spam. These are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. They act as unique digital seals and verification rules for your correspondence, confirming its authenticity.

  • SPF Record (Sender Policy Framework): Authorizing Sending

008 | DNS Setup for Email and Website: Part 1 — What Is DNS and the Basic Records (A, MX)

2025-05-29

We’ve already discussed how to get your own domain and reviewed the available options for building and hosting a website and email. Now it’s time to dive into what ties all these elements together — the Domain Name System (DNS). Think of DNS as the internet’s giant phone book: when you type an address like yourbusiness.com into your browser, DNS servers help translate that name into the corresponding IP address (e.g., 192.0.2.1) so your browser knows where to connect. Without proper DNS configuration, your website won’t be accessible, and your emails won’t be delivered.