Updated
Updated · How-To Geek · Jun 27
Author Builds Raspberry Pi Internet Kill Switch With 1 Button for Home Network
Updated
Updated · How-To Geek · Jun 27

Author Builds Raspberry Pi Internet Kill Switch With 1 Button for Home Network

3 articles · Updated · How-To Geek · Jun 27

Summary

  • A single button tied to a Raspberry Pi can cut internet access for nearly every device on a home network by flipping Pi-hole into a block-all DNS mode.
  • Pi-hole sits in the network’s DNS path, so pressing the switch updates one software rule instead of rebooting a router or modem, making the pause effectively instant.
  • A Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is sufficient for the project, alongside a momentary button, wires, and optionally an LED; the setup runs on Raspberry Pi OS Lite with a simple Python script.
  • DNS blocking still has gaps: devices using hardcoded DNS or IP addresses can bypass it unless router firewall rules force DNS through the Pi, and cellular connections are unaffected.
  • The Pi also becomes a single point of failure, so the author recommends recovery notes, a fallback DNS setting, and optional device exemptions to avoid dropping critical connections.

Insights

With encrypted DNS now common, is this DIY internet 'pause button' already becoming obsolete?
Does an 'internet kill switch' truly improve mental health, or does it just create new anxieties around being disconnected?