Stop Using Pi-Hole Sync Tools – Technitium DNS Clustering Is Better

DNS is one of those things you barely think about until it breaks, and when it does, everything in your home lab suddenly is broken. In this video, I walk through why I originally started running multiple Pi-hole servers with sync tools like Gravity Sync and Nebula Sync, and why that approach started to feel limiting as my lab grew. I dig into what Technitium DNS Server brought to the table in the most recent version, v14. We will look at how it actually works behind the scenes, and why having a true primary and secondary model with real-time config syncing feels like a big step forward compared to file-based sync jobs with Nebula Sync. I also share how quickly changes replicate, what still has limitations, and why I’ve been leaning more toward Technitium as my go-to DNS solution. If you’re trying to make your home lab DNS more reliable without adding extra complexity, this should help you decide if Technitium DNS clustering is worth a look! Check out the written blog post covering this topic here: https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2025/12/stop-using-pi-hole-sync-tools-and-use-technitium-dns-clustering-instead/ Check out this great little Proxmox server with 10 GbE networking: https://geni.us/rB5v3 (affiliate link) ★ Skool Community https://www.skool.com/homelabexplorers/about?ref=25f64c297b724689ae81c7dd30ba2c21 ★ Substack URL: bleevht.substack.com ★ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrxcWtpd1IGHG9RbD_9380A?sub_confirmation=1 ★ My blog: https://www.virtualizationhowto.com ★ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vspinmaster ★ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-lee-vht/ ★ Github: https://github.com/brandonleegit ★ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/VirtualizationHowto/100092747277326/ ★ Discord: https://discord.gg/Zb46NV6mB3 ★ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/brandonleevht/ Chapters: 0:00 Introduction and why DNS high availability matters 1:16 Why home labbers start syncing Pi-hole 2:20 Pi-hole popularity and the role of sync tools 3:09 Why sync tools are not true clustering 3:47 What is Technitium DNS Server 4:29 Core DNS features and enterprise capabilities 5:28 Technitium DNS version 14 and native clustering 6:26 Why native clustering is a big deal 7:05 How Technitium DNS clustering works 8:11 Pi-hole sync tools vs Technitium clustering 8:51 Installing Technitium DNS with Docker 10:29 Preparing nodes and setting DNS server names 11:21 Creating the Technitium cluster 11:48 Joining a secondary node to the cluster 12:22 Testing replication and real-time sync 13:18 Clustering limitations and one-way replication 14:23 Final thoughts and when to switch 15:09 Wrap-up and viewer questions