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)
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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
