Adding Custom Domain Names on Your Internal Network Using Nginx Proxy Manager and Pi-Hole

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Adding Custom Domain Names on Your Internal Network Using Nginx Proxy Manager and Pi-Hole

Homelab

TL;DR

I got tired of typing IP addresses to access my homelab services, so I set up Pi-Hole for local DNS and Nginx Proxy Manager for routing and SSL. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes.

I got tired of typing IP addresses to access services on my homelab, so I set up custom domain names on my internal network. If you don’t have a homelab yet, check out my guide on how to get started building a homelab server first. I’m going to walk through how I set up custom domain names using Pi-Hole for DNS management and Nginx Proxy Manager for web traffic control and SSL encryption.

Step 1: Configuring Pi Hole for Custom Domain

Pi-Hole, primarily known for ad-blocking, also serves as a local DNS server. To set a custom domain:

  • Access Pi-Hole: Log into the Pi-Hole administrative interface.

  • Navigate to Local DNS: Select ‘Local DNS’ from the menu, then ‘DNS Records’.

  • Add Custom Domain: Enter your desired custom domain name (e.g., magic.mirror) and the IP address of your NGINX Proxy Manager server. Remember, this domain doesn’t need to be a registered one or have a valid top-level domain (TLD).

Step 2: Configuring NGINX Proxy Manager

Next, I configured my NGINX Proxy Manager to recognize and forward requests for the custom domain:

  • Access NGINX Proxy Manager: Open the NGINX Proxy Manager interface.

  • Add New Host: Click on ‘Add New Host’ and enter the custom domain you set in Pi Hole (e.g., magic.mirror).

  • Set Forward Hostname: Under ‘Forward Hostname / IP’, enter the IP address of the server hosting the service (e.g., your Magic Mirror server).

  • Enable Options (Optional): You may enable ‘Cache Assets’ for improved performance and ‘Block Common Exploits’ for added security.

Step 3: SSL Encryption with Let’s Encrypt

I also wanted SSL on my internal traffic, and it’s surprisingly easy to set up:

  • Select SSL: In the NGINX Proxy Manager, while setting up the host, choose to add an SSL certificate.

  • Use Let’s Encrypt: Opt for a free certificate from Let’s Encrypt.

  • Avoid Server Reachability Test: Do not click ‘Test Server Reachability’ since the service isn’t accessible externally. This doesn’t impede the SSL setup for internal use.

Why This Setup Works

I use this setup on my homelab and it’s made a huge difference. Instead of remembering IP addresses for every service, I just type something like magic.mirror in my browser and it works. The whole thing takes maybe 15 minutes to set up and makes your internal network feel way more polished.

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