You bought a Raspberry Pi with a head full of plans about how you'd use it, but it's been languishing in your drawer ever since.If your unused Raspberry Pi is making you feel guilty, then there are some relatively simple projects that you can have up and running before you know it.Block ads across your network with Pi-hole An easy project with instant payoff This is a project that you can set up relatively quickly that gives you an almost immediate payoff.
The best part is that you're not the only person who can enjoy the benefits; everyone else in your household can reap the rewards, too.Pi-hole lets you use your Raspberry Pi to block ads and trackers across your entire home network.By using Pi-hole, every device in your home can experience a much better browsing experience, without the constant bombardment of endless ads.
It works by acting as a Domain Name System (DNS) server for your network.DNS is the system that translates the web addresses you type into a browser into the network addresses computers use to communicate.When a web page tries to fetch an ad, Pi-hole checks the DNS request against a list of known advertising and tracking domains, and blocks requests for any domains on the list.
Pi-hole can't block everything, but it can significantly reduce the number of ads you see.Even older Raspberry Pi models can run Pi-hole, and installation is as simple as running the Pi-hole installer on Raspberry Pi OS.You can then configure your router to use your Raspberry Pi as the DNS server.
Related 5 ways to use a Raspberry Pi with Home Assistant (aside from running your server) It's time to repurpose your old Home Assistant server.Posts 2 By Adam Davidson Turn your Raspberry Pi into a retro gaming console RetroPie makes the setup surprisingly simple If you have kids, or you just love retro games, then this Raspberry Pi project is sure to be a hit.You can turn your Raspberry Pi into a dedicated retro game console that can run games from systems such as NES, SNES, Game Boy, and more.
Older Pi models are best suited to older systems, while newer models can emulate more powerful systems.The easiest way to set it up on a supported Pi is to use Raspberry Pi Imager to write a RetroPie image to a microSD card.Once the Pi boots, you can then add a controller and your game files.
RetroPie doesn't have any games of its own, so you'll need to supply your own ROMs, but otherwise all you need is a USB controller and a TV or monitor to hook it up to.Keep an eye on your home servers with Uptime Kuma Your Raspberry Pi can tell you when something stops working Your Raspberry Pi may be lying unused because you have better hardware that you're using to run self-hosted services.You might have a mini PC or NAS that's running services such as Plex, Immich, and Audiobookshelf.
That doesn't mean your Pi can't still be useful.You can run Uptime Kuma on the Pi to monitor your other self-hosted services.Uptime Kuma's main job is to regularly check if services are up and notify you if they're not.
For example, I use Uptime Kuma to alert me if Home Assistant goes down.You could run Uptime Kuma on the same device as your other services, but if your mini PC or NAS goes down, then Uptime Kuma will go down with it.By running it on a Raspberry Pi, you can still get alerted if your other hardware fails.
Setting it up is a little more involved than some of the other projects on the list, but once it's installed, adding services to monitor is easy to do.Give an old stereo new life with moOde Audio Stream music to the audio equipment you already own Audio equipment can keep working for a long time.The problem is that older hardware may be lacking many of the conveniences of modern audio systems, such as wireless streaming.
Your Raspberry Pi can solve this problem.You can install software such as moOde Audio on your Raspberry Pi to turn your existing stereo into a network-connected music player.The software running on your Pi lets you play music from your local files, network shares, some streaming sources, or internet radio.
You can then connect the Pi to your stereo equipment using options such as the analog audio output, or use HDMI or a USB digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for better audio quality.You can install a dedicated operating system image for moOde, making it quick and easy to set up.You can then enjoy streaming audio on your older equipment.
Build a media center with LibreELEC Make your Pi a dedicated Kodi box Close LibreELEC is a lightweight operating system designed specifically to run the Kodi open-source media center app.Kodi provides an interface for browsing and playing movies and TV shows, music, and other media, with controls designed to be easy to use on a TV.LibreELEC removes everything that isn't needed for running Kodi, so instead of installing a general operating system that then runs Kodi, you can flash the LibreELEC image to a microSD card and boot directly into Kodi from your Raspberry Pi.
Compatibility and performance will depend on the model of Raspberry Pi you're using, so it's worth checking the supported models for the current LibreELEC release.You can then hook up your Raspberry Pi to your TV with an HDMI cable and navigate using a compatible remote or even a smartphone app.The hardest part is choosing which Raspberry Pi project to set up Setting up Raspberry Pi projects doesn't have to be hard.
Many projects can be as simple as flashing the appropriate image to a microSD card and booting up the Pi.The trickiest part can be deciding which of the many awesome Raspberry Pi projects you're going to choose.
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