← Back to the dashboardPi Nope · Router guide
See how much data
each device uses.
Pi-hole counts DNS requests. A DNS request asks for the address of a domain name. Your router or another traffic tool measures data sent and received. These are different measurements.
Install Pi-hole first. Follow the
official install guide on a supported Linux computer. Then run Pi Nope and add your Pi-hole. To set your router or devices to use Pi-hole for DNS, follow the
official DNS setup guide. Pi Nope does not change these settings.
Pi Nope can read a traffic data file after you set it up. Finding a router does not give Pi Nope access to its device totals.
What can I connect?
| Router or source | Where to see device usage | Support in this release |
|---|
| Google Nest Wifi Pro / Google Wifi | Google Home → Home → Wi-Fi → Devices | May identify the router. Cannot read device data totals automatically. |
| OpenWrt + nlbwmon | nlbwmon accounting on the router | Import tool included. Set up an export to refresh the data. |
| UniFi Gateway | UniFi Network client statistics; flows on supported gateways | Can read a file made by another tool. No built-in connection yet. |
| OPNsense / pfSense | Insight or a separately configured flow collector | Can read a file made by another tool. Set up traffic measurement separately. |
| Other routers / managed switches | Vendor usage screen or supported export | Check the units, period, and upload/download direction first. |
Google Nest Wifi Pro
- Open Google Home.
- Tap Home → Wi-Fi → Devices.
- Read each device's upload and download usage. Select the available time window for history.
Google documents device usage in the app, including devices seen in the last 30 days. Google's instructions.
Pi Nope cannot read Google device totals automatically. It may identify your Google router, but that check does not supply data-use totals. You do not need to enter your Google password in Pi Nope.
A separate traffic tool must be able to see the traffic it measures. A Pi on an ordinary network port usually cannot see every device's internet traffic.
OpenWrt with nlbwmon
Pi Nope includes an import tool for nlbwmon. First check that nlbwmon is installed and running on your OpenWrt router. Check that it counts your local network. Pi Nope does not install it or change your router.
- Use your existing SSH connection to export the router data.
- Run the import tool. Enter the actual start and end times for the data.
- Save the result to Pi Nope's traffic file. Pi Nope reads it on the next refresh.
ssh your-router-alias 'nlbw -c json -g mac,ip' > nlbw.json
pi-nope import-nlbwmon --input nlbw.json \
--period-start YOUR_PERIOD_START \
--period-end YOUR_OBSERVATION_TIME \
--observed-at YOUR_OBSERVATION_TIME \
--output /path/to/your/pi-nope/traffic.json
Use your app settings folder for the output file. The native importer needs no Python. Use RFC 3339 timestamps, such as 2026-10-01T00:00:00Z. Do not copy that date as your actual accounting period. nlbwmon usually keeps a monthly total; it is not a rolling 24-hour figure.
The import tool combines rows for the same device. It keeps upload and download totals separate. It cannot count transfers between local devices or traffic that the tool cannot see. nlbwmon source and setup.
To refresh the data automatically, schedule an export at least every five minutes. Check the export first. Keep passwords outside this project. Pi Nope reads the new file without a restart.
UniFi Gateway
Use client and traffic views in UniFi Network first. Find the official API instructions under Network → Integrations and depends on your installed version. A separate tool can convert the data to Pi Nope's traffic file format.
On supported gateways, Traffic Flows can export CSV or sampled IPFIX. Support depends on gateway model, software version and storage. Sampled totals are estimates. Do not use them to check an exact data bill. No UniFi login or API key is requested by this release. Official API guide · Flow support and limits.
OPNsense and pfSense
OPNsense has Reporting → Insight. It needs a configured NetFlow exporter. Its export includes totals for each source address. Convert these to Pi Nope's traffic file format. Check upload and download direction. Do not count the same traffic twice. OPNsense Insight guide.
For pfSense, choose a supported monitoring package or external flow collector for your version. This project does not include a native pfSense connector. Check the router's own dashboard first.
Other routers and sources
A router, traffic tool, or managed switch can supply data totals. A network port can serve several devices. One device can also use several addresses. Check how the source counts each device.
The data file must include the source, time period, measurement time, device names, and upload and download totals. A missing file shows “Not connected.” An invalid file shows an error. Data more than five minutes old shows “Old data.”
How router detection works
These steps apply to the downloaded app. The public demo does not scan your network.
Open Device traffic → Find my router and connect a data source. The app checks the router used by the computer that runs Pi Nope. It tries the Google status page first, then the router's main page. A page can suggest a router type. It cannot prove the exact model.
This check does not scan the whole network or change router settings. If a VPN or container hides your router, type its local IPv4 address. Pi Nope fills the address and suggests a router type when it finds enough information.