Never heard of a consumer router you can't switch off as a dhcp server for the local network. Also never seen one where you can't configure the ip of the nameserver being handed out for clients to use. Which ISPs actually do this?
That said friends don't let friends do anything else than install pi-hole as the dhcp server using unbound for dns. It's never too late but do it today. I'm 100% sure this is possible in Australia.
Telstra, the only company to service my address for over 2 years post fraudband rollout, does! They sent me a stupid box I couldn't even change any of the passwords or SSIDs on as well. I was never going to use it, but my in-laws wanted to for some reason. I threw it out. The only people I know who don't use their ISP provided hardware are all techies in some way. Most of the people I know are techies, though haha
I love my pi hole and have been encouraging friends lol
Not a consumer router, but the cable modem / gateway provided to me by Shaw Cable (now Rogers) in Canada does not allow me to shut off DHCP or customize the DNS servers it provides DHCP clients.
I can and do put it in bridge mode and use my own router, but I was quite surprised and miffed to see this. First time I've ever come across that.
The router is a Comcast / Xfinity XB6 and I've been told that this is a "feature" of all of Comcast's routers / gateways.
so you connect $something to the cable modem. Make a dhcp request and get back your public ip (and some dns servers). But it isn't doing nat or handing out local addresses to your local network. Right?
_Or_
it's a combined modem-and-router-in-one which manages your local subnet for you and you can't configure how it does this at all beyond switching the router part off and using a separate router. That sounds nuts?
That said friends don't let friends do anything else than install pi-hole as the dhcp server using unbound for dns. It's never too late but do it today. I'm 100% sure this is possible in Australia.