Guest RobertVA Posted July 8, 2008 Posted July 8, 2008 Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web sites? I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to override the Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY browsers requested a page from acme.com (made up domain name), directing the browser to the local hard drive. Since the requested page probably isn't on my hard drive this should permit me to block things like advertising pop-ups from that site. So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not enthusiastic about turning it off. However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan for tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my browser security settings too. Today I was even subject to a pop-up window with one of the supposedly blocked domains displaying in the browser address bar! IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP address to bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be displaying the IP address or the URL? TIA
Guest RJK Posted July 8, 2008 Posted July 8, 2008 Re: Hosts file effectiveness Have you... IE | drop down Tools | Internet options | Privacy | Advanced | "Block" third party Cookies ?? regards, Richard "RobertVA" <robert_c72athotmail@invalid.com> wrote in message news:eK0rOTU4IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web sites? > > I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to override the > Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY browsers requested a > page from acme.com (made up domain name), directing the browser to the > local hard drive. Since the requested page probably isn't on my hard drive > this should permit me to block things like advertising pop-ups from that > site. > > So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not enthusiastic > about turning it off. > > However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan for > tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my browser > security settings too. Today I was even subject to a pop-up window with > one of the supposedly blocked domains displaying in the browser address > bar! > > IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP address to > bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be displaying the IP address > or the URL? > > TIA
Guest RJK Posted July 8, 2008 Posted July 8, 2008 Re: Hosts file effectiveness ooops, I now see you already have done that. regards, Richard "RobertVA" <robert_c72athotmail@invalid.com> wrote in message news:eK0rOTU4IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web sites? > > I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to override the > Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY browsers requested a > page from acme.com (made up domain name), directing the browser to the > local hard drive. Since the requested page probably isn't on my hard drive > this should permit me to block things like advertising pop-ups from that > site. > > So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not enthusiastic > about turning it off. > > However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan for > tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my browser > security settings too. Today I was even subject to a pop-up window with > one of the supposedly blocked domains displaying in the browser address > bar! > > IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP address to > bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be displaying the IP address > or the URL? > > TIA
Guest RJK Posted July 8, 2008 Posted July 8, 2008 Re: Hosts file effectiveness Try this :-) http://www.schooner.com/~loverso/no-ads/#whatis regards, Richard "RJK" <nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:O9cqytU4IHA.4332@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > ooops, I now see you already have done that. > > regards, Richard > > > "RobertVA" <robert_c72athotmail@invalid.com> wrote in message > news:eK0rOTU4IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... >> Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web sites? >> >> I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to override the >> Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY browsers requested >> a page from acme.com (made up domain name), directing the browser to the >> local hard drive. Since the requested page probably isn't on my hard >> drive this should permit me to block things like advertising pop-ups from >> that site. >> >> So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not enthusiastic >> about turning it off. >> >> However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan for >> tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my browser >> security settings too. Today I was even subject to a pop-up window with >> one of the supposedly blocked domains displaying in the browser address >> bar! >> >> IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP address to >> bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be displaying the IP >> address or the URL? >> >> TIA > >
Guest John Wunderlich Posted July 8, 2008 Posted July 8, 2008 Re: Hosts file effectiveness RobertVA <robert_c72athotmail@invalid.com> wrote in news:eK0rOTU4IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl: > Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web > sites? > > I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to > override the Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY > browsers requested a page from acme.com (made up domain name), > directing the browser to the local hard drive. Since the requested > page probably isn't on my hard drive this should permit me to > block things like advertising pop-ups from that site. > > So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not > enthusiastic about turning it off. > > However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan > for tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my > browser security settings too. Today I was even subject to a > pop-up window with one of the supposedly blocked domains > displaying in the browser address bar! > > IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP > address to bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be > displaying the IP address or the URL? > > TIA Keep in mind that the Hosts file is strictly a one-to-one mapping and it will override DNS lookups. The line in your example will block access to "acme.com" but won't block access to "www.acme.com" or "anything.acme.com" or "ads.acme.com". -- John
Guest Kayman Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Re: Hosts file effectiveness On Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:51:41 -0400, RobertVA wrote: > Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web sites? > > I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to override the > Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY browsers requested > a page from acme.com (made up domain name), directing the browser to the > local hard drive. Since the requested page probably isn't on my hard > drive this should permit me to block things like advertising pop-ups > from that site. > > So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not enthusiastic > about turning it off. > > However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan for > tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my browser > security settings too. Today I was even subject to a pop-up window with > one of the supposedly blocked domains displaying in the browser address bar! > > IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP address to > bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be displaying the IP > address or the URL? > HOSTS files are IMO overated. If you're on IE7 use IEPro.
Guest Twayne Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Re: Hosts file effectiveness > Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web sites? > > I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to override > the Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY browsers > requested a page from acme.com (made up domain name), directing the > browser to > the local hard drive. Since the requested page probably isn't on my > hard drive this should permit me to block things like advertising > pop-ups > from that site. > > So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not enthusiastic > about turning it off. > > However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan for > tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my browser > security settings too. Today I was even subject to a pop-up window > with one of the supposedly blocked domains displaying in the browser > address bar! > IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP address > to bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be displaying the IP > address or the URL? > > TIA I suspect the following links will be useful to you. MVPS.org has a very useful HOSTS file I've used for quite awhile now and like. There are many others, too. Be sure to read about how to keep a large HOSTS file from slowing down your computer; MVP org provides a batch file to help that along. Lots of info in these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm http://accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html http://everythingisnt.com/hosts.html Except for MVPx... I don't recommend anyone or anything, but there are some good ones out there. These links are provided in the interest of information, not recommendation of the sites themselves. Twayne
Guest RobertVA Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Re: Hosts file effectiveness John Wunderlich wrote: > RobertVA <robert_c72athotmail@invalid.com> wrote in > news:eK0rOTU4IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl: > >> Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web >> sites? >> >> I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to >> override the Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY >> browsers requested a page from acme.com (made up domain name), >> directing the browser to the local hard drive. Since the requested >> page probably isn't on my hard drive this should permit me to >> block things like advertising pop-ups from that site. >> >> So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not >> enthusiastic about turning it off. >> >> However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan >> for tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my >> browser security settings too. Today I was even subject to a >> pop-up window with one of the supposedly blocked domains >> displaying in the browser address bar! >> >> IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP >> address to bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be >> displaying the IP address or the URL? >> >> TIA > > Keep in mind that the Hosts file is strictly a one-to-one mapping and > it will override DNS lookups. The line in your example will block > access to "acme.com" but won't block access to "www.acme.com" or > "anything.acme.com" or "ads.acme.com". > > -- John That would explain much of what's slipping through. Does whatever processes the Hosts file recognize any wild card characters like "*"? It would be handy if something like "127.0.0.1 *acme.com" would block anything from the "acme.com" domain including sub-domains ("www..." or not).
Guest RJK Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Re: Hosts file effectiveness Wildcards don't work in hosts - experimented with that a long time ago, ....as previously posted - and in case it's of use - lots of useful concepts mentioned here :- http://www.schooner.com/~loverso/no-ads/#whatis "RobertVA" <robert_c72athotmail@invalid.com> wrote in message news:%235MBRCX4IHA.4272@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > John Wunderlich wrote: >> RobertVA <robert_c72athotmail@invalid.com> wrote in >> news:eK0rOTU4IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl: >>> Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web >>> sites? >>> I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to >>> override the Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY >>> browsers requested a page from acme.com (made up domain name), >>> directing the browser to the local hard drive. Since the requested >>> page probably isn't on my hard drive this should permit me to >>> block things like advertising pop-ups from that site. >>> >>> So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not >>> enthusiastic about turning it off. >>> >>> However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan >>> for tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my >>> browser security settings too. Today I was even subject to a >>> pop-up window with one of the supposedly blocked domains >>> displaying in the browser address bar! >>> IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP >>> address to bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be >>> displaying the IP address or the URL? >>> >>> TIA >> >> Keep in mind that the Hosts file is strictly a one-to-one mapping and it >> will override DNS lookups. The line in your example will block access to >> "acme.com" but won't block access to "www.acme.com" or >> "anything.acme.com" or "ads.acme.com". >> >> -- John > > That would explain much of what's slipping through. Does whatever > processes the Hosts file recognize any wild card characters like "*"? It > would be handy if something like "127.0.0.1 *acme.com" would block > anything from the "acme.com" domain including sub-domains ("www..." or > not).
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