Hosts file effectiveness

[Guest RobertVA]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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).