HOSTS file for blocking ads / spam

[Clocker]

This probably isn't a new idea at all but it is new to me. Anybody using a custom hosts file to block ads from getting to their Windows PCs? I know, I know, Mozilla/Firefox have some built in blocking. Does anyone know if using a hosts file like this is is really effective? I have yet to make a decision as I didn't get many popups anyway thanks to the Google toolbar...

Here is the contents of the host file (500KB ASCI File)

Thanks,
C

 

[Clocker]

Aw crap...this probably won't do anything for me since I'm using a router? Maybe I have to somehow get this into my router....probably won't work, I'd guess. :-(

C

 

[blakerwry]

that file will work fine router or not, just put in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

 

[blakerwry]

actually.. it needs to just be called hosts (no extension)

 

[Will Rickards WT]

I think Merc and a few others use one.
The router doesn't matter as this trick works by blocking Domain Name Lookups. The router doesn't provide DNS services it just passes those requests on to the ISP DNS Servers.
To resolve a domain your computer first looks in the hosts file to see if you have an IP address listed for the domain name. If it finds one, it uses that. If it doesn't find one it will query the DNS server. This process continues until some DNS server has an IP address for the domain name or the chain of domain name servers ends.

 

[Clocker]

Thanks guys...I've had it running for a few days now...we'll see how it goes.

 

[Tea]

We use a different method. As you'd expect from a Tannin-invented technique, it's brute-force but effective.

I forget exactly how we managed this, but we use Moz for everything except Storage Forum (where I use IE 6.0 because SF is a safe place), and a few other similar places we hang out, where we use Opera. It's Mozilla for all on-trusted sites: all bar maybe 5 or 6. Anyway, we somehow managed to install Flash in such a way that the only browser we have that is Flash-capable is Opera. If I hit a site and actually want to see the Flash crap, I cut & paste the URL into a Opera window.

If you ignore popups (which Mozilla blocks anyway) nearly all the worst ads are Flash-based. Simple but practical.

 

[Tannin]

Err .... Tea? What's an "on-trusted site"?

 

[Tea]

Er.... Very good evidence that I never proofread properly, Tannin. I have no idea what I actually meant to type there. "Non-trusted"? "Un-trusted"? Something like that.