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Thread ID: 54763	2005-02-21 10:04:00	Noticeable Browsing Speed Increase By Blocking Just Two Adservers	vinref (6194)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
327188	2005-02-21 10:04:00	I finally could be bothered to update my "hosts" file to block out adservers. I added just these two: ad.doubleclick.net, and secure-nz.imrworldwide.com, and the speed increase on a dial-up line in browsing pcworld.co.nz, nzherald.co.nz and trademe.co.nz is noticeable. My modest hosts file, indicative of my browsing habits, is as follows: # $FreeBSD: src/etc/hosts,v 1.11.2.4 2003/02/06 20:36:58 dbaker Exp $ # # Host Database # # This file should contain the addresses and aliases for local hosts that # share this file. Replace 'my.domain' below with the domainname of your # machine. # # In the presence of the domain name service or NIS, this file may # not be consulted at all; see /etc/host.conf for the resolution order. # # ::1 localhost localhost.my.domain 127.0.0.1 localhost localhost.my.domain 127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 secure-nz.imrworldwide.com #Trademe and others 127.0.0.1 ads.osdn.com #Slashdot 127.0.0.1 ads.apn.co.nz #NZHerald 127.0.0.1 media.apn.co.nz #NZHerald 127.0.0.1 a.as-eu.falkag.net #TheRegister 127.0.0.1 sel.as-eu.falkag.net #TheRegister # # Imaginary network. #10.0.0.2 myname.my.domain myname #10.0.0.3 myfriend.my.domain myfriend # # According to RFC 1918, you can use the following IP networks for # private nets which will never be connected to the Internet: # # 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 # 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 # 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 # # In case you want to be able to connect to the Internet, you need # real official assigned numbers. Do not try to invent your own network # numbers but instead get one from your network provider (if any) or # from your regional registry (ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC, RIPE NCC, or AfriNIC.) # A fairly exhaustive list of adservers is here (everythingisnt.com). You probably wont need the whole lot. I built mine by examining the page source of the sites I do visit and searched for "http", "//ad", "script", "java", "applet" (nice and easy in Firefox), and then noting the site these are sourced from. I will be adding more as I get the time.	vinref (6194)
327189	2005-02-22 02:40:00	I use firefox with "Adblock" which allows wild cards. e.g. *.doubleclick.net or for the nzherald *.whi.co.nz	KiwiTT_NZ (233)
327190	2005-02-22 03:00:00	I tried what was suggested and agree it helps in both *nix and Windows Also you can download a host file from everythingisnt.com (Windows Only)	Dannz (1668)
327191	2005-02-22 03:52:00	I use firefox with "Adblock" which allows wild cards. e.g. *.doubleclick.net or for the nzherald *.whi.co.nz Yes that's true, but I also run Opera, Links, and Lynx and they all reference the same single hosts file.	vinref (6194)
327192	2005-02-22 03:59:00	I tried what was suggested and agree it helps in both *nix and Windows Make sure you add secure-nz.imrworldwide.com to stop your browser from trying to download the RedSherriff/Neilsens Ratings applet. There are other adservers specific to New Zealand and Australian sites that are not on that list.	vinref (6194)
327193	2005-02-24 10:12:00	Night All Well I followed the above ideas/suggestions putting the hostfile in, and I also installed adblock and I did notice quite a speed difference (especially trademe), but for nzherald yes it went faster, but the Cartoons (www.nzherald.co.nz) were also blocked, now to get Them to work, I had to remove the two adservers below from the hosts list, 127.0.0.1 ads.apn.co.nz #NZHerald 127.0.0.1 media.apn.co.nz #NZHerald is anyone else having this happen? It just seems odd to me that adservers should affect the cartoons and I'm curious to know if it is just me having done something daft, or if in fact this is the case Well I'm off to bed, Completely confused myself figuring this out Thanks Nigel	Morgenmuffel (187)
327194	2005-02-24 12:49:00	Well, it looks as if the cartoons are served off media.apn.co.nz, so it's obviously not just used for ads, or is it used for ads at all? I couldn't find any there from that server.	Jeremy (1197)
327195	2005-02-24 13:23:00	Well, it looks as if the cartoons are served off media.apn.co.nz, so it's obviously not just used for ads, or is it used for ads at all? I couldn't find any there from that server. Sorry, you are correct and I should have been more explicit when listing that server. It is not an adserver, but an image/graphics server. So delete that one if you want to see cartoons and graphics. By the way, I have been updating my list and here is the complete hosts list at the moment: ::1 localhost localhost.my.domain 127.0.0.1 localhost localhost.my.domain 127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 ads.doubleclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 m1.doubleclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 m2.doubleclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 m3.doubleclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 m4.doubleclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 medai.fastclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 secure-nz.imrworldwide.com #TradeMe 127.0.0.1 search.msn.com #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 ads.osdn.com #Slashdot 127.0.0.1 ads.apn.co.nz #NZHerald 127.0.0.1 media.apn.co.nz #NZHerald 127.0.0.1 a.as-eu.falkag.net #TheRegister 127.0.0.1 sel.as-eu.falkag.net #TheRegister 127.0.0.1 clk.atdmt.com 127.0.0.1 spe.atdmt.com 127.0.0.1 view.atdmt.com 127.0.0.1 msnbcmedia.msn.com #Hotmail ads - excellent speed increase with Hotmail 127.0.0.1 adsrv.news.com.au #Aussie newspapers 127.0.0.1 adserver.news.com.au #Aussie newspapers 127.0.0.1 server-au.imrworldwide.com #Aussie sites 127.0.0.1 au.adserver.yahoo.com #Yahoo ads - Australia 127.0.0.1 us.adserver.yahoo.com #Yahoo ads - Australia 127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com #Google ads - lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 pagead0.googlesyndication.com #Google ads - lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 pagead1.googlesyndication.com #Google ads - lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 pagead3.googlesyndication.com #Google ads - lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 pagead.googlesyndication.com #Google ads - lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 hc2.humanclick.com #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 doubleclick.net #Lotsa sites 127.0.0.1 audiencematch.com #Lotsa sites	vinref (6194)
327196	2005-02-24 19:21:00	Ok that makes sense, I'm not going mad regarding the hosts file the weird thing now is 127.0.0.1 ads.apn.co.nz #NZHerald #127.0.0.1 media.apn.co.nz #NZHerald I see both of them loading/connecting in the taskbar, the media one is commented out so it should load, but the ads one is not commented out so it shouldn't load? adblock shows the url as the below (i split it so the page doesn't stretch out to far) ads.apn.co.nz /AAMSZ=120x240/acc_random=15043817/pageid=17533193 This is not a biggie, it's just the hosts file will be useful for all browsers that i use (I do webdesign) Thanks	Morgenmuffel (187)
327197	2005-02-24 23:24:00	Ok that makes sense, I'm not going mad regarding the hosts file the weird thing now is 127.0.0.1 ads.apn.co.nz #NZHerald #127.0.0.1 media.apn.co.nz #NZHerald I see both of them loading/connecting in the taskbar, the media one is commented out so it should load, but the ads one is not commented out so it shouldn't load? adblock shows the url as the below (i split it so the page doesn't stretch out to far) ads.apn.co.nz /AAMSZ=120x240/acc_random=15043817/pageid=17533193 This is not a biggie, it's just the hosts file will be useful for all browsers that i use (I do webdesign) Thanks The status bar will show an attempt to load the content from the blocked server, but will fail in the time for the browser to discover the entry in the hosts file. The media.apn.co.nz content should now load correctly, but the ads.apn.co.nz content should not. Are you certain the ads.apn.co.nz content is loading? Do you see the great big huge ad just above or below the NZH banner on the home page? If you are using Opera for code-checking purposes, note that unlike Firefox, Opera 7.54 will wait and wait and wait for the time-out. There is a way to get around this (by installing an internal http server), but I don't use Opera much so I can't be bothered.	vinref (6194)
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