blocking
Posts tagged “blocking”.
Why is an app on my PC talking to a Tor exit node?
Usually because something on your PC accepts connections arriving through Tor, a peer-to-peer app met a Tor user, or a program uses Tor itself. Malware does too, so check the app and direction.
How to block a country on Windows
Windows has no country switch, so you block the country's IP ranges with firewall rules. NetSecWall does it with one right-click; geolocation is approximate, and CDNs and VPNs blur borders.
Block ads and trackers on Android without root
Without root, the practical method is DNS filtering: Android's Private DNS setting pointed at a filtering provider, or an app that filters lookups through a local VPN. Neither catches every ad.
How to block adult websites on Windows 10 and 11
Use a family DNS filter on your router, a filter on the PC, or both. NetSecWall blocks its Adult / Porn category, around 900,000 domains, for every browser and app on the PC, behind a password.
How to block gambling sites on a PC
Block the Gambling website category on the PC and lock the setting behind a password someone else holds. No filter catches every gambling site, so pair the block with support beyond the computer.
Block games during homework time
Block the game programs themselves, not just gaming websites. NetSecWall can cut a game's internet for good or for an hour, block gaming sites, and hold new apps until you approve them.
How to block a program in Windows Firewall, two ways
Create an outbound rule for the program's .exe in Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security, set to Block the connection. Or right-click the program in NetSecWall and choose Block.
Cutting telemetry without breaking Windows Update
Use Windows' own diagnostic data settings for Windows, and block telemetry one app at a time for everything else. Blocking svchost.exe or Microsoft domains wholesale is what breaks Update.
Can kids get around parental controls? An honest answer
Yes. A determined child can get around almost any parental control, especially with admin rights, another device or a VPN. You can make it much harder, and talking to them does more than any setting.
Keep the app, cut its internet: blocking without uninstalling
Block the program's outbound connections instead of removing it. The app still opens and works offline; it just can't reach the internet until you lift the block.
Find what's eating your bandwidth in the background
Sort Task Manager's Network column or Resource Monitor's Network Activity to catch what is using your bandwidth right now. To catch what used it an hour ago, you need per-app history.
How accurate is IP geolocation?
IP geolocation is usually right about the country and often wrong about the city. It's an educated guess from registry records and network measurements, and CDNs, anycast and VPNs throw it off.
Windows Firewall allows outbound traffic by default: why that matters
Out of the box, Windows Defender Firewall blocks unsolicited inbound connections but lets every program connect out. That keeps things working, and it means nothing stops an unwanted app phoning home.
Parental controls on a Windows PC without a Microsoft account
Windows' own family features need Microsoft accounts. Without them, give your child a standard local account and use an on-PC tool that filters sites and sets a bedtime and daily limit.
On a hotspot or metered connection? Stop background apps burning data
Mark the network as metered, pause updates and sync, then watch what still uses data. NetSecWall's session data cap warns you at 80% and 100%, and a timed block silences one app for an hour.
How to stop apps from phoning home on Windows
See what each app contacts, decide which calls you'd miss, then block the rest: the whole app, just its updater or crash reporter, or ad and tracking domains across every app.
What is the Windows Filtering Platform?
The Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) is the engine inside Windows that decides whether network traffic may pass. Windows Defender Firewall is built on it, and so are many VPNs and security tools.