Adguard AdBlocker Browser Extension

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by haakon, May 14, 2016.

  1. haakon

    haakon Guest

    I have a deep, intense hatred burning like a 1000 suns for 99% of Internet advertising delivery, content, voyeurism and abuse (scams & malicious code).

    Beginning with Windows 2000, I started working the hosts file and I was a long-time contributor to two publicly maintained block lists.

    That was tedious work which was relieved when Adblock Plus released ten years ago. Shortly thereafter its Element Hiding Helper allowed for customizing blocks to the extent that all of my frequently visited sites are 100% quiet; I have 57 hiding rules (4.32MB elemhide.css file).

    If anyone had ever told me, "You'll be replacing ABP sometime," I would have laughed that off. Especially since I've lost count of all the alternatives that have come and gone. I never paid much attention to the politics, either.

    I'm running licensed installs of Adguard on my Android devices and got several family members and friends to use it on their run-any-app-tap-on-anything phones. Its ease of use, transparency and price point rival the outstanding performance in its core mission.

    Looking into Adguard's Windows offering, for my desktop system environment I have no need for the stand-alone product.

    I created a new browser profile with all my usual extensions (eighteen) and Adguard AdBlocker Browser Extension.

    From the moment I stated opening sites, Adguard's speed and potency presented itself immediately as a quantum leap ahead of ABP. (Seat of the Pants Benchmark: Holy Cow!) As well, I have only needed to create six rules to match the customized blocking handled by my ABP EHH rules.

    Browsing Security is an optional feature providing Yandex Safe Browsing (Clarified: see posts #3 & 5) via occasional HTTPS hashed lookups to flops dot ru by Adguard's API.

    The chrome:// URL user interface is highly configurable with extensive options available to the expert user. Export/import is supported.

    If one wants to wander outside of or add to the Adguard filtering (I did not), subscriptions to Easy and Fanboy stuff, Malware Domains and dozens more are one-click away in the UI.

    After 10 years, for me ABP has been replaced. If Performix ever wants to charge for this, my PayPal account is at the ready.

    https://adguard.com/en/adguard-adblock-browser-extension/overview.html

    Nasty technical details: Cyberfox 46.0.2 Intel 64 Portable, Windows 7, i7-Z77-16MB desktop, 50 Mbps cable broadband, Gigabit LAN.

    • BTW: Whatever you're using is 1) better, or 2) Adguard slowed down your system. This is already known; no need to clutter up the thread. ;)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 15, 2016
  2. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2009
    Posts:
    8,738
    I have the full Adguard on my Windows 10 installation as well as Android, because it was basically the only way to block ads for Metro apps other than HOSTS file...

    Granted those aren't as big of an issue, but I have similar deep hatred of ads. Funnily enough, HOSTS is also the other system-wide adblocking for Android as well (unfortunately needs root or some hack-ish workaround involving unlocked bootloader).

    I've yet to test DNS adblocking on Windows 10 (I'm thinking Alternate DNS should work), but that wouldn't work on my Android phone data network. There's also possibility of proxies, but both of them requires more trust usually (unless you setup your own servers).
     
  3. avatar

    avatar Developer

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2014
    Posts:
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    Thanks;)

    AG uses it's own database, we don't use Yandex or Google safebrowsing directly.

    Also lookup protocol is pretty good from the "privacy" point of view. We send short prefixes of the domain hashes, so we can't even know what domain name is being checked.
     
  4. @avatar

    On your website you explain there is adifference in privacy between extension and paid feature. You said that even for the extension the lookup protocol is pretty good from a privacy perspective. Maybe you should mention that explicitely on the info for the extension also.

    What is the update delay for Yandex and Google safe broesing to Adgurad's data base (when I use Google's own it updates every half hour)

    Thx
     
  5. haakon

    haakon Guest

    I was being too broad in my mention of Yandex Safe Browsing in the interest of using a recognized product name. In that you partner with Yandex it seemed logical to assume your employment of their resources, though not limited to them.

    I keep Google's Safe Browsing enabled in Cyberfox (the two Block reported settings in Options > Security) even though I use Bitdefender's Web Protection. In my tests both detect concurrently most of the time, but sometimes it's Google or BD only.

    Then again, Norton's ConnectSafe Policy 1 DNS will may intervene first.

    Prior to their recent demise, I was also using the Cyscon Security Shield extension.

    There is no performance hit on my system using your Phishing and malware protection and it is a welcome addition to my security schema.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 15, 2016
  6. haakon

    haakon Guest

    If I understand you correctly, they do:
    https://adguard.com/en/how-malware-blocked.html?utm_source=extension&aid=16593#other
     
  7. haakon

    haakon Guest

    @ avatar
    How often does the extension self-Check for filter updates?

    And... do you live in Tatarstan? :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 15, 2016

  8. Thanks, I should have looked better. Because the picture was the same, I thought they still send full URL in plain text, but they are using hashes, so pretty good from privacy perspective.
     
  9. avatar

    avatar Developer

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    Nope, why?:)

    Once in 48 hours, but I am talking about ad filters only.
     
  10. avatar

    avatar Developer

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    Not just hashes, but short prefixes of hashes, completely impossible to reverse it.
    But yeah, in old versions we were sending plain urls.
     
  11. haakon

    haakon Guest

    History is my obsession. Well, computers too but they were also a career.

    whois.nic.ru for adguard.com lists the registrant city as Naberezhnye Chelny in Tatarstan.

    It's a beautiful city and one of many located on a broad intersection of rivers that snake the continent, a "crossroads" for elaborately connecting European seas and Asia, rich in migratory antiquity and Middle-ages trade.

    I was just curious if you hailed from there. Cheers.
     
  12. Maybe a suggestion to add this privacy benefit to the explanation. Makes your extensions look better.
     
  13. avatar

    avatar Developer

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    Did we miss it somewhere? There is a "Learn more" link in extension settings that leads to the detailed explanation: https://adguard.com/en/how-malware-blocked.html#other
     
  14. avatar

    avatar Developer

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    Ah, got it:) No, we all live in Moscow. However, CEO is originally from Naberezhnye Chelny.
     
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