Pros & Cons Admuncher - Hosts File - Proxomitron - PeerGuardian - OpenDNS

Looking for pros and cons of these methods of filtering.

Admuncher

Hosts Files: MVPS - hpHosts - Malware Domains

IP Blockers: PeerGuardian2 - Peerblock

Local Web Proxy: Proxomitron - Privoxy - BFilter - Popilio

DNS Lookup Filtering: OpenDNS, ScrubIT

AdBlock Plus and other Browser Specific Blockers

 

A widely, widely varied list. What are you wanting to accomplish? Block ads, malware, porn sites, or hide from P2P enforcers? In their own way, for the stuff they are made to block, they all work, at least to some extent. The key is what you are after...

 

There are differences in the methods and differences but overlap with the filters. I was kindof looking for an overview of these. And how the methods compliment or just overlap each other.

 

Adblock Plus and Admuncher works the same IMO...
Adblock Plus effects the renderring of pages thus making acidtest fail or cannot initiate, I don't know if Admuncher does too.



HOSTS file blocks IP system-wide on all ports. Big hosts file will slow down browsing. I prefer to have default HOSTS file or have only a few entries there.

IPBlockers: they're sweet XD

Local Proxy: sweet... but meh.. I don't know if its secure.

DNS Lookup Filtering: I prefer the default ISP dns... its fast!

 

For add blocking ...Ad Muncher is the way to ... it covers not just your web browsers but also apps like IM, etc. I also use Open DNS I found it much faster than my local ISP's DNS service (this would depend, sometimes local ISP DNS service is much faster than using OpenDNS)..... I also use OpenVPN everytime for privacy concerns (but never for banking and other same stuff) ... Peerblock, I use it for P2P connections only.

 

You forgot Privoxy on your list, which is my adblocker of choice. It works right out of the box and blocks very reliably. Ultralight on system ressources. OS Freeware.

 

Does Privoxy have Configuration Levels 1 through 6 or something similar, which ratchets up the privacy (and downgrades the usability) of the web....like Proxomitron.

 

It's configurable, but takes some knowledge... There's a help file just in case you want to.
anyway I failed after trying... lol


I usually set it up and forget it.
I don't want it for Chrome because changing Chrome's proxy will also change IE's
thus affecting other programs that uses IE's proxy settings too! (ie. YahooMessenger.)

 

I should have mentioned "like Proxomitron" in my previous post.

 

For years I loved Ad muncher, feeling it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, until I found it infuriating me more often than not by its overly aggressive blocking, preventing content that didn't need blocking. I spent too much time tweaking it to reduce filtering on numerous sites, so I have not used it for a few years now.

I like don't mind Firefox' Adblock Plus, as it's easier to disable it for pages I don't want blocking on.

Finally, the advantages are less annoying and useless flashy ads to interfere with page viewing, but the disadvantage is frequent blocking of desired content.