How to add / convert a hard-coded IP address to a HOSTS file? I've searched but haven't found a way - is it possible? or can any of the HOSTS manager apps do it? or is there any other hack besides adding them to a firewall for blocking?
Here is one similar, rather old discussion: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/can-i-block-a-specific-ip-using-the-host-files.293536/ In short, HOSTS file can't help you here if you don't have a domain on that IP that would resolve to that specific IP address. You can use firewall for this task.
Thanks for pointing to that discussion, Minimalist. So I'll just 'resolve' to use the firewall. I did use an IP lookup to get the IP address name + owner, but in that case it was simply the "Freemake Video Editor" app (freeware) using AWS for hosting, using several addresses -- and I don't know the ins/outs of AWS well enough yet, to be able to drill deeper to get a usable Name to specify in a HOSTS file -- and I need to specify a subdomain, as you stated. In this particular case, my PrivateFirewall gave me the IP Addresses it was blocking, but Freemake phones home every single startup (just an annoyance, is all) to numerous AWS-related IP Addresses if its own domain is unreachable. I guess my real Intention & Question here is somewhat different, but I'll ask it anyway, and will repost to another Forum section if Mods say so -- Is it possible to make an outbound IP request only occur 1 time? vs an app trying numerous/multiple times? or being ALLOWED to attempt numerous times? In the case of Freemake, it causes a 3 - 5 second delay in startup as it tries to phone home on startup -- like 15 - 20 repeated attempts -- heck, if I were willing to admit 'defeat' it would open quicker if I'd just let it do its thing! Same thing happens with the freeware Eraser -- these are FREEWARES ! for goodness sake ! why a (basically discontinued/no longer being developed) old app has to phone home every startup??
I don't know Freemake Video Editor app so don't know precise answer. I would check program settings if there are any settings regarding updates and similar and try to disable it. I don't think that you can specify how many times an app will try to make outbound request, it's probably hardcoded in program. I also don't know of any FW that would allow only one connection for specific app at it's startup and block all consequent connection attempts. If I were you you I would either allow it or block it and wait few seconds for app to start.
The way I work this class of problem on Windows (as I understand your requirement) is using Sandboxie - either an app is internet-facing but gets extremely limited access to the local drives (using Sandboxie resource access restrictions), or it is local, in which case it has internet blocked (and access to only those file areas that are appropriate). Is that relevant to what you're trying to achieve?
@Minimalist - thanks again for your feedbacks I had the hunch, as you mention, that the # of outbound requests an app makes is most likely hard-coded though -- I forgot to mention that I did HOSTS file list the addresses which I could get a name for - and that seemed to shave the start time in half -- seems like much ado about nothing, yet there's learning happening, little by little @deBoetie - I do have a paid, lifetime Sandboxie for at least 5 yrs or so now but for the 2 apps mentioned, I simply block in PrivateFirewall, so it's not a true Security issue, just trying to understand the tech/protocols better I also have Eraser set up w/ the heavy erase algorithm to auto-delete when SBIE exits. I might do a little experiment w/ hpHosts Online to see if I can get a hostname resolve even w/ the hardcoded addresses
