PeerBlock is a free IP filtering or blocking tool. Upon installation, this utility application will let you block Internet Protocol address (IP address) of known bad computers. PeerBlock uses block lists for preventing communication between your computer and remote computers, specially one with bad reputation. The default lists on this IP filter can block connections to/from malicious URLs, advertising tracking services, corporate/government monitoring agencies, and even Educational institutes. PeerBlock also supports custom block lists. In simple words, the free software offers an easy way to keep certain IP addresses away from connecting to and from your computer.
Using PeerBlock:
The user interface of PeerBlock is simple, clean and easy to understand. Main page displays details like total IPs being blocked, filter lists update status, recent traffic with details and more. PeerBlock supports HTTP blocking, which can be easily enabled or disabled by using a button the main page. You can also disable entire application by using the Disable button. For changing or editing block lists, you need to use List Manager button.
The List Manager in PeerBlock displays all default lists. From there you can easily enable or disable lists of your preference. The default lists are: P2P (blocks IPs of anti-P2P organizations), Advertising (blocks ad and data tracking servers), Spyware (blocks malicious URLs) and Education (blocks IPs of educational institutes). You can also add your own lists either by uploading a file or by choosing URLs from iblocklist. The ability to add custom IP block list is one of the key features of this application. In other words, you can block any IP address, even a whole country by using this PeerBlock.
Settings & History:
The PeerBlock settings page has many options for customization. You can set size of log window in lines, size of history, automatic history removal period and customize color of allowed/blocked IP addresses. You can also control updates and modify startup options such as automatically start with Windows, always keep the application hidden and display/hide splash window.
History section of PeerBlock displays traffic log in three tabs: All, Blocked and Allowed. There you’ll be able to get details on traffic such as Time, Range, Source IP, Destination IP, Protocol, etc. The History section has a calendar for quick jumping to any specific date. There’s also a Search function, which supports history search with filters like organization, IP address of source & destination, protocol, date range etc.
Download information:
PeerBlock works on Windows computers (Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7). Get it from the download link below.
http://www.peerblock.com/releases
Conclusion:
Many users call PeerBlock a firewall, which is not true. PeerBlock is a IP blocker or IP filter tool. It does only one thing – blocks IP addresses. But a traditional firewall comes packed with more advanced options such as program control, process control, TCP/IP monitoring, anti-spyware etc. That doesn’t mean PeerBlock is an inferior product. In fact, it is a powerful IP blocker application. The default block lists alone blocks 1,034,791,328 IP addresses. That’s a huge number.
In my view, PeerBlock is good for blocking handpicked IP addresses. But relying on this application for complete protection against hackers or malware is a bad idea. If you want to block specific IP addresses or websites, create a custom block list with IP addresses of domain name you wanted to block. Then apply your list to PeerBlock by using the List Manager. In this way, you’ll be able to do IP address filtering on your computer. You can even block IP addresses of a whole country. Coming to security and privacy angle, using a Spyware or malware filter such as the default one will keep many bad guys away from your computer. There’s no doubt. But it is in no way a better replacement to your firewall. So, if you use PeerBlock, don’t forget to turn on your system Firewall or security software.