First locate your hosts file. it's in different places based on what operating system you are using. For example in XP itus usually in \windows\system32\drivers\etc

(etc is the directory, not for and so on and so on).

In NT is't in the same, but it's usually WINNT and not windows, in 95/98 it's just in Windows. When in doubt, do a search, and file the one under your Windows directory.

The hosts file is a listing of an IP address, the site name, and a description if you want it. When you type in an address, the hosts file will be looked at first, and the IP address there will be used first.

It's just a text file, the only requirement is that the address and and name have to be separated by a few spaces. It's a text file, edit it in notepad or whatever and save it as a text file.

You set things you don't want to see to the IP address of 127.0.0.1, then list the addresses you don't want to see. For example, I've added these four lines to my hosts file:

127.0.0.1 tribalfusion.com
127.0.0.1 a.tribalfusion.com
127.0.0.1 tribalfusion.speedera.net
127.0.0.1 speedera.net
127.0.0.1 spd.atdmt.com


and it's taken care of all the flashing ads all over this place, at least so far. You have to make sure you clear your cache or it won't work, it will get the ad from the cache.


To get the addresses, right click on the banner ads you still get, choose properties, and it will give you the address the image is coming from, you want to add the first domain name to it (after the http:www. and before the next /). Once your cache is cleared, the next time you look for an ad from that particular server, it will go to the hosts file, and bring up nothing.

There are huge lists to add to your hosts file to block every known ad, but here those four work wonders. Samples, information, and the rest over at

http://technoerotica.net/mylog/hostfile.html

and many other places.


(edited to add the at&t site)

[This message has been edited by cordelli (edited 02-07-2003).]