MVPS HOSTS File Update January-18-2012

[siljaline]

<paste>

The MVPS HOSTS file was recently updated [January-18-2012]
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm

Download: hosts.zip (147 kb)
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.zip

How To: Download and Extract the HOSTS file
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts2.htm

HOSTS File - Frequently Asked Questions
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hostsfaq.htm

Note: the "text" version makes a great resource for determining

possible unwanted connections ...
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.txt (596 kb)

Get notified when the MVPS HOSTS file is updated
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/updates.htm

</paste>

Silj

--
"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
-- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
- Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_

[Virus Guy]

siljaline wrote:

> The MVPS HOSTS file was recently updated [January-18-2012]

Is there such a thing as a firefox add-on that aborts any attempt to
download content from "local host" (ie - 127.0.0.1) ?

I'm finding that browsing is becoming way to slow when the browser is
trying to render pages containing lots of blocked domains.

[siljaline]

Virus Guy wrote:

> Is there such a thing as a firefox add-on that aborts any attempt to
> download content from "local host" (ie - 127.0.0.1) ?

I am not aware of any Firefox add-ons that would accomplish this.

You may try >
<http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hostsfaq.htm#unable>
See specific instructions for Firefox.

> I'm finding that browsing is becoming way to slow when the browser is
> trying to render pages containing lots of blocked domains.

Set your DNS to manual in Services >
<http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm#Note>
A Hosts file larger than 135 kb slows down a Windows PC regardless
of OS.

Silj


--
"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
-- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
- Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_

[Dustin]

"siljaline" <spam@uce.gov> wrote in news:jf87pl$va2$1@dont-email.me:

> Virus Guy wrote:
>
>> Is there such a thing as a firefox add-on that aborts any attempt to
>> download content from "local host" (ie - 127.0.0.1) ?
>
> I am not aware of any Firefox add-ons that would accomplish this.
>
> You may try >
> <http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hostsfaq.htm#unable>
> See specific instructions for Firefox.
>
>> I'm finding that browsing is becoming way to slow when the browser is
>> trying to render pages containing lots of blocked domains.
>
> Set your DNS to manual in Services >
> <http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm#Note>
> A Hosts file larger than 135 kb slows down a Windows PC regardless
> of OS.

Much more so under the win9x flavors.



--
Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too
many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and
the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. - J.C. Watts

[Virus Guy]

Dustin wrote:

> >> I'm finding that browsing is becoming way to slow when the
> >> browser is trying to render pages containing lots of blocked
> >> domains.
> >
> > Set your DNS to manual in Services >
> > <http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm#Note>
> > A Hosts file larger than 135 kb slows down a Windows PC regardless
> > of OS.
>
> Much more so under the win9x flavors.

I believe I've read in the past that win-9x is much better able to
handle large hosts files compared to XP.

[Virus Guy]

Virus Guy wrote:

> Dustin wrote:

> > > <http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm#Note>
> > > A Hosts file larger than 135 kb slows down a Windows PC regardless
> > > of OS.
> >
> > Much more so under the win9x flavors.
>
> I believe I've read in the past that win-9x is much better able to
> handle large hosts files compared to XP.

Heh.

That line from winhelp2002 that says:

"Editors Note: in most cases a large HOSTS file (over 135 kb)
tends to slow down the machine."

used to read as follows:

"Editors Note: in most cases a large HOSTS file (over 135 kb)
tends to slow down the machine. This only occurs in W2000/
XP/Vista. Windows 98 and ME are not affected."

It obviously took too much precious space to include references to
win-9x/me on the winhelp hosts-file page.

I've been running my win-98 machines for years with hosts files that
exceed 700/800 kb in size. It's only within the past year that web
browsing is really getting bogged down by site-blocking caused by hosts
blocking.

[Virus Guy]

Virus Guy wrote:

> A Hosts file larger than 135 kb slows down a Windows PC regardless
> of OS.

Which we now know to be wrong because:

> That line from winhelp2002 used to read as follows:
>
> "Editors Note: in most cases a large HOSTS file (over 135 kb)
> tends to slow down the machine. This only occurs in W2000/
> XP/Vista. Windows 98 and ME are not affected."

The underlying reason (as siljaline alludes to) is the DNS client
present in Win-XP and higher, which caches DNS results. I can find no
Microsoft document putting an upper limit on the size of the HOSTS file
that is compatible with the DNS service - some non-microsoft sources put
the upper limit closer to 100kb.

Because win-9x/me never had anything similar to the DNS service, it
can't be limited by HOSTS file size - at least not for the same reason.

[siljaline]

Dustin wrote:
<snipped>

> Much more so under the win9x flavors.

The file system on Windows 9 x is not the same Kernel as
XP on up.

Regardless of file size on a 9 x PC there should be no noticeable
slowness. This is moot since no one should be running a 9 x PC these
days unless it's for running Beta software, otherwise you'd be in the Stoneage.

Silj


--
"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
-- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
- Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_

[Autumn]

Thanks, Silj.

[siljaline]

Autumn wrote:

> Thanks, Silj.

As always, Autumn ~

Silj


--
"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
-- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
- Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_