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Adaware SE paid version -- Worth the Cost?



 
 
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  #11  
Old January 12th 05, 04:29 PM
Gary S. Terhune
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Answering both you and Dan, here. You can get George Geyde's HOSTS =
Manager program he
http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/SoftMain.htm

It's at the bottom of that page (address is case-sensitive.) This =
program downloads the MVPS HOSTS file from MVPS.ORG, the home site for =
MS MVPs. MVPS.ORG is run by MVPs, not to be confused with the MVP =
Program site maintained by Microsoft. Mike Burgess, I believe it is, =
maintains the MVPS HOSTS file. As malicious sites are encountered--sites =
that are prone to loading adware, spyware, sites that provide the =
content for advertising banners, like doubleclick.com... or sites that =
barrage you with popups or trick you into going to a porn site, for =
instance--any sites that we find to be deleterious to the health of a =
computer we send the address on to Mike. He adds it to the HOSTS file.

Now, here's where I'm likely to lose you: Normally, on an everyday home =
computer, when you type in an internet address, www.microsft.com, for =
instance, that address isn't by itself going to get you anywhere. The =
*real* address you need is the IP address of the server that has the =
pages you want. An IP address is four sets of digits separated by =
periods. When you type in www.microsoft.com, and then press Go or Enter, =
the first thing that happens is your system queries you ISP's DNS =
server---Domain Name Server. That server has a catalog of domain names =
(microsoft.com) and matches it with the proper IP address for you to =
use. That IP address is then used to route your system to the target =
server. Now, most domains have more than one server, if for no other =
reason than to act as backup. Domains like microsoft.com have many, many =
IP addresses to choose from. This is how they divide load. So, me living =
here in California, when I query my DNS server for the IP address for =
microsoft.com, I'm not likely to get the same one as someone in New York =
gets doing the same thing.

Got it? OK! Now for the HOSTS file. In business networks--in-house--each =
of the machine on that network have unique IP addresses. But it's a real =
PITA to remember the IP address of a server or another machine on the =
system, so we have the HOSTS file. A HOSTS file (no extension) is a =
plain text file that simply lists an IP address, followed by a space, =
followed by a familiar name, all on one line. Each line has that =
pairing--IP FamiliarName. If your address on a network that we share is =
192.168.1.932, I could make the following line in my HOSTS file:

192.168.1.932 jane

Then, wherever that address was needed, all I would have to do is type =
in "jane" and it would be automatically converted to 192.168.1.932.

Part 2 of the equation: By convention, your *own* machine is always =
127.0.0.1. But unless you are running an internet server on your system, =
if you put that number into the address bar of your browser, you are =
going to get a 404-Page Not Found. So, the idea behind using the HOSTS =
file for protection is to pair every undesirable address with the IP =
number 127.0.0.1. On my system, I *do* run an internet server, for =
testing my web pages and other uses I won't go into, and to make life =
more pleasant, I have a cute lady in a nice pose as my server's default =
page. So anytime an address in my HOSTS file gets called for, up pops my =
cutie instead. (Though more often, because the real address that's being =
called isn't a simple web page, I still get a 404, Page not found.

So, Mike Burgess has a HOSTS file he maintains, regularly updated when =
someone reports a malicious site, and you can download it any time from =
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip. You can read a *lot* more =
about it, and see pretty pictures, at =
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm. And, getting back to where I =
started out, you can install George Geyde's HOSTS Manager from =
http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/SoftMain.htm and it will do the =
downloading, unpacking and placing of the HOSTS file for you. It also =
locks the HOSTS file so malicious varmints can't mess with it, and =
reminds you every couple of weeks to check for an update--but I run it =
as a scheduled task with switches that make it totally automatic.

--=20
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
=20
"jane" wrote in message =
...
=20
"Gary S. Terhune" wrote in message
...
To be clear, I wouldn't use the additional protections because I am
satisfied with the protections I have in place. I find that =

duplication of
active scanning/blocking protection software usually leads to =

problems. I
use SpywareBlaster and the MVP HOSTS file, along with eTrust antivirus =

and
Firewall as active protection, all on top of properly conservative =

IE/OE
settings, and they seem to cover all the bases. Any more than that, =

Spybot's
additional tools like Immunization and TeaTime, for instance, tends to =

get
in my way without providing any additional protection.
=20
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
=20
hello,
very little 'hello',
do not know if I am going to get way out of my depth,
but could you tell me what MVP HOSTs file means?
Is it somethng we all should have?;
I think I mentioned also once before that I dont have a firewall,
(kids are kept well away from matches in my house) and I havent
yet suffered any Internet Inconvenience due to it...
I know most people here have told me I should have one, I even
got told the same thing tonight from the person who gave me linux
disks, but I am yet to get past all the posts this newsgroup has
regarding the interference and problems caused by actually having
a fire-wall. (especially the problems it causes with a persons own =

ISP.)
=20
That was not the reason for my post, my curiousity lies in the
the MVP hosts file. (& what is it?)
=20
regards Jane
=20

  #12  
Old January 12th 05, 05:20 PM
Dan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Very informative, Gary. I realized checking through my settings that I run
SpySweeper (paid version) by Webroot which I purchased on sale at Best Buy
for $19.95 and this has a HOSTS file manager that I have enabled so I will
stick with that for now but I will keep your advice in my mind especially the
HOSTS manager as an alternative in the future. Your discussion was very
clear and made perfect sense to me.

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote in message
...
Answering both you and Dan, here. You can get George Geyde's HOSTS Manager
program he
http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/SoftMain.htm

It's at the bottom of that page (address is case-sensitive.) This program
downloads the MVPS HOSTS file from MVPS.ORG, the home site for MS MVPs.
MVPS.ORG is run by MVPs, not to be confused with the MVP Program site
maintained by Microsoft. Mike Burgess, I believe it is, maintains the MVPS
HOSTS file. As malicious sites are encountered--sites that are prone to
loading adware, spyware, sites that provide the content for advertising
banners, like doubleclick.com... or sites that barrage you with popups or
trick you into going to a porn site, for instance--any sites that we find to
be deleterious to the health of a computer we send the address on to Mike. He
adds it to the HOSTS file.

Now, here's where I'm likely to lose you: Normally, on an everyday home
computer, when you type in an internet address, www.microsft.com, for
instance, that address isn't by itself going to get you anywhere. The *real*
address you need is the IP address of the server that has the pages you want.
An IP address is four sets of digits separated by periods. When you type in
www.microsoft.com, and then press Go or Enter, the first thing that happens
is your system queries you ISP's DNS server---Domain Name Server. That server
has a catalog of domain names (microsoft.com) and matches it with the proper
IP address for you to use. That IP address is then used to route your system
to the target server. Now, most domains have more than one server, if for no
other reason than to act as backup. Domains like microsoft.com have many,
many IP addresses to choose from. This is how they divide load. So, me living
here in California, when I query my DNS server for the IP address for
microsoft.com, I'm not likely to get the same one as someone in New York gets
doing the same thing.

Got it? OK! Now for the HOSTS file. In business networks--in-house--each of
the machine on that network have unique IP addresses. But it's a real PITA to
remember the IP address of a server or another machine on the system, so we
have the HOSTS file. A HOSTS file (no extension) is a plain text file that
simply lists an IP address, followed by a space, followed by a familiar name,
all on one line. Each line has that pairing--IP FamiliarName. If your address
on a network that we share is 192.168.1.932, I could make the following line
in my HOSTS file:

192.168.1.932 jane

Then, wherever that address was needed, all I would have to do is type in
"jane" and it would be automatically converted to 192.168.1.932.

Part 2 of the equation: By convention, your *own* machine is always
127.0.0.1. But unless you are running an internet server on your system, if
you put that number into the address bar of your browser, you are going to
get a 404-Page Not Found. So, the idea behind using the HOSTS file for
protection is to pair every undesirable address with the IP number 127.0.0.1.
On my system, I *do* run an internet server, for testing my web pages and
other uses I won't go into, and to make life more pleasant, I have a cute
lady in a nice pose as my server's default page. So anytime an address in my
HOSTS file gets called for, up pops my cutie instead. (Though more often,
because the real address that's being called isn't a simple web page, I still
get a 404, Page not found.

So, Mike Burgess has a HOSTS file he maintains, regularly updated when
someone reports a malicious site, and you can download it any time from
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip. You can read a *lot* more about
it, and see pretty pictures, at http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.
And, getting back to where I started out, you can install George Geyde's
HOSTS Manager from http://www.mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/SoftMain.htm and it
will do the downloading, unpacking and placing of the HOSTS file for you. It
also locks the HOSTS file so malicious varmints can't mess with it, and
reminds you every couple of weeks to check for an update--but I run it as a
scheduled task with switches that make it totally automatic.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User

"jane" wrote in message
...

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote in message
...
To be clear, I wouldn't use the additional protections because I am
satisfied with the protections I have in place. I find that duplication of
active scanning/blocking protection software usually leads to problems. I
use SpywareBlaster and the MVP HOSTS file, along with eTrust antivirus and
Firewall as active protection, all on top of properly conservative IE/OE
settings, and they seem to cover all the bases. Any more than that,

Spybot's
additional tools like Immunization and TeaTime, for instance, tends to get
in my way without providing any additional protection.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User

hello,
very little 'hello',
do not know if I am going to get way out of my depth,
but could you tell me what MVP HOSTs file means?
Is it somethng we all should have?;
I think I mentioned also once before that I dont have a firewall,
(kids are kept well away from matches in my house) and I havent
yet suffered any Internet Inconvenience due to it...
I know most people here have told me I should have one, I even
got told the same thing tonight from the person who gave me linux
disks, but I am yet to get past all the posts this newsgroup has
regarding the interference and problems caused by actually having
a fire-wall. (especially the problems it causes with a persons own ISP.)

That was not the reason for my post, my curiousity lies in the
the MVP hosts file. (& what is it?)

regards Jane




 




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