RobertVA <robert_c72athotmail@invalid.com> wrote in
news:eK0rOTU4IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:

> Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web
> sites?
>
> I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to
> override the Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY
> browsers requested a page from acme.com (made up domain name),
> directing the browser to the local hard drive. Since the requested
> page probably isn't on my hard drive this should permit me to
> block things like advertising pop-ups from that site.
>
> So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not
> enthusiastic about turning it off.
>
> However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan
> for tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my
> browser security settings too. Today I was even subject to a
> pop-up window with one of the supposedly blocked domains
> displaying in the browser address bar!
>
> IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP
> address to bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be
> displaying the IP address or the URL?
>
> TIA

Keep in mind that the Hosts file is strictly a one-to-one mapping and
it will override DNS lookups. The line in your example will block
access to "acme.com" but won't block access to "www.acme.com" or
"anything.acme.com" or "ads.acme.com".

-- John