How to block specific websites?

Hey everyone 😁
So, here’s my question. How do I actually block specific websites on my PC? I want them to be totally dead—like, they just won't load at all. Maybe I can do it via IP address, or if those IPs keep shifting, is there some other way to kill the connection? Basically, I’m trying to lock myself and anyone else out of certain toxic corners of the internet. I'm talking about blocking Meta, news sites, and stuff like that.
I’ve been digging around online, but honestly, nothing I've tried has actually worked.
Thanks, y'all

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2490...-websites.html

You’re looking at this all wrong, man.

Listen, any serious spam operation isn't just running a couple of machines—they’ve got hundreds, even thousands of servers, each one loaded up with tens of thousands of aliases. When you look at IP addresses, entire B-class blocks are basically owned by a handful of massive corporations these days. The whole IPv4 space is pretty much swallowed up by these digital landlords. It’s the exact same story with IPv6, it just hasn't hit the mainstream radar like IPv4 did yet.

That’s just how the game is played.

Using the hosts file is a decent way to stop someone from accidentally typing in Meta.com by mistake.

Of course, if someone actually intends to bypass it, they'll find a way.

Alright, thanks guys. I guess I just realized none of that was actually gonna work, haha.

Joseph Lewis6 said:Alright, thanks guys. I figured none of that would actually work anyway lol

Check this out—there's a free blocker here with timers and everything. Just for one user.
https://getcoldturkey.com/blog/free-...-blocker-apps/

Jack Cook7 said:That’s just not how it works, man.

If you're running a serious spam operation, you don't just have one or two servers; you've got hundreds or even thousands of them, each running tens of thousands of aliases. When it comes to IP addresses, entire B-class blocks are basically owned by a handful of massive corporations now. The whole IPv4 space is essentially swallowed up by big landlords. It's the same story with IPv6, though it hasn't become quite as obvious yet...

That's just the reality of how it's done.

For what they're asking, this should be perfectly fine.

Drew Allen77 said:It’s totally fine for what they're trying to do.

I’m with you on that, but honestly? For 99.99% of people out there, messing with the etc/hosts file is just a total waste of time.

Plus, I’ve always had a bit of a grudge against using hosts files on individual PCs. That kind of thing really belongs on a dedicated DNS server, don't you think?

Using a GUI utility like the one I mentioned is perfectly fine, though. It’s handy because you can use direct IP addresses from the site's code or set up redirects to land back on a mirror site or whatever.

The real holy grail, though? I haven't found an app yet that can block entire domain providers, or pull a WHOIS lookup to find an owner and then just nuking every single domain they own. Imagine that!

It works, but you really need some kind of whitelist solution.

The logic is basically "the entire internet is toxic except for..."

Then you just add things like Wikipedia or a few hand-picked sites to the list.

I was just wondering, is there anything within the router settings that would allow me to block specific IP addresses or domains? 🤔

On my Qualcomm setup, I actually have access to all these URL and IP filters where I can block or permit certain domains, IP addresses, IP ranges, ports, protocols, or even outbound and inbound traffic—you could say I can combine them in about a hundred different ways!

William Palmer7 said:It works, but honestly, you really need a whitelist solution.

Basically following the logic of "the whole internet is toxic unless..."

Then you just throw Wikipedia and a few other hand-picked sites on the list.

Cold Turkey actually has that built-in.
https://getcoldturkey.com/features/

How do I block the entire Internet?
Wildcards can be used to block the entire Internet. Just add *.* to the website tab of the block list.

Can I just have a whitelist?
Yes. Just block the entire Internet by blocking *.* under the website tab and then add the sites you need to access under the exceptions tab.

How do I block specific pages?
If you'd still want to allow Meta but block a specific page, like a Meta profile, you can do this by adding: meta.com/username

Can I block Google searches?
Yes, use the wildcard feature to block Google searches. For example, here's how to block searches for unicorns: google.*/*q=*unicorns*

Anyway, pretty much any serious software uses web categorization, so you can just block an entire category instead of hunting down individual sites or domains one by one. This is usually what happens on proxy servers or firewalls/appliances, and it assumes there’s some manufacturer service constantly updating those category lists—which usually requires a subscription.

A ton of antivirus programs also have web site filtering baked right in, alongside their malware scanners.

There are plenty of products out there, and some even work on your phone.
https://famisafe.wondershare.com/blo...king-apps.html

And here’s an extension for Chrome.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/d...pcgbh?hl=pt-BR

Kenneth Cruz67 said:Is there anything in the router settings that lets you block IP addresses or domains?🤔

On my Qualcomm gear, I’ve got URL and IP filters where I can block or whitelist specific domains, individual IPs, entire IP ranges, ports, protocols—you name it. You can mix and match everything in like a hundred different ways.

With those little consumer routers, the stuff they offer is pretty basic. If you want serious web filtering, plus things like antivirus, antispam, and malware scanning, you really have to look at dedicated firewalls. Even the smaller ones have decent implementations. The catch is the price tag—it's going to be > $0.67—plus you usually gotta deal with an annual subscription. Another headache with those is managing multiple users with different permissions; you either need them integrated into a domain/LDAP setup, or you're stuck assigning fixed internal IP addresses to everyone.