IP Blocks

What is an IP Block?

An IP is an Internet Protocol - and easiest to think of as a set of rules by which the Internet operates. The acronym IP is widely known among Internet mail and web hosts (usually just called "hosts"), and is usually associated with the "address". An IP address is an address on the Internet. Theoretically, it is said that every website has its own unique IP address. That isn't exactly accurate. What is accurate is that every IP address on the web is unique, but more than one website can share a single IP address (called virtual hosting, shared hosting, and just hosting).

Can a certain IP address be blocked on the net? Yes, any IP address can be blocked at the firewall of a server and thus prevented access by users attempting to see that website from the specific IP address.

Is blocking an IP foolproof? No. A user can simply go to another IP address and access the site if that IP address is not blocked.

Who blocks IP's? Typically, server administrators perform the actual block of an IP address by entering a block command into the server's net files that says, if IP X comes to visit, block him. However, you can also block IP addresses at the domain level by inserting coding in the web server files. If you insert the incorrect coding, you can block more than just one IP; in fact, you can block all visitors including search engines.

Why would a person want to block an IP address from their website? There are many reasons why people opt to block a particular IP address from access to their website. The most common is spam or virus attacks. Blocking an IP is rarely successful in those situations because of the nature of the attacks - the attacks are usually handled by a program (usually a script) and not a person, although a person wrote the program and executed it. A person who does that sort of thing is guilty of criminal harassment, and can be charged with a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the nature of the harassment and the extent of damages.

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