Setting firewall options
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Setting firewall options |
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If you want to block comments from particular readers who post obnoxious or spam comments, youc an block all comments that originate from that reader's IP address. There are risks associated with allowing readers to post comments.
In this section
Editing the notes for a blocked IP address
Editing the notes for a blocked Domain
Releasing a blocked IP address
About IP Addresses
Every computer connected to the Internet is assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses allow computers to locate one another on the Internet, so they can exchange data.
IP addresses are typically expressed as a set of four numbers, each between 0 and 255 inclusive, separated by periods. An example IP address is 192.168.1.1.
Some computers, particularly those that serve out large amounts information to the Internet, are assigned permanent IP addresses. Others, such as computers in homes and small businesses connected to the Internet via their phone lines or home broadband services such as DSL or cable modem, are assigned temporary IP addresses. How often these temporary IP addresses change varies; in the case of computers that connect to the Internet via phone, their IP address changes every time they dial in to the Internet Service Provider. In the case of computers connected to the Internet through "always-on" connections such as DSL and cable modem, they keep IP addresses assigned to them for various lengths of time: for days, weeks, and even months.
Since many computers' IP addresses change from time to time and since IP addresses are associated with computers and not people, blocking comments from specific IP addresses is not a guaranteed way to stop unwanted comments. Although comments can be blocked from an offending commenter's IP address, if that commenter's computer's IP address changes or if the commenter uses different computers in different locations, his or her comments will not be blocked.
In spite of these drawbacks, blocking comments sent from certain IP addresses has proven to be effective in many cases, especially spam comments sent by unscrupulous advertisers.