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OZO
Premium Member
join:2003-01-17

OZO to wolfi

Premium Member

to wolfi

Re: How to block google-analytics

Keep in mind, that if you run a browser, made by Google (e.g. latest versions of Chromium), it will connect to Google analytic servers even if you block them with your hosts file.

They use directly hardcoded IP addresses (no name resolution needed). Moreover, to make the blocking harder, they require to use some of those servers to sign in into Google online accounts too... So, if you block those IP with firewall on your router, you'll not be able to sign in to your accounts. Bastards... :(
Need an example? Here it is - 74.125.129.106. Try to block it and then sign in.

BTW, to add extra confusion they assign different direct and reverse name resolutions (watch for 74.125.129.106):
D:\>nslookup google-analytics.com
...
Name:    google-analytics.com
Addresses:  74.125.129.106, 74.125.129.105, 74.125.129.147, 74.125.129.99
          74.125.129.104, 74.125.129.103 
 
Then check the 74.125.129.106 IP for it's name:
D:\>nslookup 74.125.129.106
...
Name:    pd-in-f106.1e100.net
Address:  74.125.129.106
 
And this time the IP comes with a different name - pd-in-f106.1e100.net

That's why if you want to block analytics servers from unsolicited tracking connections you have to make your own special build and remove those hardcoded IP's (quite big subset actually) directly from the browser or simply use Iron browser instead of Chromium/Chrome...

Name Game
Premium Member
join:2002-07-07
Grand Rapids, MI

1 edit

Name Game

Premium Member

Click for full size
said by OZO:

Keep in mind, that if you run a browser, made by Google (e.g. latest versions of Chromium), it will connect to Google analytic servers even if you block them with your hosts file.

They use directly hardcoded IP addresses (no name resolution needed). Moreover, to make the blocking harder, they require to use some of those servers to sign in into Google online accounts too... So, if you block those IP with firewall on your router, you'll not be able to sign in to your accounts. Bastards... :(
Need an example? Here it is - 74.125.129.106. Try to block it and then sign in.

BTW, to add extra confusion they assign different direct and reverse name resolutions (watch for 74.125.129.106):

D:\>nslookup 
...
Name:    google-analytics.com
Addresses:  74.125.129.106, 74.125.129.105, 74.125.129.147, 74.125.129.99
          74.125.129.104, 74.125.129.103 
 
Then check the 74.125.129.106 IP for it's name:
D:\>nslookup 74.125.129.106
...
Name:    pd-in-f106.1e100.net
Address:  74.125.129.106
 
And this time the IP comes with a different name - pd-in-f106.1e100.net

That's why if you want to block analytics servers from unsolicited tracking connections you have to make your own special build and remove those hardcoded IP's (quite big subset actually) directly from the browser or simply use Iron browser instead of Chromium/Chrome...

I run google chrome..never log into any google account stuff. I block google-analytics.com and more with hosts file..and net monitor never comes up with those "hardcoded IP's" you mentioned. Where do you see that..or better yet tell me how I could.

BTW that IP if you put it in your browser goes to the google search page

@12:46PM on 9/21/2012 to www.google.com

Reply from 74.125.129.106: bytes=32 time=36ms TTL=46
Reply from 74.125.129.106: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=46
Reply from 74.125.129.106: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=46