What is IP Address Blocking?
Getting your IP blocked is typically the end result of something you did that the website does not approve of through their terms of service, or an external factor that you have no control over like your location. There are really only 2 ways around the issue of having your IP blocked:
- Contact the site or webmaster to explain the issue to see if you can come to some type of resolve
- GET A VPN or PROXY!
This is where proxies and VPNs come in. Both alter your IP address to look like your request to access a website is coming from a different location. A VPN would work better for a completely static connection (i.e. accessing localised video content), while residential proxies work wonders with bots, accessing e-commerce sites, and any other localised content across the web without any restrictions.
Definition – What does IP Address Blocking mean?
IP Address blocking is a security measure that prevents a connection between a specific or group of IP addresses and a mail, web or Internet server. This is usually done to ban or block any undesirable sites and hosts from entering the server or node and causing harm to the network or individual computers. IP blocking is usually used by companies to prevent intrusion, allow remote access as well as limit the kinds of websites that can be accessed by employees in order to keep productivity high. Schools and other academic institutions also use IP address blocking for protection against unauthorized access of confidential records and data and for enforcing censorship.
IP Blocking Uses
- Block bots and spam: most sites online have experienced botting in various forms. E-commerce websites are often overcrowded by bots that buy goods in bulks in order to resell them later at a bigger price (ticket scalping and sneaker bots being the best known example). In a similar lane, all kinds of websites often get undesired spam comments. These inconveniences lead to websites crashing as well as slowing their online services down for legit customers.
- Protection of data and confidential information: places such as academic institutions and different workplaces keep data that is only meant for the people studying or working there. Blocking external IPs minimizes the threat of leaking sensitive data as well as preventing any possible hackers from getting their hands on some classified information.
- Content localization (e.g. Youtube, Netflix content): when you’re accessing the internet from your own IP, you’re routed through to access the content you’re meant to access only. From YouTube to Amazon – every single big company has content targeted to suit customers’ needs coming from all different locales. So, following this mindset, there’s no need for a person from the US to see Dutch video content. Hence, an IP block.
- Fraudulent transactions: just as much as e-commerce sites have to deal with botting, there must be little to no online businesses that don’t get fraudulent transactions. With the aid of IP blocks such sites can refuse transactions from certain regions and countries if there’s a fraudulent tendency noticed.
- To control traffic surges: too many users at once could easily crash a website in no time. It’s a shame if the sudden surge happens due to bots, as real customers might be blocked from accessing the site in consequence.
