AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[thelonelycoder]

@thelonelycoder I've experience some slow loading in some websites, is there any way to optimize speeds?

I'm using it on an AC88U w/2.0 USB just running AB-S

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-G935FD using Tapatalk

Not that I'm aware of, AB has no influence at all on your network speed. Any particular website you want to share and what blocking file type?

 

[heinz]

@thelonelycoder I've experience some slow loading in some websites, is there any way to optimize speeds?

I'm using it on an AC88U w/2.0 USB just running AB-S

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-G935FD using Tapatalk

Turn ab-solutions off and see if speeds come back. Most likely its something else.

 

[Andy1932]

I searched, but couldn't find my answer. I've enabled DNS Filtering under AIProtection and now AB-Solution isn't working. How do I fix?

 

[thelonelycoder]

I searched, but couldn't find my answer. I've enabled DNS Filtering under AIProtection and now AB-Solution isn't working. How do I fix?

In the FAq: How to exclude clients from adblocking:
http://www.ab-solution.info/use/faq.html
In other words, there is only one fix.

 

[Andy1932]

In the FAq: How to exclude clients from adblocking:
http://www.ab-solution.info/use/faq.html
In other words, there is only one fix.

OK. Thanks. I was hoping to have OPENDNS Family as the default for clients. I guess I can't do that and have AB-Solution working.

 

[skeal]

@thelonelycoder Thought I would brighten your day with a stupid story:
Ok this is weird I know but let me explain what I experienced. I have two routers I had a ac68u on hand so I gave it to my Mom. I had a usb drive in it that was all setup with ab-solution and skynet. I set the router up at my Moms. In the default setup I chose the default address pool and reserved 3 ips before the pool started. (One of these ips would normally be used to setup pixelserv). Ok I was an idiot and left the address of pixelserv to my address scheme (it is different) by mistake and started the router. Add blocking worked in-spite of the address for pixelserv being totally wrong and the ip configured to it unavailable on my Moms network. BUT after about 6 hours of uptime the internet speeds would drop to dial up like performance. However the speed tests I performed were normal. I looked and looked and finally noticed that her pixelserv ip was wrong and was addressed differently like mine. i changed the ip by reinstalling pixelserv and boom no more trouble. I laughed after ward because this evaded me for about 2 months. The interim fix was a reboot and then she could go on her way......lol. No more reboots needed now....lol.

 

[Andy1932]

OK. Thanks. I was hoping to have OPENDNS Family as the default for clients. I guess I can't do that and have AB-Solution working.

Well, it looks like I can keep OPENDNS Family as default, but if I want a client to work with AB-Solution, I have to exclude it with a "Router" filter. Too bad I can't have both!

 

[M@rco]

OK. Thanks. I was hoping to have OPENDNS Family as the default for clients. I guess I can't do that and have AB-Solution working.

Well, it looks like I can keep OPENDNS Family as default, but if I want a client to work with AB-Solution, I have to exclude it with a "Router" filter. Too bad I can't have both!

Oh, but you can. I'm actually doing it myself using the customizable content filter of Cisco/Open DNS, so it can be easily achieved without the need of Asus DNS Filtering.

Just install dnscrypt-proxy v2, have all your traffic directed through dnscrypt-proxy and set Cisco / OpenDNS Family as the only DNS resolver and disable DNS filtering. Problem solved. You can even have your IP updated automatically, if you want to. Search the forum for dnscrypt and you’ll find the thread by bigeyes0x0, it’s not hard to set up and works like a charm.

Edit: here's the link to the thread (was on my phone previously): https://www.snbforums.com/threads/release-dnscrypt-installer-for-asuswrt.36071/

If you need help, just ask in the dnscrypt-proxy thread.

 

[Andy1932]

Oh, but you can. I'm actually doing it myself using the customizable content filter of Cisco/Open DNS, so it can be easily achieved without the need of Asus DNS Filtering.

Just install dnscrypt-proxy v2, have all your traffic directed through dnscrypt-proxy and set Cisco / OpenDNS Family as the only DNS resolver and disable DNS filtering. Problem solved. You can even have your IP updated automatically, if you want to. Search the forum for dnscrypt and you’ll find the thread by bigeyes0x0, it’s not hard to set up and works like a charm.

Edit: here's the link to the thread (was on my phone previously): https://www.snbforums.com/threads/release-dnscrypt-installer-for-asuswrt.36071/

If you need help, just ask in the dnscrypt-proxy thread.

Awesome. Thank you. I'll work on it today.

 

[Adamm]

Small QOL feature request, when adding something to whitelist also add the www / non www variant (or have the option to?). Lot of entries are listed twice and would make life much easier

 

[thelonelycoder]

Small QOL feature request, when adding something to whitelist also add the www / non www variant (or have the option to?). Lot of entries are listed twice and would make life much easier

Sounds like a good idea.

 

[Blind@Spot]

can i change the ferequancy of sending email weekly to monthly?

 

[thelonelycoder]

can i change the ferequancy of sending email weekly to monthly?

Which email?
Stats is weekly only, otherwise the logfile gets too big.
Backup and AB update notification have bi-weekly and monthly settings.

 

[Xentrk]

OK. Thanks. I was hoping to have OPENDNS Family as the default for clients. I guess I can't do that and have AB-Solution working.

At two sites I support, I use the OpenDNS free plan to filter websites by category. I also use AB-Solution. They work well together. For example, if a gambling site is not blocked by ABS, then the OpenDNS filter will catch it and display the message that the site is blocked and to contact the system administrator. I specify the DNS address of the OpenDNS server on the WAN page. I configured DDNS to use DNS-O-MATIC. Then, when my WAN IP address changes, it will notify OpenDNS and another service I use. I did not have to do any other special configurations on the router.

 

[Butterfly Bones]

This is both interesting and scary, more of the continual duel to place ads / malware / mining and those using ad blocking
https://arstechnica.com/information...technique-to-conceal-cpu-draining-mining-ads/

Since I have used some "grey market" sites to watch bicycle racing that is not broadcast in the USA by the networks or the streaming services such as Sling. Hulu, etc. I've had my share of this DGA nonsense, though at the time I did not understand it.

Thanks to AB-Solution, I've been able to deal with the worst of it, but since this is the off season, I'm sure when I try again, it will be far worse.

Here is an example of what I have blocked with AB-Solution, just FYI.

www.2znp09oa.com
www.4jnzhl0d0.com
www.6ldu6qa.com
www.82o9v830.com
www.8lancai.com
www.ak0gsh40.com

 

[DonnyJohnny]

This is both interesting and scary, more of the continual duel to place ads / malware / mining and those using ad blocking
https://arstechnica.com/information...technique-to-conceal-cpu-draining-mining-ads/

Since I have used some "grey market" sites to watch bicycle racing that is not broadcast in the USA by the networks or the streaming services such as Sling. Hulu, etc. I've had my share of this DGA nonsense, though at the time I did not understand it.

Thanks to AB-Solution, I've been able to deal with the worst of it, but since this is the off season, I'm sure when I try again, it will be far worse.

Here is an example of what I have blocked with AB-Solution, just FYI.

www.2znp09oa.com
www.4jnzhl0d0.com
www.6ldu6qa.com
www.82o9v830.com
www.8lancai.com
www.ak0gsh40.com

I am wondering if using skyNet to block ip instead will be more effective against coin mining. I checked the above domains, most don’t have an A record pointing to ip. I think the DGA is just randomly spamming new domains and closing them. So blocking the domain name is not so effective.

Just my thinking. Anyone have better list or suggestion on this?

Nevertheless, I still added the above list in my blacklist. Lol.. thanks.

 

[Protik]

@thelonelycoder, any update on AB4?

 

[Butterfly Bones]

I am wondering if using skyNet to block ip instead will be more effective against coin mining. I checked the above domains, most don’t have an A record pointing to ip. I think the DGA is just randomly spamming new domains and closing them. So blocking the domain name is not so effective.

Just my thinking. Anyone have better list or suggestion on this?

Nevertheless, I still added the above list in my blacklist. Lol.. thanks.

There are 394 of those in my blacklist. That was a small sample.

Unless you frequent a site that does that to excess like I did, there is likely no need. Seeing what Skynet blocks hourly and then seeing articles like that make me even more cautious about where I point my browser. What seemed like a chosen risk at the time (using ABS and Skynet) now looks totally stupid to use those sites now, especially since I could see them ramping up the popups and junk domains. Add the increase in coin mining and I'm done.

I've been trying to pay for a Eurosport feed from here in the USA, but so far no luck.

 

[thelonelycoder]

This is both interesting and scary, more of the continual duel to place ads / malware / mining and those using ad blocking
https://arstechnica.com/information...technique-to-conceal-cpu-draining-mining-ads/

Since I have used some "grey market" sites to watch bicycle racing that is not broadcast in the USA by the networks or the streaming services such as Sling. Hulu, etc. I've had my share of this DGA nonsense, though at the time I did not understand it.

Thanks to AB-Solution, I've been able to deal with the worst of it, but since this is the off season, I'm sure when I try again, it will be far worse.

Here is an example of what I have blocked with AB-Solution, just FYI.

www.2znp09oa.com
www.4jnzhl0d0.com
www.6ldu6qa.com
www.82o9v830.com
www.8lancai.com
www.ak0gsh40.com

I've seen and read the article, I'm subscribed to hacker news. While this type of circumventing the mining of cryptocurrencies in browsers is not good, it very likely only affects a small percentage of users browsing sites that are less trustworthy.
Some sites give options to voluntarily agree to have code running while visiting the site. I believe Salon is one of them. But many don't and are in my view in the grey area you mentioned.

I have BOINC running on my computers and have done so continually since 1999. Searching for ET, gravitational waves from pulsars and, occasionally, data from the well known particle accelerator in the french part of my country.
BOINC runs as a background process, using the remaining percentage of the processors that is not used by me or other common processes computers run to provide the services expected from a computer.
All my processor cores run at 100% all the time and I would not notice if unwanted mining were run unless I manually check.
Since this mining is a browser related problem, I would imagine that all popular browsers will in time have built in mechanisms to prevent such activity. It's a question of time and and how much publicity and pressure it gets from the users until this is done.

Blocking with a hosts file as AB-Solution does is limited as the linked article clearly explains. A dynamic list of domains/IPs would be a way out. The race is on and I'm sure there will be moments to celebrate. For both sides, the bad and the good guys, just as in advertisement.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I am wondering if using skyNet to block ip instead will be more effective against coin mining. I checked the above domains, most don’t have an A record pointing to ip. I think the DGA is just randomly spamming new domains and closing them. So blocking the domain name is not so effective.

Just my thinking. Anyone have better list or suggestion on this?

Nevertheless, I still added the above list in my blacklist. Lol.. thanks.

Part of the initial code that is loaded must have a list of these seemingly random domains or IP's used to access and load the scripts to kick off the mining if the main domain like popad.net fails. That would be a start point for someone to look into preventing it. There are browser addons that do that, but I would not know if they already prevent this latest threat.
BTW, popad.net is not blocked in any of the standard hosts lists AB uses. Add it to the blacklist, even if it seems futile.