How to block Host Entries A Step-by-Step Guide for Windows, Linux, and macOS without using the router. #blocksite #blockweb #blockhost

To delete a host entry on your system, you typically need to modify the `hosts` file. Here’s how you can do it based on your operating system:

### For Windows:

1. **Open Notepad as Administrator**:

   - Click the **Start Menu** and search for **Notepad**.

   - Right-click on **Notepad** and select **Run as Administrator**.

2. **Open the hosts file**:

   - In Notepad, go to **File > Open**.

   - Navigate to: `C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts`

   - Change the file type from "Text Documents" to **All Files** so that the `hosts` file is visible.

3. **Edit the hosts file**:

   - Find the line with the host you want to delete and remove it.

   - Each entry looks like this:

     ```

     127.0.0.1   example.com

     ```

   - Delete the line(s) corresponding to the host(s) you want to remove.

4. **Save the changes**:

   - Save the file and close Notepad.

### For Linux or macOS:

1. **Open a terminal**.

   

2. **Edit the hosts file**:

   - Use a text editor like `nano` or `vim` to edit the hosts file. For example:

     ```bash

     sudo nano /etc/hosts

     ```

   

3. **Remove the host entry**:

   - Find the line with the host entry you want to delete and remove it.

   - An entry typically looks like this:

     ```

     127.0.0.1   example.com

     ```

4. **Save the changes**:

   - If using `nano`, press **Ctrl+O** to save, then **Ctrl+X** to exit.

5. **Flush DNS cache (if necessary)**:

   - On macOS: 

     ```bash

     sudo dscacheutil -flushcache

     sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

     ```

   - On Linux, depending on your distribution and DNS service, you might need to restart the service. For example:

     ```bash

     sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

     ```

After following these steps, the host entries you deleted should no longer be recognized by your system. 

To block multiple websites in Linux, you can follow a similar process to the one used for blocking a single website by editing the `/etc/hosts` file. Here's how you can block multiple sites step-by-step:

### Step-by-Step Guide to Blocking Multiple Websites in Linux:

#### 1. **Open the Terminal**

   - Press **Ctrl + Alt + T** to open a terminal.

#### 2. **Open the Hosts File with a Text Editor**

   - You need to modify the `/etc/hosts` file. Open it with a text editor like `nano` using `sudo` to get root access:

     ```bash

     sudo nano /etc/hosts

     ```

#### 3. **Add Multiple Website Entries**

   - In the `hosts` file, you can block multiple websites by mapping their domain names to your local machine's IP address (`127.0.0.1`).

   - For example, if you want to block `example.com`, `facebook.com`, and `twitter.com`, add the following lines:

     ```bash

     127.0.0.1   example.com

     127.0.0.1   www.example.com

     127.0.0.1   facebook.com

     127.0.0.1   www.facebook.com

     127.0.0.1   twitter.com

     127.0.0.1   www.twitter.com

     ```

   - You can block as many sites as you want by listing their domains in this format, making sure to include both the `www` and non-`www` versions of each site if applicable.

#### 4. **Save and Exit**

   - After adding the entries, save the file. If you're using `nano`, do the following:

     - Press **Ctrl + O** to write the changes.

     - Press **Enter** to confirm the filename.

     - Press **Ctrl + X** to exit.

#### 5. **Flush the DNS Cache (if necessary)**

   - You may need to flush the DNS cache to ensure the changes take effect immediately. On many Linux distributions, this can be done by restarting the `NetworkManager` service:

     ```bash

     sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

     ```

#### 6. **Test the Block**

   - Try to visit the websites you added to the `hosts` file in your browser. They should now be blocked and inaccessible.

### Optional: Block Entire IP Ranges or Use Firewalls

If you need more advanced control, such as blocking entire IP ranges or having more flexibility in blocking websites, you could use firewall rules with **iptables** or tools like **Pi-hole** for network-wide blocking.

For example, you can block traffic to a specific IP address using `iptables`:

```bash

sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp -d 93.184.216.34 -j REJECT

```

In this case, `93.184.216.34` is the IP address for `example.com` (you can use the `ping` command to find the IP addresses for websites).

This method can block websites network-wide across multiple devices if used on a router or firewall system like **Pi-hole**.

With these steps, you can easily block multiple websites on your Linux machine!