Blocking Websites

If the sites utilize a either a single IP address or a smll number of addresses applying a static route for the destination IP address pointing to null0 on you border router will effectively eliminate the traffic.

If you are concerned about P2P trafic, you can be partially effective by blocking the control protocols and ports required to initiate the session. To be fully effective, consider implementing a traffic management device such as a Packeteer or Ellacoya unit. For small pipes, these units are very affordable with a short payback based on reduced bandwidth consumption/costs.

How many routers do you have connected to the internet? The most assured method is to block the sites would be at the router level, but it's easier to block at the firewalls if you're not a router-type net admin.

You can schoose to either block the ports over which the traffic travels, or you can block the IP addresses.

If you are running a local DNS server you could do what I have done. I've setup up host records on our DNS server for the internet sites I want to block - this record points to our Intranet site and a page tells them they are not allowed access to that site. This saves you having to edit the host files on each machine.

I would recommend like people are saying to block the web-sites at the firewall first then the router if you can't block web-sites at the firewall. Then I would blcok them at the clients computer last. It's to much of a pain to go around and replace the Hosts file on each persons computer. Then there is also the problem of the hosts file under win9x platforms, not easy to set up.