In computer software, the term ad blocker refers to any application or configuration with the purpose of preventing the appearance of unsolicited advertising on the user's computer screen. Generally, such advertising appears during normal web navigation in the form of : Jump to: navigation, search A computer is a device or machine for processing information from data according to a program — a compiled list of instructions. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ...

1. Plain or animated banner images
2. Flash banners
3. Pop-up windows

However, in the case of spyware it is common that advertising is shown to the user even when no navigation is taking place and employing their own software rather than the browser. Jump to: navigation, search Malicious Web sites may attempt to install spyware on readers computers. ...

The necessity for ad blocking software rose from a large number of users being increasingly annoyed by unsolicited advertising to the point of crippling their online experience.

History

Techniques for ad blocking

Most ad blocking software uses a combination of the following techniques to block advertising:

1. Browser configuration (see below for a list)
2. Browser plug-in
3. Local web proxy server
4. Ad blocking with firewall software
5. Customized host file

In particular, ad blocking by firewall software, the custom host list and web proxy server require a list of offending Internet Protocol addresses that must be frequently updated to keep up with the ever growing number of advertisement servers. Jump to: navigation, search A proxy server is a computer network service that allows clients to make indirect network connections to other network services. ... In computing, a firewall is a piece of hardware and/or software which functions in a networked environment to prevent some communications forbidden by the security policy, analogous to the function of firewalls in building construction. ... Internet protocol may refer to: The Internet_Protocol, a data-oriented protocol used for communicating data across a packet-switched internetwork. ...

Browsers with ad blocking features

1. Microsoft Internet Explorer
2. Mozilla Firefox
3. Opera

Jump to: navigation, search Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) (HKSE: 4338) is the worlds largest software company, with global annual sales in the tens of billions of US dollars and nearly 60,000 employees in more than 90 countries. ... Internet Explorer, abbreviated IE or MSIE, is a proprietary web browser made by Microsoft and currently available as part of Microsoft Windows. ... Jump to: navigation, search Mozilla Firefox (originally known as Phoenix and briefly as Mozilla Firebird) is a free, cross-platform, graphical web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation and hundreds of volunteers . ... Jump to: navigation, search Opera is a cross-platform internet suite consisting of a Web browser, Email, news client, News aggregator, Address book, IRC client, download manager and BitTorrent client. ...

Free/Open source ad blocker software

Commercial ad blocker software

• Super Ad Blocker