{"id":17482,"date":"2023-08-13T13:13:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-13T13:13:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webhostinggeeks.com\/howto\/?p=17482"},"modified":"2023-07-06T17:34:50","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T17:34:50","slug":"how-to-block-ads-using-squid-proxy-server","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webhostinggeeks.com\/howto\/how-to-block-ads-using-squid-proxy-server\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Block Ads Using Squid Proxy Server"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/p>\n

While some ads can be quite useful, providing valuable information about new products or services we might be interested in, others can be intrusive, distracting, and even potentially harmful. As a server administrator, you may want to enhance your users’ browsing experience by blocking these unwanted ads.<\/p>\n

One effective way to do this is by using a Squid Proxy Server<\/a>, a highly flexible, widely-used, caching and forwarding web proxy software<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Squid is known for its ability to speed up web browsing for users and reduce bandwidth usage by caching and reusing frequently-requested web pages. But beyond these features, it also allows you to control, filter, and modify web traffic, making it a powerful tool for blocking ads.<\/p>\n

In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of setting up your Squid Server to block ads. This can help to improve your network’s web browsing speed, protect your network from harmful ads, and provide a cleaner, more enjoyable browsing experience for your users.<\/p>\n

Before we begin, make sure you have Squid installed on your server. If you haven’t installed it yet, you can refer to our tutorial on how to install and configure Squid on CentOS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Download an Ad Blocking Source File<\/h2>\n

The first step in blocking ads with Squid is to download a source file that contains the URLs of known ad servers. One popular source is the “pgl.yoyo.org” list. You can download this list directly to your server using the wget command:<\/p>\n

\r\nwget 'http:\/\/pgl.yoyo.org\/adservers\/serverlist.php?hostformat=squid-dstdom-regex;showintro=0' -O \/etc\/squid\/ad_block.txt\r\n<\/pre>\n
This command will download the list and save it as “ad_block.txt” in your \/etc\/squid directory.<\/p>\n
By the way, there are several other lists similar to pgl.yoyo.org<\/a> that you can use to block ads with Squid. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n
    \n
  1. EasyList<\/strong>: This is a popular filter list that blocks ads from known ad servers. It’s primarily used with ad-blocking browser extensions, but you can also use it with Squid. You can find it at https:\/\/easylist.to\/<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. AdAway<\/strong>: This is an open-source ad blocker for Android, but it also provides a host file that you can use with Squid. The host file is available at https:\/\/adaway.org\/hosts.txt<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. StevenBlack’s Hosts<\/strong>: This is a consolidated host file that brings together several reputable sources into one comprehensive list. It’s available at https:\/\/github.com\/StevenBlack\/hosts<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Fanboy’s Lists<\/strong>: This is a collection of filter lists that block various types of ads, trackers, and annoyances. You can find it at https:\/\/www.fanboy.co.nz\/<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Malware Domain List<\/strong>: This list includes domains that are known to host malware. While it’s not specifically an ad-blocking list, it can help to improve security. You can find it at https:\/\/www.malwaredomainlist.com\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    Remember to review the terms of use for each list before using them.<\/p>\n
    Step 2: Configure Squid to Use the Ad Blocking Source File<\/h2>\n
    Next, you need to configure Squid to use the ad blocking source file you just downloaded. Open the Squid configuration file in a text editor:<\/p>\n
    \r\nnano \/etc\/squid\/squid.conf\r\n<\/pre>\n
    In the configuration file, add the following lines:<\/p>\n
    \r\nacl ads dstdom_regex \"\/etc\/squid\/ad_block.txt\"\r\nhttp_access deny ads\r\n<\/pre>\n
    The first line creates an access control list (ACL) named “ads” that matches the domains listed in the ad_block.txt file. The second line denies HTTP access to these domains.<\/p>\n
    Step 3: Restart Squid<\/h2>\n
    After making these changes, save and close the configuration file. Then, restart Squid to apply the changes:<\/p>\n
    \r\nsystemctl restart squid\r\n<\/pre>\n
    That’s it! Squid is now configured to block ads. Your users should now enjoy an ad-free browsing experience.<\/p>\n
    Commands Mentioned:<\/h2>\n