PeerBlock

Description

PeerBlock is a free (among the few) open source personal firewall. It is being described on the official homepage as a fork of the well-known PeerGuardian 2 software.

Its primary purpose is to block "known evil" machines from accessing yours; to achieve this, it uses IP block lists provided by iblocklist.com.

Note: Individual sites flagged this software as "Discontinued" and there is no new version being released.

PeerBlock Review

Torrent users tend to be a bit paranoid. The use of torrents exposes one to potentially dangerous files. Add in the fact that Internet service providers frown upon the use of torrents and it is easy to see why people are looking for a cloak of anonymity. Enter PeerBlock. This is open source software that is available for upgrade/improvement by the programming community across the world.

Its open source nature means that if you are not satisfied with the software's performance today, you might find it quite useful at a future point in time after the community-at-large has enhanced its features and operations.

What PeerBlock is all About

PeerBlock is a free software program for people who download torrents. Those who use BitTorrent and p2p will find that this firewall provides them with anonymity throughout their file sharing endeavors.

Fire up PeerBlock, select the third party connections you would like to block, and you will use torrents with an enhanced peace of mind. PeerBlock provides extensive block lists which are basically voluminous collections of shady IP addresses. Many of these block lists are free. Others are available for a nominal fee.

Ease of Use

Once you download PeerBlock, fire up the software and you will be greeted by a helpful “wizard.” Follow the wizard's prompts to configure options (these can be re-altered later on) and pinpoint connections to block. It is important to note that the wizard automatically blocks spyware, ads, organizations that are opposed to file sharing and educational institutions.

If you aren't extraordinarily skilled with computers and the lingo of file sharing, don't worry! Each of the PeerBlock setup steps provides a full paragraph of helpful information to explain the nuances of each option. There is also a User Guide you can access on the web.

Add in the convenience of PeerBlock's built-in update scheduler that regularly downloads updated lists of existing threats, and it is easy to understand why people have few qualms with this software's user experience design. Everything is made incredibly easy and intuitive thanks to the software's simple and direct interface.

Is PeerBlock for You?

PeerBlock is a helpful torrent service that heavy downloaders and uploaders have craved for years. This software is an excellent means of controlling the manner in which your computer interacts with other connections over the web. If you would like to avoid specific IP addresses, servers or sites when downloading and uploading files by way of torrents, you will obtain considerable utility from this software. Perhaps you are paranoid about a monitoring group tracking your torrent actions.

Some of these agencies even go as far as selling BitTorrent data to other parties. Or, maybe you are suspicious that the federal government is tracking your torrent behavior. You might even know of specific torrent users who harbor ill will toward other members of the torrent community. Download PeerBlock and place a “block” on these shady connections.