What is WAN blocking?
Introduction
It’s a process that prevents the transmission of data over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. It occurs when there are too many packets to be transmitted at once, and it can lead to significant delays in network performance.
WAN blockers work by slowing down traffic on one or more computers within the network, which forces all other traffic to slow down as well. These devices usually operate on layer 2 of the OSI model, which means they filter out unwanted transmissions before they reach layer 3 (the networking part). This way, only those packets with a destination address matching the blockers will be allowed through. The net result is that less bandwidth is available for use by anyone else who might need it.
What is WAN blocking?
WAN blocking is a type of internet censorship that is employed by the government or an ISP to block certain content. The term “WAN” stands for Wide Area Network and this type of censorship is used to prevent access to websites and other content from outside sources. Typically, these blocks are imposed on Internet Service Providers and other service providers and they work by inspecting the packets and looking at the address information in them.
WAN blocking can be done either through domain name system (DNS) filtering or packet filtering techniques. With DNS filtering, the ISP looks up all packets that are coming in for IP addresses and filters them by their domain name. Packet filtering is when packets are looked at to see what protocol they carry, where they come from, and where they are going. If the traffic matches certain criteria set up by the internet service provider or government agency, then the packets are dropped or blocked completely.
How many types of WAN blocking are there?
There are 3 different types of WAN blocking: IP blocking, MAC address filtering, and IP Address Filtering.
IP blocking is a form of WAN blocking that targets a specific device by looking at its IP address. In order to block a device, the system administrator must determine that device’s IP address and then add it to a list. During this process, the administrator will also select how long that device is to be blocked. This could be anywhere from 1 minute up to several hours or even indefinitely.
MAC address filtering is another form of WAN blocking that allows a system administrator to block a device by looking at its MAC address. In order to do this, the administrator must first input the MAC addresses of all devices allowed on the network as well as those which are not allowed. The blocking will take place based on whichever category the device falls into. If the device is not in that category, it will be allowed access to the network.
The last form of WAN blocking is IP address filtering, which can block an IP address from accessing a network by looking at its IP address. During this process, the administrator must also input how long it should be blocked for or whether or not a specific time should be used instead. If it is to be blocked indefinitely, the administrator will have to manually unblock it for as long as they desire.
Why would any company need to use it?
A company might want to use this technology for security reasons. For example, if people are using the wifi for the internet, there may be malware on the network that could harm an organization’s system.
If a user is in a sensitive area of the network, they might not want other users on the same wifi to see what they are doing. It’s also important to note that many companies don’t allow access from outside the internet during business hours. If it turns out a user isn’t using the company wifi when they should be, it helps them enforce that rule.
An organization may not want sensitive documents being sent out or received during business hours. If there are employees that need to have access outside of normal working hours, blocking WAN traffic can help allow them to do so while still maintaining security for the rest of the organization.
When should I use it?
There are two times in which you would use a WAN block:
1) For protection against hackers- when networks are linked to the Internet, they are vulnerable to attacks by hackers. As the networks are much more vulnerable, WAN blocking is used to provide protection.
2) To throttle bandwidth for an individual- LAN users may also be able to benefit from the use of this function. This is because it can help control usage when there are many people in one location or office.
Conclusion
WAN blocking is a technique that prevents people from accessing websites, applications, and other content on your network. WAN blocking can be useful for companies who want to block specific sites or apps during certain hours of the day or week. In some cases, an organization might need to do this in order to comply with laws such as COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) which requires parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13 years old. Some organizations believe they may have legitimate reasons for needing to prohibit access outside their physical location using WAN blocking techniques so employees are more productive at work. WAN blocking is not the same as WAN optimization, but it can be combined with WAN optimization.
