How to Block any IP Address

This article explains how to block an IP address on a Windows or Mac computer.

Can You Block an IP Address?

You can block IP addresses on your computer if you want to deny access to specific websites and services. Some websites use more than one IP address. For example, Facebook has multiple IP addresses, so you'll need to block them all. Disabling individual IP addresses may be helpful if Facebook isn't working for you.

You may want to block an IP address to prevent yourself or other users from accessing specific websites. You should also block malicious IP addresses to protect your computer from hackers and bots.

How Do I Block an IP Address From My Computer?

You can block an IP address on a Windows PC using Windows Firewall:

1. Find the IP address of a website you want to block.
   

2. In Windows Search, type Windows Firewall and select Windows Defender Firewall to open it.
   

   

3. Select Advanced settings.

   

4. Select Inbound Rules, then select New Rule.
   

   

5. Select Custom, then select Next.

   

6. Select Next on the next two screens to proceed.

7. Under Which remote IP addresses does this rule apply to, choose These IP Addresses and select Add.

   

8. Select This IP address or subnet, enter the IP address, and select OK.
   

   

9. Add as many IP addresses as you like, then select Next.

   

10. Select Block the connection, then select Next.

    

11. Make sure all the boxes under When Do These Rules Apply? are checked and select Next.

    

12. Give a name and description for the blocked IP address, then select Finish.

    

13. Select Outbound Rules, then select New Rule and repeat steps 5-11.

    

14. To unblock the IP address, go to Inbound Rules, right-click the name of the rule you created and select Delete. Go to Outbound rules and do the same.

    

How to Block an IP Address on Mac

The easiest way to block IP addresses on a Mac is to block them for your entire network via your router. If you want to block an IP address on just your Mac, use the Terminal to create a new rule in your PacketFilter Configuration file:

1. Open Terminal and enter the following to open the PacketFilter Configuration file:

    $ sudo vim /etc/pf.conf
   
   

2. Enter the following, replacing IP address with the address you want to block (for example, 69.63.176.13):

    block drop from any to IP ADDRESS
   
   

   To block a range of addresses, replace any with an IP address. For example:

    block drop from 66.220.144.0 to 66.220.159.255
   
   

3. Enter the following to enable the packet filter and load the rule you created:

    $ pfctl -e -f /etc/pf.conf
   
   

4. The IP address is blocked. To disable the rule, enter this command:

    $ pfctl -d