This article applies to:

• Web Filter/R3000

Question:

• What should I know about blocking the "Banner/Web Ads" category?

Information:

By default, the web filter's Apache web server can spawn a maximum of 50 simultaneous clients (block page instances).  This is more than adequate for most customers.  However, by blocking the "Banner/Web Ads" category, the number of simultaneous block pages required increases exponentially.

Consider this: when you browse to almost any major website nowadays, the front page alone might contain half a dozen embedded ads.  For each ad, the web filter has to spawn a separate block page... and that's just one page/hit.

Normally, you won't see half a dozen block pages, because most websites aren't coded to display pages inside the frames.  Occasionally, you might see a frame with a block page inside.

Generally, it is not adviseable to block the "Banner/Web Ads" category.  Not only due to the web server performance issues, but also because many sites don't start the video or audio stream until the banner/ad has displayed and "triggered" the web server to start serving the requested content.

If necessary, technical support can increase the number of simultaneous block pages that your web filter can serve.

Notes:

See related article, "Blocking the "Edge Content Servers/Infrastructure" category":

https://support.trustwave.com/kb/article.aspx?id=12485&query=edge+content