PeerGuardian 2:FAQ
From Phoenix Labs Wiki
This section will go through some of the most common questions and problems regarding PeerGuardian 2.
Does PeerGuardian 2 block all protocols?
On Windows 2000, XP, and 2003, PG2 will block all protocols. On Windows 98 and ME, PG2 will only block TCP.
I heard PeerGuardian takes up tons of CPU. Is this still true?
No! While 1.x was a big CPU hog, you shouldn't ever notice 2.x over 1% usage.
Do I need to install any drivers?
Nope. PeerGuardian does this all for you.
What lists should I use?
The only list you need is P2P. Others may want to block spyware or ads, etc. For blocking ads, it is recommended that you use something more tailored for that like the Firefox plug-in Adblock or Proxomitron.
How safe is PeerGuardian, really?
Well, it is accurate in the sense that it blocks everything on your blocklist. It is impossible to know all the addresses to block, so while it will increase your safety to a good extent, it can never be perfect.
PeerGuardian is blocking my favourite site! How do I unblock it?
There are three ways to allow http protocols and IP addresses for your trusted favorite site.
| ! | MAKE SURE YOU TRUST THE SITE BEFORE YOU WANT TO ALLOW THE IP ADDRESS AND/OR RANGE. |
|---|
Right click in the log and add it to your permanent allow list.
If a website you trust is not loading, the chances are that PeerGuardian 2 is blocking it, if you are confident that none of your peer-to-peer or insecure applications operate via HTTP on port 80 or 433 then you can simply allow all connections on these ports.
This means that all traffic on these ports will not be checked by PeerGuardian.
The status screen allows HTTP blocking to be turned on and off via the button shown above. The status text next to it says what is currently happening.
| ! | WARNING: SEE BELOWS STATEMENT IF YOU ARE ALLOWING HTTP PORTS. |
|---|
Is it safe to turn off the "Block HTTP" option?
It is recommended that you add the IP address and/or range to your permanent allow list instead of allowing http. If Block HTTP is off, it is possible for others to sneak in through port 80 or 443 just as a reminder BitTorent uses these ports.
So our recomendation is keep http blocked.
Is it safe for me to turn off or disable PeerGuardian?
PeerGuardian is safe to turn off and/or disable PeerGuardian, that is if you are doing nothing on your computer and are not connected to a network. However if you plan to download something on a network and want to be effectively protect your network and/or computer, we advised keeping PeerGuardian on to keep you safe to known Ip ranges that spy on users that download.
It is really up to the users preference to turn off or disable PeerGuardian, please be careful if you choose to turn off or disable PeerGuardian.
PeerGuardian says "Blocking 0 IPs". Is it safe?
Please make sure you are using the latest version of PeerGuardian. If you still have the problem, try manually updating and as a last resort, deleting the .conf from your PeerGuardian folder.
If I have 0 IP's blocked, how can i fix this?
Blocking 0 ips?
Make sure you are using the correct OS version of PG2. (9x=95, 98, ME)
Step One
Select list manager
Step Two
Click on add URL and select the arrow pointing south/down
Step Three
Scroll down till you see http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/level1.gz and click on it. Then click Ok. It should look like this. Next click on the X in the top right to close the window.
for additional lists you can download them on the sourceforge PG2 area
- Special thanks to Gambit20011 for this info.
Can PeerGuardian replace my firewall?
No! PeerGuardian has been heavily optimized for what it needs to do and is not a replacement for your firewall.
Why can't I run PeerGuardian under my normal user account?
The 2000/XP/2003 version needs to install a driver, something that normal users can't do. You can set the shortcut to run it as Admin, or use the 98/ME version.
PeerGuardian isn't working for me, or is interfering with my firewall. What can I do?
PeerGuardian is known to be incompatible with McAfee and BlackICE firewalls. There is currently no way around this, so we recommend you try switching to Outpost or Sygate. If PeerGuardian still isn't working, you can try a daily alpha builds to see if it's been fixed, or report a bug.
PeerGuardian blocked someone, should I be worried?
Well, it was blocked, so why would you worry? It's when bad stuff isn't blocked that you have a problem.
Where can I report bugs?
PerGuardian 2 reports all crashes to Phoenix Labs so our developers can fix them faster. If you found a bug which doesn't result in a dialog telling you it was reported, you can find more information on our bug reports page.
Can I have two IP blocking tools open at the same time?
You mean like using PeerGuardian2 and Protowall at the same time? no it is not recomended to have two IP blocking tools running at the same time. It could cause a problem with your computer and risking your security, Protowall is known to block Phoenix Labs IP address and that would cause you to fail in all your updates from us here at Phoenix Labs. Plus it is just not recomended to run both at the same time. Choose one or the other "PeerGuardian2 or Protowall" you choose.
How do i know what version of PeerGuardian 2 i am using?
There are a few ways to find out what version of PeerGuardian you are using, the most simplistic and easiest way to determine what version you use is right click on the PeerGuardian 2 icon in the system icon tray on the bottom right hand side of your computer monitor near the clock.
Here you would just right click on it like so. And select the about menu and it will bring up a new window, the about window.
the first line that I highlighted is where you can determine what version of PeerGuardian you are using.
It will give you the version name and date of the release.
| Software name | Software Version | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| PeerGuardian | 2.0 RC1 | (12/??/2005) |
What is actually in the "About PeerGuardian"?
PeerGuardian 2.0 RC1 (12/??/2005)
Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Cory Nelson
Based on the original work by Tim Leonard
This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.
Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose, including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it freely, subject to the following restrictions:
1. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be appreciated but is not required.
2. Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not be misrepresented as being the original software.
3. This notice may not be removed or altered from any source distribution.
Credits:
- Cory Nelson - Programming (http://int64.org)
- Cyril Van Der Haegen - UI Design (http://www.tegehel.org)
- DVDeviant - Graphic Design
- Eric Mayuk - Tech Support
- Fox Lowe- Documentation
- James Shanelec - Documentation
- Joseph Farthing - Documentation
- Ken McClelland - Server Admin
- Logan Attwood - Server Admin
- Sergio Lo Presti - Testing
- Steffen Tuzar - Tech Support
The number of IPs blocked in PeerGuardian just dropped! How do I block them again?
If the number of IPs dropped, it is for good reason. We are constantly updating and fine-tuning our lists, which includes removing safe IPs.
What lists should I use?
The only list you need is P2P. Others may want to block spyware or ads, etc. For blocking ads, it is recommended that you use something more tailored for that like the Firefox plugin Adblock or Proxomitron.
I’ve heard rumors that PeerGuardian is unsafe. Are they true?
They are just that: rumors. PeerGuardian is safe. We are even Open Source, so you can go look for yourself (something the people spreading the rumors don’t offer).
how do i find out if my copy of PeerGuardian2 is genuine?
when ever PeerGuardian2 loads up, it says "Genuine Methlabs Software" inside a popup window.
PeerGuardian is slowing down my connection!
This occurs because of the way PeerGuardian blocks packets, not connections. A work around is being developed, but until it is available you may want to apply the lvlord.de patch.
PeerGuardian blocked someone, with me as the source!
This can happen if you visit a blocked webpage, or if you are using a P2P service such as BitTorrent. It is nothing to worry about.
I have allowed connection logging turned on but nothing seems to be showing up. What’s wrong?
PeerGuardian 2 for Windows 9x does not currently support logging/showing of allowed connections.
what happens if I can not find an answer here on the Phoenix Labs wiki area?
You could do any of the following:
- Search the forums
- If you can not find anything on the forums you could post a question inside the PG2 Tech Support area
- Contact anyone on the Phoenix Labs staff.
- Contact a staff member on the Phoenix Labs IRC chat line irc.freenode.net #methlabs
What are the most common crashes?
Uncaught Exception
This crash is caused by low disk space on your PeerGuardian2 installed hard disk.
When you run out of disk space on your hard disk and PeerGuardian2 can not log your history to the history.db file inside your PeerGuardian directory this window will popup and duplicate itself until you resolve the low disk space issue. This means you need to freeup some space on your hard disk.
To resolve this issue follow these steps:
- close down PeerGuardian2 inside the system task manager
- close all popup windows that was opened by PeerGuardian2
- you need to free up some space on your hard disk to clear up this issue, otherwise you will get this error again when you do the next step
- once PeerGuardian2 is closed, restart PeerGuardian2, by using your shortcut icon and/or inside your start menu.
Can I sell or redistribute PeerGuardian?
PeerGuardian is OSI Certified Open Source Software under a zLib/libpng license, which allows you to sell and redistribute it however you wish so long as it is under terms of the license (the license is very layman level, read it!).
Should I keep "http blocked" at all times?
This answer is recomended by Phoenix Labs to keep http blocked at all times, because when on certain P2P networks like Bit Torrent use http ports (80 and 433) to share files which if left unblocked you could be letting in anti-p2p users and/or companies that could be viewing what you are sharing and you are in real danger of being "sued".
Should I keep PeerGuardian running at all times?
This answer is recomended by Phoenix Labs to keep PeerGuardian on at all times. For your best security available keep Peerguardian running at all times. Why? Well the answer is simple, so that when you hop back on a P2P network and you forget to load up PeerGuardian back up to help protect you. By forgetting to load up PeerGuardian you will open your self up for risk of getting in trouble and/or being "sued" by a anti-P2P company.
How can I tell if I am blocking http?
There are two ways to find out if you are blocking http:
- system task tray
- protection screen in PeerGuardian2
SYSTEM TASK TRAY
In your system task tray where active icons are used in Windows, look for the PG2 logo icon and right click and a menu will open up, please make sure http blocked is checked, if it is not just click on it and http will be blocked from now on.
PROTECTION SCREEN IN PEERGUARDIAN2
When on the protection screen and "http is allowed" 
that means port 80 and 433 is open for attack. Please select the "block http" button and this will block http from now on.
What blocklist is right for me?
there are currently nine lists available for you to download:
| LIST | P2P | P2Bv2 | P2Bv3 | eMule .dat | IP Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADS | ads.zip | ads.p2b.gz | ads.7z | ads.dat.gz | 311000 |
| Bogon | bogon.zip | bogon.p2b.gz | bogon.7z | bogon.dat.gz | 1716978881 |
| EDU | edu.zip | edu.p2b.gz | edu.7z | edu.dat.gz | 163513708 |
| GAME | game-allowed.zip | game-allowed.p2b.gz | game-allowed.7z | game-allowed.dat.gz | 287 |
| GOV | gov.zip | gov.p2b.gz | gov.7z | gov.dat.gz | 14652506 |
| P2P | p2p.zip | p2p.p2b.gz | [1] | p2p.dat.gz | 644441154 |
| PHISHING | phishing.zip | phishing.p2b.gz | phishing.7z | ads.dat.gz | 402 |
| SPAM | SPAM | spam.p2b.gz | spam.7z | spam.dat.gz | 1244 |
| SPY | spy.zip | spy.p2b.gz | spy.7z | spy.dat.gz | 1260192 |
Total of IP's being blocked right now:
- 2,377,645,666
Please choose which list applies to you the most.
Just remember that if a list does not apply with you, then you might not need it, eg: if you are not a student then you really do not need EDU list ranges.
I am getting government IP blocks on PG2, Is the government spying on me?
first things first, if the government was and/or are spying on you right now, it will be on a IP range that is not on our blocklists and is a secret range of IPs, second thing is, if the government was and/or are spying on you right now, they would be doing it on a whole diffrent level.
Your phone, cell phone, ISP and internet service will be spied on and/or will record everything you do and send over the internet, your house might be bugged, need i say more. honestly the most logical reason is someone from that government range is simply on a P2P network and might be doing the same thing you are doing, downloading stuff.
If you have any concerns you can contact fox anytime.
