How to Make UBlock Origin Even Better at Blocking Ads in Firefox
Firefox is one of the best browsers for blocking ads and crappy web trackers, and you can make it even better using nuke-’em-all browser extensions like uBlock Origin . Now, Ghacks and GitHub users point out that uBlock Origins can even block new types of ads, trackers, and website content that browsers like Chrome can’t (or can’t), even with the add-on installed.
This special content uses canonical name (CNAME) records to pass content blockers, informing the browser that the content being displayed is essential primary content that needs to be displayed on the website. This is not the case if you use uBlock Origin in Firefox, which is also testing a method to block this annoying workaround – adding another argument in favor of the browser over its competitors .
UBlock Origin’s advanced CNAME blocking capabilities for Firefox are currently in beta , but will soon be available in Firefox as soon as the add-on version 1.24.1 is released. Whether you’re getting the beta now or waiting for the next stable update, users will have to grant a new permission for uBlock Origin to “access your IP address and hostname information.” After that, you will need to tweak some of the add-on options to enable advanced ad blocking:
- Enter “about: addons” into Firefox’s address bar and press Enter to open the extension’s preferences.
- Click the “…” icon next to uBlock Origins, then click “Options”
- Select the “I’m an advanced user” checkbox and click the gear- shaped icon that appears next to it.
- In the next window find “cnameAliasList” in the list and change the parameter value to “*”.
- Click Apply Changes and then close the options. You may need to restart Firefox
After changing these settings, uBlock Origins will be able to filter out annoying ads and trackers using CNAME records.