CFBlockCountry
Version
1.0
Rating
Compatibility
Votes
Favoured
9
License
GPLv2 or later
Non-Commercial
Type
Views
12116
Date Added
28 June 2010
cfBlockCountry (Plugin)
The plugin cfBlockCountry can be used to block IP address from certain countries. For example if you want to block access of the site from any IP in United States you can use this plugin.
Some important points:
1. It only blocks access to website and not the admin interface so that if you accidently block your own country you can reset the country list
2. We use free DB from MaxMind (http://www.maxmind.com/app/geolitecountry). As per the MaxMind this DB is 99.5% accurate.
3. There are 2 options in the plugin, if you want to use geoip database from local server, you can select the Local option after installing the plugin. But before you select local option please upload geoip folder in the plugin zip file to /libraries/ folder of joomla installation. If this operation is not performed and local option is selected this will cause error on Joomla and you may not be able to access joomla site unless plugin is disabled from DB.
4. The benefit of choosing local option is that you can buy the latest more accurate DB from http://www.maxmind.com/ and use that DB
Configuration:
1. Country Codes: This requires comma (,) separated list of Country codes that need to be blocked. For example US, IN, FR to block IP Address from United States, India and France.
2. Verification: External (default) or Local. External will use CodeFire.in Server to validate the country. We use latest Free DB from MaxMind http://www.maxmind.com/app/geolitecountry. In case you want to use local Verification you will need to install the geoip DB on your server. Please do not enable Local without installing the DB. (Refer below for installing the DB)
3. Message or Redirect: In case a user from blocked country accesses the site, you can display an error message or redirect them to some other site.
4. Text Message: This is the error message that will be displayed.
5. Site: You need to set url for the site where you want to redirect the user example http://www.CodeFire.in
Install GeoIP DB for local option.
1. Extract the geoip folder from the plugin zip.
2. Upload the folder geoip to libraries/ folder of Joomla installation
3. Get the latest GeoIP.dat from http://www.maxmind.com/app/geolitecountry. and replace the existing (blank file with same name)one in /library/geoip folder
4. Enable Local option in plugin settings.
Bug Fixed
===========
1. When Verification is set to Local plugin was not blocking countries. This has been fixed and will be available in new releases today forward (30 June 2010). Thanks to Markus for reporting the bug.
Hi, I installed this plugin and find it very usefull, wathever, I can't really juge its results, but I think it works as it said.
To developper : admin needs to feel all country codes he wants to block , I think it could be better and easier to feel only country you want to allow and block all others, something like : block country = all exept us,ca,fr ... as you can permit only to your choice without searching all country codes.
Thanks whenever ...
To developper : admin needs to feel all country codes he wants to block , I think it could be better and easier to feel only country you want to allow and block all others, something like : block country = all exept us,ca,fr ... as you can permit only to your choice without searching all country codes.
Thanks whenever ...
Great job...works as it says.
1) install plugin
2) setup redirect www
3) setup an external IP database automatically or for local just copy the GeoIP as readme says
4) tested with FoxyProxy IP adresses from various country...WORKS!
thanks
One thing: it should be defined as a Redirect IP tool as well, not just a ban IP.
1) install plugin
2) setup redirect www
3) setup an external IP database automatically or for local just copy the GeoIP as readme says
4) tested with FoxyProxy IP adresses from various country...WORKS!
thanks
One thing: it should be defined as a Redirect IP tool as well, not just a ban IP.
I appreciate the attempt at creating a plugin for joomla using MaxMind...however it did not work for me.
Here is what I went through.... I installed the plugin. I went to configure the plugin....it gives you 2 options... to check the country codes database externally or... to run the db locally. My first choice was to try to run it externally since there was absolutely no setup required (minus entering in country codes, and page message for the blocked user)... after choosing that option I refreshed my website and I was getting a website is not available error... and I dont think it was the plugin at work. Therefore I tried the local option...and I followed the instructions left in the readme file... those instructions told me to move the geoip folder to the libraries directory under my joomla site... then get the .dat file from the Maxmind site, then overwrite the blank file in the libraries/geoip folder... after doing all of that... i got the same results as when i tried to run it externally... the whole website does not work unless I disable the plugin. Wasted a lot time trying to figure this out, and still cannot get it to work properly.
Here is what I went through.... I installed the plugin. I went to configure the plugin....it gives you 2 options... to check the country codes database externally or... to run the db locally. My first choice was to try to run it externally since there was absolutely no setup required (minus entering in country codes, and page message for the blocked user)... after choosing that option I refreshed my website and I was getting a website is not available error... and I dont think it was the plugin at work. Therefore I tried the local option...and I followed the instructions left in the readme file... those instructions told me to move the geoip folder to the libraries directory under my joomla site... then get the .dat file from the Maxmind site, then overwrite the blank file in the libraries/geoip folder... after doing all of that... i got the same results as when i tried to run it externally... the whole website does not work unless I disable the plugin. Wasted a lot time trying to figure this out, and still cannot get it to work properly.
I would like to thank you for this tool. I have tried to develop something like this myself and must admit that your solution works better. I have a few improvements though: It should also be possible to use the professional maxmind.com online country service, for which I have a license code. This is even more accurate than the free database.
I would like to see some further information: Is every page request checked or only once per session, which would prove not such a good solution for those robots, which request a page again and again per session...
Best regards,
Kelley
I would like to see some further information: Is every page request checked or only once per session, which would prove not such a good solution for those robots, which request a page again and again per session...
Best regards,
Kelley
Great idea, but,...
Installed locally on my XAMPP server and it is not working (popuing up an error). also it would be nice to attach a country code list to the extension.
Installed locally on my XAMPP server and it is not working (popuing up an error). also it would be nice to attach a country code list to the extension.
Our site was being attacked by servers in Sweden and China all day. Considering our website is only for people in Missouri, there was no purpose for other countries to be on our site to the tune of 48,000 hits in a day. CPU and Load Averages were off the charts and our site was out of memory and at a stand still. After installation, perfect harmony, total bliss. Great job!
This is a brilliant plugin - essential in fact.
All of us who are running forums as part of our Joomla! sites or have enabled user comments, especially when our user base is relatively local, want to restrict who can access the site in order to reduce spam/hacking attempts. That's what this does, on a country basis using a geo-ip address database.
There are even two modes of operation - external or local. The local option means that you can install the database (free, monthly download from www.maxmind.com) and therefore not be dependent on maxmind's online service being available.
It's early days (I only just installed and tested it) but I would say this is a winner.
All of us who are running forums as part of our Joomla! sites or have enabled user comments, especially when our user base is relatively local, want to restrict who can access the site in order to reduce spam/hacking attempts. That's what this does, on a country basis using a geo-ip address database.
There are even two modes of operation - external or local. The local option means that you can install the database (free, monthly download from www.maxmind.com) and therefore not be dependent on maxmind's online service being available.
It's early days (I only just installed and tested it) but I would say this is a winner.
The companies website hasn't been online long and it seems they are based in India. But my loathing of spammers trumped my caution of new products without reviews.
I'm not a joomla expert but this product seems to work ok, and like the review above I tested it on my own country which it blocked.
I've no doubt some spammers will figure out a way around it within a week using proxy servers or something but at least for now it works great on my site. ....thanks.
I'm not a joomla expert but this product seems to work ok, and like the review above I tested it on my own country which it blocked.
I've no doubt some spammers will figure out a way around it within a week using proxy servers or something but at least for now it works great on my site. ....thanks.
I needed to block a country because of spamming issues.
This plugin was easy to install even for a novice like myself.
Configuring the plugin is simple, because you can just add the two letter country codes instead of IP ranges.
It works perfectly (I tested it for my own country) and I have not noticed any incompatibility issues.
The developer responded quickly to my inquiry.
In the future it would be nice to be able to block back-end admin interface also and see somekind of statistics of blocked attempts.
Excellent work!
This plugin was easy to install even for a novice like myself.
Configuring the plugin is simple, because you can just add the two letter country codes instead of IP ranges.
It works perfectly (I tested it for my own country) and I have not noticed any incompatibility issues.
The developer responded quickly to my inquiry.
In the future it would be nice to be able to block back-end admin interface also and see somekind of statistics of blocked attempts.
Excellent work!