Does ABP only block ad when it sees its in wifi mode?

Everything about using the stand-alone Adblock Plus app on Android
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LWNY
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:33 pm

Does ABP only block ad when it sees its in wifi mode?

Post by LWNY »

Hi,

I know this issue is covered a million times, but it never made sense why ABP doesn't block ad in mobile data mode even when all the instructions are followed.

I have a LG F6 w/Android 4.1.2 unrooted on t-mobile, and I can see ABP is blocking in wifi mode when the proxy is set to localhost/2020. But when I tried it in data mode, by following the usual routine of creating a 2nd AP with the same parameters as the orig AP except for proxy being localhost/2020, ads are not blocked. Trying to rule out it being some arcane root access issue, I set the proxy port to 2021 (or kill ABP) and non of my apps can access the cybercloud. Thus I know all my data goes thru ABP in data mode, but it somehow it doesn't do any filtering.

Is the phone encapsulating all the data to t-mobile's own proxy, thus ABP can't discern ads from real data?
jimimaseye
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:33 pm

Re: Does ABP only block ad when it sees its in wifi mode?

Post by jimimaseye »

I followed this procedure and it works fine straight away: forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=22561 I see no need/reference to creating a "2nd AP".
LWNY
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:33 pm

Re: Does ABP only block ad when it sees its in wifi mode?

Post by LWNY »

jimimaseye wrote:I followed this procedure and it works fine straight away: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=22561 I see no need/reference to creating a "2nd AP".
I saw that thread among various others. I had to create a 2nd AP because the default one cannot be modified on my phone, as indicated in this post:

forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=22561#p122848
Most US carriers won't let you change this. BUT, you can ADD another using the Menu key and duplicate everything in the standard one and then add the proxy and call it something else. Once you've created it, select it and you are good to go. It works great for me on AT&T.
Does ABP need to modify the hosts file, and since it cannot do that on a non-rooted phone, it cannot block ads?
lewisje
Posts: 2743
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:07 pm

Re: Does ABP only block ad when it sees its in wifi mode?

Post by lewisje »

ABP for Android works strictly as a proxy, not by modifying the HOSTS file; IIRC it can set itself up as the proxy on all connections if the phone is rooted, but if it is not rooted, ABP will need to be manually set as a proxy for each Wi-Fi network, and it cannot be set up to filter ads on cellular connections if the phone is not rooted.
There's a buzzin' in my brain I really can't explain; I think about it before they make me go to bed.
LWNY
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:33 pm

Re: Does ABP only block ad when it sees its in wifi mode?

Post by LWNY »

lewisje wrote:ABP for Android works strictly as a proxy, not by modifying the HOSTS file; IIRC it can set itself up as the proxy on all connections if the phone is rooted, but if it is not rooted, ABP will need to be manually set as a proxy for each Wi-Fi network, and it cannot be set up to filter ads on cellular connections if the phone is not rooted.
thanks for the info. but then all these other posts saying they are getting ads blocked on mobile data connection w/o rooting the phone. I also don't know why ABP would just stop blocking ads in one mode even though it is still actually acting as a proxy in both wifi and mobile data mode (if ABP dies, I lose all internet access in both wifi and data mode).

I also tried it with a Nexus 7 w/tmobile, it also doesn't block ads in mobile data mode. Maybe tmobile APN encapsulates the packets before sending it to the proxy so ABP can't see the actual packet as non-root user?
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