How to block Meebo ?
I was looking at the query logs for my blog and saw a lot of queries coming in with the query string “how to block Meebo?”, they were hitting a previous blog posting of mine.
Its rather simple to block Meebo, first note that unlike other messenger tools, Meebo does not use a specific port, rather Meebo works over the HTTP port just like any other web page.
So to block Meebo, you simply need to add the “meebo.com” domain to your banned domains list, and that’s it, no more Meebo in your corp network/school.
– amr
Why would you want to post how to ban meebo? Why??? I bet you use it too at work, I just don’t understand it.
Comment by Why? — June 15, 2006 @ 2:00 pmPeople should be working at WORK (ever wonder why they call it work?) not chatting up up with their friends. Corporations and Schools both have the right to block whatever sites they wish.
Comment by Because. — June 22, 2006 @ 1:09 pmIM has been an important part of business communication, and still growing strong. If companies smarten up, they would see the added value of IM in the workplace and maybe they even save some $$ on phone bills. On the other hand if they are really smart, they sniff the network and find out wat their employees are chatting about. So I can’t think if a good reason to block them either.
Comment by Buddy — November 1, 2006 @ 1:04 pmI agree companies should use IM tools, and we do here. However, secured tools such as Lotus Sametime and corporate versions of Jabber are much more secure than using plain old MSN and Yahoo to discuss internal busines.
Comment by Ryan — December 8, 2006 @ 7:03 amYou have to watch out for meebo - it uses the https ports also. So, if you’re running a transparant proxy like I am you have to specifically drop the 443’s to https://www7.meebo.com through www36.meebo.com (and they’re may be more)…
Comment by Andrew — January 16, 2007 @ 6:04 amI have a major problem with meebo, too: i can’t block it.of what i have seen, it practically runs on www*.meebo.com, where * could be any alpha-numerical character or groups of 2 characters. also tried to block meebo’s IPs, but doesn’t really help since there are lots of them. also overruns content advisor passwords, traffic limitations on port 80, nothing. the “best” idea i could come up with is unplugging the network cable from the switch, but i’m afraid it might work as well. if any suggestions, shade_raven_k at yahoo dot com
Comment by Shade — January 29, 2007 @ 6:14 amHere is more info on blocking meebo:
Comment by Meeblow — January 30, 2007 @ 6:28 pmhttp://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070129010604AAm7qnC
I work for a company who has offices in three major cities with teams consisting of members spread over those 3 major cities, so we use IM everyday the whole day to keep the team members up to date and communicating. Doing IM at work can and should be work not just play. Wise up a bit, this is the new age of information availability to everyone. Maybe you are a bit too old school to grasp the benefits of IM in the workplace, ever wondered where the idea behind the internet game from, it was not for making money and entertainment to start with, it was purely invented to allow scientist all over the world to share information, and that is what IM can do, just in real time.
Comment by Marthinus Swart — March 14, 2007 @ 9:01 pmWhile it’s fair to say that people should be working at work, there is a lot to be said for giving your employees some small personal freedoms and showing that you trust them to work as adults and not treat them like children! As more members of a family or extended social network are online all day, such things as emails and IM are becoming more than just fun things to do but a way to stay in touch and organise their life.
I believe that Messenger apps should be a privilege and revoked at the user-level if required, not blanket-banned across a company. If you value the happiness quotient of your workforce you won’t display this abhorrent lack of trust from the outset.
Comment by Rob McInnes — March 22, 2007 @ 3:10 amMeebo is a problem, I already block meebo.com and the IP’s of the servers, but users still conect via HTTPS://
I’m using squid and iptables
any help about how to block https trafic only from meebo.com ?
Comment by Ernesto Canedo — March 26, 2007 @ 11:27 amThe best way to block meebo is not on its IP or URL. The best approach is to block the Java File from loading. (js.meebo.com)
Comment by The Great Munmon — April 10, 2007 @ 8:08 pmhi,
just wanna comment abit bout meebo blocking, I personally think that’s it’s absurd to block it.. I was a victim of IM banned and it turns out my life had went from bad to worst.. Without IM I can’t even get hold of my frens to get an instant news on what’s going on (for me.. out of a sudden my best fren is getting married and I wasn’t inform about it till I make a personal call to him only by then I was told bout it [where else my other frenz knew about before me], the reason why? phone call charges a lot its better using IM, which is free).. another thing is filesharing, why can’t I instantly get a hold of the picture that me & my best fren taken in a bar overnight over IM was that a crime? I’m not sharing it like P2P programs so where is my crime then?
Ok let try to make it out for me then on why I was banned from IM in the 1st place, Yeah.. Rite.. I’m unproductive, I’m careless. I’m blablabla but that’s only on a Boss perspective (for my case the irony is it was not my boss who impose the ban on me rather those other buttlicking dudes).. Yeap that’s rite, my office is full of politic & hypocrites, which I tend to be different hihi I tend to be a sadist. So that means I was given only 1 option left to IM which is Meebo and whoever second the opinion of BLOCKING Meebo then I consider the person as just another buttlicking dude..
For a comment, BLOCKING Meebo or IM is not an ethic issue nor productivity issue rather sort of buttlicker securing their lousy butt, did any of the major company CEO goes hunting down who (their current staff) is using IM chatting in their company?? Tell me, please
Comment by ironclaw — May 11, 2007 @ 12:19 amthe only way to block meebo is blocking 443/tcp wih iptables, I did it like this on my network and works perferct !!
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i eth1 -p tcp –dport 443 -s 172.16.0.0/255.255.0.0 -d 65.19.0.0/255.255.0.0 -j DROP
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i eth1 -p tcp –dport 443 -s 172.16.0.0/255.255.0.0 -d 69.36.0.0/255.255.0.0 -j DROP
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i eth1 -p tcp –dport 443 -s 172.16.0.0/255.255.0.0 -d 216.129.0.0/255.255.0.0 -j DROP
/sbin/iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i eth1 -p tcp –dport 443 -s 172.16.0.0/255.255.0.0 -d 200.39.0.0/255.255.0.0 -j DROP
greetins from Mazatlan, Mexico !1
Comment by Ernesto Cañedo — May 16, 2007 @ 1:56 pmHi
This article was a great help. But i am still having trouble blocking meebo.Not because there is insufficient information posted here but because i can’t act on them properly.
I want to know hot to blcok the js.meebo from loading and also how to make my iptables??? I use firefox.
Thanks
Comment by Gaurav — July 3, 2007 @ 10:20 pmironclaw, you are a moron.
If you don’t like it, find another job. Are you kidding? are you 13? “Frenz”? You’re bitching about being the last one to know about a marriage and not being able to get pictures while you are at work?
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
Employers have the right to have their network admins do everything they can to 1) secure the network, 2) ensure productivity and 3) to protect YOU. By blocking IM situations other than secured ones like the ones listed above, they are helping YOU keep your job because they obviously know that it’s a problem-you chat, you are lowering your productivity and there is absolutely nothing you can intelligently say otherwise. If you do not see that, then quit your job or stop bitching.
Comment by mrC — July 25, 2007 @ 11:48 amHi,
I´ve the same problem and i solved my problem like this:
First
remove all allowed rules to https traffic (only default rule be active)
Then
Create URL set with all https sites needed ex: https://wwwm.xxx.com:443
Second
Create rule Allowed https (protocol https; From internal; to URL set https; users all users; action allow)
Works fine for me
Comment by mfmajor — November 19, 2007 @ 2:18 pmYou can freely chat at your own home and expense but not in the office morons. You were being paid by your employers to work not to chat … here’s how to block meebo bring “meebo” to forbiden sites
Comment by extreme — February 27, 2008 @ 1:15 amI want to block it, so my kids cant use it.. is there a simple way?
Comment by a curious mom — March 3, 2008 @ 7:05 amDo you mean put meebo.com in the hosts file? That didn’t work. Where’s the blocked domains list?
Comment by Karen — June 4, 2008 @ 3:55 pmCan meebo be blocked by restricting it via the browser security option (i.e. place it on the restricted sites list as the administrator)?
The company I work for in the Philippines has extremely limited bandwidth. We have a single 512kbps DSL line coming in through our main office in Manila. It’s further divided when it travels over a leased line to our factory north of the city. There that already slow connection is further split into 30+ computers over a 1-2 sq mile area. It’s basically glorified dial-up. So maximizing my bandwidth is my main priority here and I really could do without people using my pipe to chat with friends.
Like many real IT problems, money is not unlimited or I’d probably just go out and put up an ISA server!!!
Comment by aco — October 6, 2008 @ 7:51 pmIf you are running internal DNS just create a record for www.meebo.com ip 127.0.0.1
Comment by rreagan — October 22, 2008 @ 12:40 pm