# Will large hosts file impact performance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Newbie\ **Created:** [May 11, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976 "2022-05-11T16:54:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chromian](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/chromian/32/58593_2.png) [@chromian](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/chromian)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/1 "2022-05-11T16:54:27Z")
There are aur packages like hosts-update, tblock, hblock, hostsblock etc that modify the `hosts` files to deny traffic to ads and other malware. The size of the modified `hosts` files can easily run from several kilobytes to several megabytes. So will this effect the performance of the system? Isn’t the system searching all these entries everything it connects to the system? How is the performance effected especially on, say, a 15 year old computer? ---
**Author:** ![dalto](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/dalto/32/5577_2.png) [@dalto](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/dalto)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/2 "2022-05-11T17:05:33Z")
> [@chromian](#): > > So will this effect the performance of the system? Yes. The question is, will it be a meaningful or noticeable performance change. > [@chromian](#): > > How is the performance effected especially on, say, a 15 year old computer? The best way to find out is to try it on your machine and see. It is easy to add and remove so just try it and see if there is any impact. ---
**Author:** ![chromian](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/chromian/32/58593_2.png) [@chromian](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/chromian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/3 "2022-05-15T19:07:59Z")
I used a 48MB `hosts` files and my _old_ system choked up. I used `systemd-resolved`. I configured `nsswitch.conf` to first use the `hosts` file; next I configured it to use `resolved` since `systemd-resolved` caches the entries. Neither worked. Websites didn’t load. While `drill endeavouros.com @1.0.0.1` gave a result the wait was indefinite with `drill endeavouros.com`, when using the default DNS service. Since the size of the hosts files impacts the performance, I decided not to use a _custom_ `hosts` file. Also I think it would be _okay_ on most modern systems but mine is a dinosaur. ```auto > inxi CPU: dual core Intel Core2 Duo E7400 (-MCP-) speed: 2792 MHz Kernel: 5.17.7-arch1-1 x86_64 Up: 5h 58m Mem: 2650.6/3484.8 MiB (76.1%) Storage: 2.22 TiB (66.3% used) Procs: 192 Shell: fish inxi: 3.3.15 ``` ---
**Author:** ![system](https://forum.endeavouros.com/uploads/default/original/2X/9/9ea52f9fd5ef8e609e593c362d61a36295f48be8.png) [@system](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/4 "2022-05-17T19:08:43Z")
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**Author:** ![mbod](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/mbod/32/16833_2.png) [@mbod](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/mbod)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 7:50am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/5 "2022-05-26T07:50:05Z")
Just today I saw this post but could not reply anymore because it was closed: > [@Will large hosts file impact performance?](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976): > > There are aur packages like hosts-update, tblock, hblock, hostsblock etc that modify the hosts files to deny traffic to ads and other malware. The size of the modified hosts files can easily run from several kilobytes to several megabytes. So will this effect the performance of the system? Isn’t the system searching all these entries everything it connects to the system? How is the performance effected especially on, say, a 15 year old computer? This is for @chromian If you want to use a large hosts file, for example to block malicious servers or ad/tracking servers, you could use dnsmasq. This would even boost your dns performance because it has a very efficient dns cache. [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dnsmasq](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dnsmasq) dnsmasq is handling official blocklists like [https://github.com/notracking/hosts-blocklists](https://github.com/notracking/hosts-blocklists) I am using dnsmasq with this blocklist since a long time and I am very happy with it. ---
**Author:** ![dalto](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/dalto/32/5577_2.png) [@dalto](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/dalto)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 11:03am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/6 "2022-05-26T11:03:44Z")
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**Author:** ![chromian](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/chromian/32/58593_2.png) [@chromian](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/chromian)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/7 "2022-05-26T15:39:02Z")
Thanks, that looks interesting. I will keep it as an option since I am currently testing out [blocky](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/blocky-bin). It is a DNS proxy with built in support for encrypted DNS and block lists so it’s rather easy to use. If you are looking for something simple maybe you should try it too. ---
**Author:** ![chromian](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/chromian/32/58593_2.png) [@chromian](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/chromian)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 3:53pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/8 "2022-05-30T15:53:26Z")
For any one interested in this, as in, locally blocking ad/marlware etc using DNS: - I said my system choked up and couldn’t handle large hosts files but I used a program called [tblock](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/tblock). Maybe your latest computer can totally handle it. I will bet on it. - If you are going the blocking by `hosts` route, remember the `hosts` file will point the browser to `0.0.0.0` or `127.0.0.1`. In some cases there will be a wait/delay when loading while the browsing waits to see if it gets a reply from `127.0.0.1`. In order to quicky end the request you need to use an app like [pixelserv-tls](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/pixelserv-tls). - Something that worked on my computer is using `rpz` files. You use, a DNS resolver, `knot-resolver` and point it to an `rpz` file that contains the urls you want to block. - Read [this blog](https://blog.frehi.be/2019/02/26/knot-resolver/) on how to do it. If you install from `AUR` the systemd service files are already there, you just need to edit them. Also read [my comment](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/bad-experience-with-systemd-resolved/27437/34). - You can get `rpz` files from people who provide “ad/malware block lists”. Energized is a good example. Look for the `rpz` [heading in the table](https://github.com/EnergizedProtection/block#packs-1). - Performance with `knot-resolver` while blocking ads with an `rpz` file is pretty good. I try and query a blocked url in the file (`drill `) which is 20 MB and it takes about a 1ms to get a response which is pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://forum.endeavouros.com/uploads/default/original/2X/9/9ea52f9fd5ef8e609e593c362d61a36295f48be8.png) [@system](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 3:53pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/will-large-hosts-file-impact-performance/26976/9 "2022-06-01T15:53:32Z")
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