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IP Location Block

By Darko G.

Security & Privacy / Security Scanning & Malware Protection

IP Location Block Review - In-Depth Analysis

Block visitors by country, state, or ISP provider. Protects against spam, login attempts, and malicious access.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.88/10

User Rating

4.6/5 (based on 34+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

The IP Location Block plugin allows you to block access to your site based on the visitor's location while keeping your site safe from malicious attacks. It employs powerful protection methods such as WP Zero-day Exploit Prevention and WP Metadata Exploit Protection.

This plugin uses IP address geolocation to identify and block undesirable access effectively. After installation, you will notice a significant number of malicious attempts logged by the plugin.

With features like native geo-location, privacy by design, and immigration control, you can configure access based on country codes, CIDR notation, and AS numbers. The plugin also guards against brute-force login attempts and minimizes server load during such attacks.

Additional capabilities include blocking malicious uploads, managing bot traffic, and supporting BuddyPress and bbPress. You can customize HTTP response codes and manage validation logs for auditing purposes.

The plugin is designed to work alongside other security solutions and offers extendability through predefined filter hooks. It ensures a clean uninstallation process, leaving no traces in your database.

Comparing to Alternatives

IP Location Block is a straightforward plugin designed to block or allow visitors based on their geographic location. Compared to other geoblocking plugins, it offers essential features without added complexity.

Top alternatives

IP Location Block

Strengths

Simple and effective country-based blocking.
Easy to set up and use for basic geolocation needs.
Reduces unwanted traffic and spam effectively.
Lightweight with minimal configuration required.

Weaknesses

User interface is not very intuitive or polished.
Limited advanced features compared to premium alternatives.
No official pro version with extended capabilities.
Occasional issues reported with whitelist and blacklist rules.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights the plugin's effectiveness in blocking unwanted traffic but also points out some usability and functionality concerns.

Positive highlights

"Blocks traffic from specific countries without any hassle." - arultamilnadu
"Works very well to redirect foreign visitors and prevent spam." - allbutone
"Significant decrease in suspicious login attempts." - dmac
"Only receives visits from target clients, no bots or crawlers." - ibosch
"Works as promised with straightforward setup." - tom4all

Common complaints

User interface is difficult to navigate and not user-friendly.
Whitelist and blacklist rules sometimes do not work as expected.
Limited customization options for advanced users.
No updates or support for a pro version.

Weaknesses

Some users report the plugin doesn't block all unwanted traffic consistently.
Nonce issues reported by users affecting security or functionality.
Lack of detailed documentation for complex configurations.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a simple, no-frills plugin to block or allow visitors based on country without needing advanced features or extensive customization.

Not ideal for

Those who require a polished user interface, advanced geolocation features, or dedicated premium support should consider other options or plugins with pro versions.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes basic country-based blocking and whitelisting features sufficient for most standard geoblocking needs.

Final Verdict

IP Location Block is a reliable and straightforward plugin for users needing basic geolocation blocking without complexity. It effectively reduces unwanted traffic and spam with minimal setup.

However, its user interface and lack of advanced features may limit its appeal for users seeking more control or a polished experience. Overall, it is a solid choice for simple geoblocking tasks at no cost.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free IP Location Block plugin.

Block

Country

Geolocation

IP Address

IP Geo Block

Screenshots

FAQ

This plugin is designed based on the principle of “Privacy by design” so that you can compliantly run it to GDPR. As guarding against personal data breach, IP addresses in this plugin are encrypted and also can be anonymized by default. It also provides some functions not only to manually erase them but also to automatically remove them when those are exceeded a certain amount/time.

However, these are the part of GDPR requirements and do not guarantee that the site is compliant with GDPR. Refer to 3.0.11 release note for details.

Please find the solution in Quick recovery from blocking on your login page at first.

You can also find another solution by editing “Emergent Functionality” code section near the bottom of ip-location-block.php. This code block can be activated by replacing /* (opening multi-line comment) at the top of the line to // (single line comment), or * at the end of the line to */ (closing multi-line comment).

/**  * Invalidate blocking behavior in case yourself is locked out.  *  * How to use: Activate the following code and upload this file via FTP.  */ /* -- ADD '/' TO THE TOP OR END OF THIS LINE TO ACTIVATE THE FOLLOWINGS -- */ function ip_location_block_emergency( $validate, $settings ) {     $validate['result'] = 'passed';     return $validate; } add_filter( 'ip-location-block-login', 'ip_location_block_emergency', 1, 2 ); add_filter( 'ip-location-block-admin', 'ip_location_block_emergency', 1, 2 ); // */

Please not that you have to use an appropriate editor.

After saving and uploading it to /wp-content/plugins/ip-location-block/ on your server via FTP, you become to be able to login again as an admin.

Remember that you should upload the original one after re-configuration to deactivate this feature.

This document can also help you.