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What is an IP Range?

An IP range is a block of consecutive IP addresses that are grouped together. These ranges are typically owned and operated by a single organization, such as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or a data center.

An IP Range is a block of IP addresses that are grouped together, much like all the houses on a single street share the same street name and zip code. These ranges are often owned and operated by a single entity, like a data center, hosting company, or Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Understanding the Notation

You will often see IP ranges written in a format called CIDR notation, such as: 123.45.67.0/24

The first part (123.45.67.0) is the starting address of the block.

The second part (/24) specifies the size of the block. In this example, /24 represents 256 consecutive IP addresses.

Why IP Ranges are a Powerful Anti-Fraud Strategy

Analyzing and blocking entire IP ranges is a cornerstone of our protection strategy.

Using IP ranges is an effective anti-fraud strategy because it allows for a more efficient and proactive defense against invalid traffic.

Efficiency and Scale: Instead of blocking individual fraudulent IP addresses one by one, a single rule can be used to block an entire range. This is especially useful for managing the IP exclusion limits in platforms like Google Ads. 

Proactive Blocking: Since fraudsters and botnets often use multiple IP addresses within the same range, blocking the entire range preemptively stops potential future attacks from related IPs on the same network.

Identifying "Bad Neighborhoods": When a pattern of fraudulent activity is detected from multiple IPs within a single range, it signals that the entire network "neighborhood" is likely compromised. Blocking the range is a strategic way to cordon off this malicious source of traffic.