Understanding Internet Blocks: IP vs Account vs Device

It’s incredibly frustrating to be locked out of a website. However, being locked out of a website without any idea as to why you were locked out is even worse. Most people use the term “ban” without actually knowing that there are 3 different ways a platform has the ability to block access to users.

Each type of block is focused on a unique aspect of the user’s digital identity. When you know which type you are dealing with, you can avoid wasting time troubleshooting things that do not apply to your situation.

So what are the differences between the 3 types of access blocks? Below, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide to understanding how modern internet access blocks work, along with the differences between them.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• IP blocks target your network; Account blocks target your credentials; Device blocks target your specific hardware/software signature.
• 89% of browser fingerprints are unique, making device-level blocks extremely difficult to bypass.
• Most major platforms now use “Defense in Depth,” stacking all three methods to verify high-risk logins or prevent fraud.

The IP Block: Quick, Dirty, and Often Wrong

An IP address can be equivalent of your house’s return address on an envelope with every request you send to a website containing your IP address.  A quick way to block someone from accessing a website is by blocking their IP address.

Server admins love IP blocks because they take about five seconds to implement. See suspicious traffic from 192.168.1.1? Add it to the deny list. Done.

Most residential internet connections do not use a fixed address. Because ISPs regularly and constantly change IP addresses around, if someone tries to block you by IP address today, they may be blocking an innocent person tomorrow.  You will be surprised how often this happens.

This is actually good news if you’re on the receiving end of an unfair block. For anyone researching how to get around an ip ban, the temporary nature of these addresses works in your favor. Sometimes just restarting your router does the trick.

Wikipedia’s page on IP address blocking describes the “collateral damage” problem pretty well. One bad actor gets an IP blocked, then that same address gets reassigned to a legitimate user who suddenly can’t access anything. Not exactly fair.

Account Blocks: They Know Who You Are

Account-level restrictions work differently. The platform doesn’t care about your IP or your device. They care about your username.

This also makes sense for financial companies that need to make sure who they are dealing with. For example, your bank wants to know if it is really you. Your social networking site would like to know how to keep track of what you do.  If you get flagged and leave your account, you can’t do anything by accessing the internet through a different WiFi connection (e.g., a coffee shop) because you would still be blocked.

The weakness of this method of blocking is that you need to have an account. If you connect to the internet anonymously, you can bypass that blocking method.  Although some individuals do create new accounts to bypass this blocking method, service providers are developing better ways of identifying this type of activity.

Cloudflare’s research on account security turned up a depressing stat: more than half of all users recycle the same password across different services. So one data breach somewhere can cascade into compromised accounts everywhere else. Your Netflix password probably shouldn’t match your email password.

Device Fingerprinting: The Creepy One

Device fingerprinting does not require an IP address or a login to identify who you are by building a unique profile about you based on technical characteristics and settings you likely didn’t know you shared with anyone else.  Examples of this include the type of browser you use, screen resolution, what types of fonts you have installed, your time zone, your language, and graphics card information.

Your browser type, screen resolution, installed fonts, timezone, language settings, graphics card info. Individually, none of this seems identifying. But stack it all together and the combination becomes surprisingly unique.

According to Wikipedia’s coverage of device fingerprinting, around 89% of browser fingerprints are unique. That specific mix of Chrome 121 on macOS, with a 2560×1440 display, Pacific timezone, and your particular font collection? Probably just you.

Evading device blocks takes real effort. You can’t just grab a new IP. You’d need to meaningfully change your entire setup, or use specialized tools that randomize these attributes. And ironically, using privacy-focused browsers sometimes makes you more identifiable, not less. Running Tor stands out.

Layered Blocking Is the Norm Now

Most serious platforms don’t pick just one method. They stack them.

A suspicious login might trigger IP-based rate limiting, a CAPTCHA, and heightened account monitoring all at once. Fraud detection systems at online retailers typically cross-reference IP reputation, account history, and device fingerprints before approving orders.

This creates headaches for people with legitimate reasons to appear “suspicious.” Market researchers, frequent travelers, businesses managing multiple accounts. The systems don’t distinguish between sketchy behavior and uncommon-but-valid use cases.

What This Means for You

Knowing what kind of block you’re looking at makes a big difference in how you accomplish your goal. IP problems typically clear themselves up when your address changes; account problems require creating a support ticket; and device fingerprint blocks will require technical workarounds.

You will sometimes run into a brick wall and won’t be able to access the platform due to the platform’s decision. However, at least you know what you are actually trying to overcome.

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