There is nothing more frustrating than having to deal with access to websites that have been blocked by ISPs. In this case, the entire URL or the link is blocked from showing any content or providing any access when the user tries to access it from a defined region. From public Wi-Fi and workplace connection filtering to ISP and country-level censorship, the number of blocked sites is increasing every day.
Here are some ways in which you may access the ISP-blocked websites.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A virtual private network (VPN) hides the internet traffic by redirecting all the traffic coming from the computer over the VPN. All incoming data would be routed through the VPN server that is being used. The same path applies to the replies sent by the user. Since all of this data exchange happens over an encrypted connection, the only way to block access would be to block VPN connections. The reason that VPNs are not blocked is because they are usually required for connecting to work networks. While free VPN services exist, a paid one would deliver faster and better performance. You can use PrivateInternetAccess and TunnelBear to access ISP-Blocked Websites through a VPN.
DNS Filtering
This may not be a sure-shot way of working your way around blocked sites, but it is still worth trying. A DNS filter requires changing the servers to redirect requests for the blocked websites to another website. A custom DNS should work here if the filter has just been implemented at the DNS level with no blocks being put in place for requests sent to other DNS servers. By creating a custom DNS, it should be possible to bypass the filters that have been implemented. However, this may not be an effective approach. Check out the video below to understand the basics of DNS implementation.
Proxy
Proxies are the easiest and most convenient way to access blocked sites. Even a standard proxy would be able to access the blocked sites. You just need to enter the URL of the site in the given space and the proxy will show the web page in the browser itself. Don’t worry about getting caught. While the proxy displays the contents and provides access to the blocked site, it masks the IP of the blocked site. So it won’t come up. However, a proxy isn’t always reliable so if you need secure access, then go for a VPN. Moreover, there may be ads in the proxy itself which can make it quite frustrating to navigate the blocked site. Proxy won’t work if its IP address has been blocked also. A proxy is good if you need quick access to any site that has been blocked.
The following are some effective proxy sites.
- HideMyAss
- Ninja Clock
- AnonyMouse
- BlewPass
- AnonyMizer
- proxy
- Zfreez
- Vobas
- Don’t Filter
- WebProxy.net
- Vtunnel
- Proxify
- Proxy.org
- New IP Now
- 4everproxy
- Unblock My Web
- YouTube Unblock Proxy
- Working Proxy
- Free Open Proxy
- Proxy 2014
SSH Tunnel
As the name suggests, an SSH tunnel creates a secure tunnel for managing the redirected traffic that needs to reach your computer. In simple terms, the browsing traffic is encrypted, allowing it to bypass filters and deter snooping. The browsing experience would be similar to the one you would have had if you were sitting at the SSH server’s location. The only difference is that the browsing speed would be a bit slower. For those who have access to an SSH server, you can connect remotely to it. SSH tunnel can be created in Windows using PuTTY.Too create the tunnel in other platforms, the SSH command is required.