ACCESS BLOCKED WEBSITES

ts become a common practice in the workplace, universities, schools to block access to websites and only allow the filtered content deemed permissible by the computer administrator. So, how do you access blocked content on your Laptop,  iPhone or any mobile device?  How will you post status updates on Facebook through iPhone using Wifi?

The Problem – Blocked Websites

You might be connected to the internet using Wifi but the internet has now been reduced to just a handful websites according to the whims of the system administrator.

• Safari can not open web pages and shows errors
• Applications also can not browse the web
• Even “Keywords” can be blocked in addition to  the websites

The Solution(s)

Proxy

You can use proxy websites to access the content. The proxy hides the data from the firewall allowing you to browse freely.

• Easiest method
• Free

Administrator also block popular proxies. So, its just a matter of time that your admin finds it out and again blocks you out. It is also not advisable to access websites that require secure connections (SSL) over proxies as its vulnerable to interception.

Quick Hacks

There are some quick hacks that might work depending upon how well your admin has configured your firewall. Some of these techniques may work or all may fail. Nonetheless, one can try to see if they work for you.

1. Using IP Instead of URL

This depends on the software/application used. Sometimes blocked sites are stored as a list of URLs  and typing the IP instead of the URL might sometimes work.

2. Redirection with Short URL service

Sometimes the URL you intend to browse might be ban, but converting them to another a shorter URL with short URL services might just help you to bypass the settings.

3. Google Cache

Search engines like Google and Yahoo cache webpages and these cached pages are stored in search engines themselves, which likely will be added to the blocked list. Click on the ‘cache’ will bring you to a cache version of the page, as updated as how Google caches it.

Use a VPN

Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a network technology that creates a secure network connection over a public network such as the Internet or a private network. With VPN you can access blocked websites and it is the most effective way. True Geeks use VPN (Pun intended). There are both Free and Paid VPN services available. Example : proXPN