Having your connection to a website interrupted can be really frustrating
Perhaps you’ve been blocked from accessing peer-reviewed educational journals, and you must now refer to cheap articles to complete your thesis assignment. Or you cannot check into an e-commerce store to order gear for your next outdoor adventure or log into a social media platform to connect with your online friends.
Whatever the case, it’s reassuring to know that you can implement specific strategies to bypass website blocks and restrictions. This article explores five such tips.
But first, let’s examine some common reasons websites may bar your access to their platforms.
Differences Between Website Blockage and Restriction
The terms “website blocking” and “website restriction” are often applied interchangeably, although they differ fundamentally.
Blocking occurs when your connection to a website’s features, including its landing page and blog pages, is prevented. It differs from restriction, which filters access to specific elements of the targeted website.
But despite the restriction level, you can deploy a website unblocking tool to gain access to unauthorized platforms. More on that later on.
Reasons Behind Website Blocks and Restrictions
1. Known Malware Sites
Certain websites are notorious for hosting malware and viruses. Access to such platforms may be blocked or highly restricted.
2. Security Concerns
Organizations that handle sensitive information, such as financial or security data, may restrict access to their websites. It’s a proactive way to secure critical information from slipping into the wrong hands.
3. Adult Content
Another common reason websites are blocked is to prevent minors and other unauthorized demographics from accessing adult content.
4. Illegal Activities
Platforms that facilitate or advance illegal activities, such as terrorism and drug trafficking, often face heavy censorship.
5. Fraudulent Activities
Websites and internet service providers (ISPs) may filter or block your access to certain websites if your internet protocol (IP) address has been linked to suspicious activities.
Perhaps you shared your Wi-Fi password with the neighbor next door, and they committed major financial or credit card fraud. In that case, your IP address may be flagged on anti-corruption and anti-money laundering websites, limiting your online browsing capabilities.
6. Productivity Drains
Online gaming and social networking are examples of productivity drains. Access to websites that host such content may be restricted, usually to maximize employees’ workplace productivity or keep kids on healthier tasks.
Ways to Unblock Website Restrictions
1. Use VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) unlocks blocked websites by rerouting traffic via an encrypted tunnel, thereby letting you fake your IP address.
Using VPNs is arguably the most effective way to bypass geo-blocked sites, such as Netflix and adult content platforms.
One noteworthy benefit of VPNs is that your browsing session remains private and secure. Besides, some VPN software has advanced features that flag malware and viruses while connecting to insecure websites.
2. Connect To a Proxy Server
A proxy server works similarly to a VPN – rerouting your internet browsing data through encrypted tunnels. The primary difference is that proxies are less reliable at data encryption than VPNs. While many proxies can unlock commonly restricted websites, such as adult platforms, only a few can bypass restrictions by bigger companies like Netflix.
Proxies are also less secure than VPNs. So, extreme caution is paramount while sending critical information like passwords through these networks.
The saving grace is that you can readily use proxy servers without installing software on your computers.
3. Try Anonymous Browsers
Anonymous browsers mask your IP address by rerouting your browsing activity through multiple relay servers.
The Tor Browser is perhaps the world’s most acclaimed anonymous browser. The browser helps unblock websites by transmitting your data via a vast network of volunteer servers.
And while Tor has come under fire for advancing darknet activities, its reliability as an anonymous browser is unquestionable.
4. Rotate Your IP Address
There are only so many websites you can access with static IPs. It’s much less if your IP has been flagged for potentially fraudulent activity.
Fortunately, you can rotate your IP address using a dynamic or rotating IP service. These tools alter your IP consistently, granting you a connection to sites you wouldn’t access with an already-banned IP address.
Note that you’ll need a dynamic IP address from your ISP to unlock the benefits of rotating IPs.
5. Shun HTTP for IP Address
Every website has an IP address that grants nearly unhindered access to its pages.
Rather than connect to sites through the commonly restricted HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) gateways, you could consider accessing through dedicated IP addresses instead.
One way to find a website’s IP is to open the Command Prompt (cmd) and type in nslookup, followed by a blank space and the target website’s domain name. Then, check the “non-authoritative answer” section for the site’s IP address.
Summary
Several factors could cause certain websites to block or restrict connections to their online platforms. However, there are equally numerous ways to bypass these restrictions and enjoy unhindered access to the targeted websites.
The key takeaway is that many organizations restrict website access for valid security concerns. So, while you can go around these blockages, it’s best to exit the platform as soon as you obtain the information you’re looking for.
Lingering on potentially malicious sites may infect your computer systems with aggressive viruses and malware. Cleaning these programs from your system can be both resource-intensive and reputation-damaging.
