There are a variety of reasons why you might be unable to access certain websites.
You may not realise how much of the internet is blocked due to factors such as your school's or employer's network, government censorship, lack of GDPR compliance, or your geographical location.
A virtual private network (VPN) allows you to bypass these blocks and see content that would otherwise be inaccessible. In this post, we'll show you how to mask or switch your location and unblock sites.
Table of Contents:
Unblock Websites & Restricted Websites: Using a Good VPN 🎛️
How can a virtual private network bypass online blocks and censored sites?
VPNs not only protect your privacy and security while you're online, but also make it seem like you're in a foreign country. Among these are anonymity and the ability to access restricted information based on your location.
This is because these apps encrypt your data and prevent other parties from eavesdropping on you. Connecting to a virtual private server masks your true location and replaces your IP address with one belonging to the VPN service.
You can conceal your location and access banned websites by switching to a new IP address, which might be located in another country or even inside your own. By doing so, you may bypass regional blocks on otherwise accessible sites like torrent trackers and video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, as well as access content-restricted sites like those mentioned above.
VPN Guide: Bypassing Geographically Restricted Content 📁
VPNs make it shockingly simple to access geo-restricted content. Once you've settled on an ISP, optimising your online experience is as simple as taking these measures:
- ✔️ Download: Get a trusted VPN app and install it on your device.
- ✔️ Choose Server: Launch the app and connect to a server in a different IP or country.
- ✔️ Surf: Do your surfing while you wait for the VPN to connect.
⭐ Pro Tip: Obfuscation, stealth mode or running TCP via Port 443 is recommended if you are attempting to access material that is blocked in your country. This will protect your online activity from government censorship.
1. Download a VPN
Grab a VPN you can trust.
Check out our VPN purchasing guide as a starting point. Alternatively, if you are a student, check out the top cheap VPNs for college. Your app or a browser add-on can be downloaded to encrypt all of your online activity. Keep in mind that browser add-ons are more practical on a school computer. Enter your login credentials.
2. Use a VPN Tunnel
Use an encrypted tunnel.
Try to find a server that is physically close to you. The new IP address should make it possible to bypass internet restrictions in places like China, which uses the Great Firewall (and if you're in Hong Kong, check out our recommendations for the best Hong Kong VPNs).
Since your IP and traffic will be concealed, you'll be able to visit any website you choose, even those with limited access or forbidden content. The top virtual private networks for bypassing censorship are those that assign you a different IP address each time you connect to the internet.
If you're interested in learning more about great VPNs with dynamic IP addresses, we suggest reading our reviews of ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and IPVanish.
Accessing at Work or School 🚌…
How to access restricted sites at work or school.
It's common knowledge that certain websites may be blocked in places like schools, colleges, and workplaces if they're judged improper or disruptive.
However, these limitations might be excessive at times. If you wish to contact the outside world in any manner, shape, or form, you may need a technique to unblock the sites that allow you to do so.
This, then, is what you should try. It's possible that you may set up a VPN on your own work computer and use it whenever you want. If you are utilising a shared computer at school or your workplace doesn't provide you with a dedicated workstation, you won't have this pleasure.
A proxy website, which does not need any software to be installed, might become your greatest friend in this situation. Using an IP address rather than a web address or turning the page to a PDF are two more viable options for bypassing network filters at school or the office.
Tip ⭐: Try one of our top VPN providers.
Conclusion: How can you get access to restricted sites?
We recommend looking for a virtual private network with the following capabilities if you want to bypass censorship imposed by GDPR, geo-limits, network restrictions on school and work WiFi, or any other means:
- ✔️ Change location data
- ✔️ No logs policy or no logs at all
- ✔️ Quick servers
- ✔️ Strong security measures
- ✔️ Stealth (or obfuscation) technology
- ✔️ Robust ciphering
- ✔️ International servers
In this way, you may protect your personal information while still receiving top-notch service. We suggest a VPN that places a premium on privacy (via no/zero logs rules and obfuscation technologies) if you are trying to bypass restrictions in a country like China.
This concludes our exploration of the causes and remedies for website blocking. Unblocking websites is a risky business, especially in countries like China. While using a virtual private network is not illegal in the United Kingdom, you should nevertheless exercise care.
If you want to view a Netflix movie that isn't accessible in your location or if you reside in a country where most foreign websites are prohibited, having a plethora of alternatives to unblock sites is really freeing. Plus, even IT newbies can do it with the help of software tools like NordVPN.
It's comforting to know that even if someone tries very hard to censor the internet, there will always be others working on methods to protect your access to knowledge.
FAQs: Understanding Unblocking Sites 📚
Is it OK to bypass a firewall?
As long as you're not torrenting pirated material or otherwise breaking the law, using a virtual private network or a proxy server in the West is perfectly OK.
If you wish to unblock Facebook at work for personal use, you are not breaking any laws by doing so. Yes, you break company rules and might perhaps face repercussions, but that's about it. The same holds true for accessing material that is normally blocked in your country while using services like Netflix or YouTube. While not unlawful per se, doing so is in violation of the site's TOS.
Keep in mind, nevertheless, that not all nations are the same. There are far tighter rules regarding VPN use in countries like China, Saudi Arabia, or North Korea (all of which are on Reporters Without Borders' list of “Enemies of the Internet”). Before attempting to access blocked websites like Netflix, it is wise to familiarise yourself with the restrictions of your own jurisdiction.
Why are certain websites being blocked?
There are a number of potential causes if a website is inaccessible.
Fortunately, there is generally a solution to remedy this issue on your own, whether you inadvertently left the parental control filter on or the site became blacklisted by the government.
- 📖 Censorship. A good VPN is one of the few methods to access info that may be deemed offensive by certain governments due to political or religious bias.
- 📖 Geo-blocking. Due to copyright agreements, most streaming services provide different material to users in various regions. Proxy servers and VPNs provide access to content that would otherwise be blocked in your jurisdiction.
- 📖 Workplace rules. Websites with questionable, unlawful, or otherwise objectionable information may be blocked at certain schools, colleges, and workplaces. However, in an effort to boost productivity or save bandwidth, even fully secure sites are often restricted.
Do any free VPNs work to bypass geo-restrictions?
While using a free service might help you save money, it may also compromise your security. You should bear the following in mind before opting for a free VPN service in order to unblock websites:
- ❎ They often come with data and speed caps.
- ❎ Some of them lack the ability to geo-spoof, employing only a few servers and IP addresses, making them easy targets for being blocked.
- ❎ The obfuscation offered by free services is often insufficient to bypass typical network barriers.
- ❎ Free services sometimes keep tabs on their customers and sell information to other parties. This compromises your privacy and defeats the point of using VPNs in the first place.
We've tested several amazing low-cost VPNs that provide exceptional value for the money, proving that a solid VPN doesn't have to be pricey. If you want to learn more, visit our cheap and reliable VPN website.
