Using the school Wi-Fi can get frustrating because of the restrictions they set in place. They don’t want the students to access certain websites and content and hence block those websites from their network.
Therefore, if you’re such a frustrated student, this article is for you.
Today, we’ll discuss many methods using which you can unblock or get access to the sites your school or workplace has blocked.
Let’s get started…
How Schools Restrict Students from Accessing Certain Websites
Now, before discussing the methods to unblock websites, it’s critical to understand how the school restricts you from accessing certain websites.
This happens when you are using the school Wi-Fi network to browse the internet.
The webpages or the internet aren’t at fault, but the school has customized the intermediary router to block websites.
In simple words, when you’re accessing a website using the Wi-Fi network, the connection to the websites gets routed through an intermediary server: Transparent Proxies.
Think of this as a middleman like Amazon.com that connects buyers to sellers.
You can configure the transparent proxies to check whether your web requests have permission to access a particular website.
If your school has denied the permission, then that website won’t open.
School authorities are smart. They create a list of websites they want to block on their network.
Now, what websites make this list?
Usually, the authorities don’t want students to get exposed to addicting internet activities and content.
Hence, ban gaming websites, chatting platforms, and pornographic sites.
While the school deceives most students with less technical knowledge, the smart ones outsmart the school by accessing the blocked sites.
Tips to Unblock Websites at School
Use a VPN Service
You can open the blocked sites on your school Wi-Fi network by using a VPN service.
So, what is a VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network.
As the name suggests, a VPN helps you establish a private internet connection from a particular location.
What happens in the background?
Previously, when you made a web request to open a blocked website, the intermediary proxies denied you permission.
Now, when you use a VPN and access the same website, you’re not sending a request directly to that website. Rather, you’re sending a request to the VPN site.
As the school has not blocked the VPN site, the intermediary proxies won’t stop you from accessing it.
This is where the magic happens. The VPN service knows the destination page and hence redirects you there with no issues.
You can use this method to access any blocked websites from your school network.
There are many free VPNs available on the internet as extensions, applications, plugins, and pieces of software that work flawlessly for all the popular operating systems.
Proxies Can Help Too
Using proxies is another method you can fool the school to access the blocked sites. So, how do proxies work?
Proxies help by hiding your IP address and assigning you a unique one from the location of your choice.
Remember when one of your subject teachers is on leave and a substitute teacher comes to take the class?
Well, proxies work similarly.
Proxies assign you a new IP, replacing the current one.
With a new IP address, the intermediary proxies won’t think that someone from the school network is making the request. Hence, allow you access.
One frequent question that people ask is: Which one is better, between a VPN and proxy?
Well, it depends on your requirements. But both do the job. Proxies are faster, while VPN works at the system level.
You can go with either.
Access Historical Data Using Internet Archives
Wayback Machine is the best internet archive that contains the largest library of webpages, games, audio files, pictures, and more that are on the internet.
How is this going to help you?
This Is the easiest method to access blocked content because if you aren’t searching for recently released content, you can simply visit Wayback Machine to find the information without visiting the website directly.
The only drawback of this method is you can’t access fresh information, but it does the job.
Access Sites through their IP Addresses
Did you know?
You can access a website using its IP address.
Well, most people type the domain name of the website they want to open and click search. But there’s another way to do that.
Why should you do this?
This Is because most school networks block only the domain name of the sites, leaving the IP address unrestricted.
Hence, when you use the IP address of a website to access it, the request will bypass all the checks and fulfill your request.
So, how to find the IP address of a website?
- Open the command prompt.
- If you use Linux, use the ping command. Example: ping Instagram.com.
- If you use Windows, use the tracers command. Example: tracers Instagram.com.
Use Your Personal Network
This method is the last resort you may use. This Is because sometimes the firewall of your school’s network is difficult to break. In such a case, the best thing you can do is use your personal network.
Conclusion
There you have it. You can use the above-mentioned methods to access the websites that your school has blocked. Each method works flawlessly and helps you establish a secure connection without compromising your data.
