Table of Contents
How to Bypass Firewalls: In this age of technology, almost all schools and workplaces have firewalls. This makes sure that students or teachers don’t go to dangerous sites, which protects them from phishing attacks and other cyber threats. Basically, it checks to see if the site you’re trying to get to is allowed and blocks any data packets that don’t follow the security rules.
But the level of security is different depending on the type of firewall your institution has (packet filtering, circuit level, etc.). Most institutions block sites that aren’t appropriate and don’t follow their Acceptable Use Policies. But some schools and colleges can do this to keep their students from playing games or surfing the web for fun, so they can stay focused on their studies.
How to Bypass Firewalls
Using a VPN
Select a VPN. Like proxies, there are countless Virtual Private Network (VPN) services available. Popular ones include NordVPN and ExpressVPN, but you’re free to choose the one that fits your needs (and price range if you plan on purchasing a membership).
- If the firewall or Internet filter that you’re attempting to bypass is on a library, work, or school computer, you most likely won’t be able to use a VPN since doing so will require changing your computer’s settings.
- Unlike proxies, VPNs will hide any online browsing while they are active.
- Most VPNs are free to test, but eventually cost a small monthly fee (or a discounted annual one).
- Want to save some money on a VPN membership? Check out wikiHow’s coupon pages for ExpressVPN, NordVPN,
- Subscribe to your VPN. Most VPNs will require you to create an account in order to sign up, at which point you’ll be given a server address, password, username, and/or other information needed in order to connect.
- Open your computer’s or phone’s VPN Settings page. The steps for doing so vary depending on your operating system and whether you’re using a computer or a mobile
- Enter your VPN’s details. This section will vary depending on the kind of VPN you’re using, what kind of authentication your VPN requires, and more.
- Connect to the VPN. Again, this will vary depending on your platform
Access Your PC Remotely
You can use any computer to connect to your home computer from anywhere by using a third-party server. For example, if you think someone is blocking you from certain websites, you can use this method to get around their firewall and get full access to the websites.
Using a Web-Based Proxy
- Open a web browser. Click or double-click the app icon for whatever your library computer’s default Internet browser is.
- Go to a proxy site. There are countless free proxy sites available for you, but some popular ones include the following:
- Find and click the search bar. You’ll usually find the “URL” or “Website” text box in the middle of the page.
- Enter a web address. Type the web address of a blocked site (e.g., “www.facebook.com”) into the text box.
- Press Enter. Doing so will prompt the proxy to begin loading your website.
- Browse unrestricted. Using the proxy’s tab, you should be able to access any previously blocked websites. Keep in mind that you’ll need to stay within the proxy’s tab to do this; opening a new tab or browser window and attempting to access blocked content from there will result in failure.
Use Your Smartphone as a Wi-Fi Hotspot
If you can’t figure out how to get past the firewall, you could try turning your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot. So, you won’t have to use your school’s network to connect to the internet. It will use up your cellular data, especially if you don’t have an unlimited data plan, but it will save you the trouble of getting around the school firewall. Check out how to connect a cell phone to a PC or laptop to learn more.
Use SSH tunnel
Tunneling over SSH moves your traffic securely almost the same way as a VPN. If you have a remote-accessible SSH server, you can use tunneling to reroute traffic through the secure connection and get around firewall blocks on your school or work network. You can still surf the web the same way, but it’s a bit slower because you’re not at the SSH server’s location.
What Is a Firewall?
A firewall is the last thing that companies and countries can do to protect their networks from being attacked. Through a set of rules, firewalls keep bad traffic out without invading users’ privacy or limiting their bandwidth. They can be software or hardware, depending on your needs, but you need one installed to protect yourself from viruses.
A firewall can protect an individual’s computer in the same way that it protects and monitors all web traffic. A firewall does this by blocking or sorting data packets that try to get into your device. This keeps malicious code from getting into other systems that don’t have firewalls.
FAQ
Is it possible to bypass a firewall?
Even though most of them cost money, the most reliable way to get around internet filters is to use a VPN service. It might help to use a free web proxy like UltraSurf or HideMe, but some firewalls block these services. You can completely avoid the network if you use your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot.
How to bypass firewall without VPN?
To get to these sites, you can use short links like TinyURL or Bitly. You can also use the IP address of a restricted site instead of its URL. Lastly, you can use a proxy site like ProxFree. Your network may block some proxy sites, so you may have to use a different one.