There could be two different ways that you are being blocked from accessing a website:

• the website itself could be blocking you or
• some content filter could block you from accessing a website

Unblocking Websites That Are Blocking You

Most websites that block people’s access does it by blocking a specific IP address or range of IP addresses. This type of block is designed to block where you are coming from. For example some websites could blocks access to entire countries. The way to get around this type of block is to change your IP address, either permanently or temporarily.

Unblocking Websites That You Are Blocked From

More often, your access to websites, such as MySpace, will be blocked by a “content filter” on your network. Content filters are popular in schools, businesses, and on some public access networks. Content filters block access to websites which are considered undesirable, because they contain content that people don’t want you to see, or at least don’t want you to see right then.

Most schools block access to MySpace, because it can distract students from their studies. Content filters typically block pornography, to keep it out of schools and workplaces. Other content which is commonly filtered includes websites about drugs, politics, religion, gambling, hacking, and entertainment.

The best and fastest way to get around both type of block is to use an anonymous web proxy.

When you use a web proxy to connect to certain website URL, your browser never connects to that website URL directly. Instead, it always connects to the proxy server, and asks it to get the website for you.

A proxy server receives from you a request for an internet service, such as a request for a webpage. The proxy server looks in its local cache of previously downloaded web pages. If it finds the page, it returns it to you without needing to forward the request to the Internet. If the page is not in the cache, the proxy server, acting as a client, requests the page from the internet. When the page is returned, the proxy server forwards it to you.

A network bans a website either by its IP, its domain name or part of it.

When using a web proxy, your network can see only the web proxy name and address and not the actual destination of the user. A web proxy site loads the desired destination address and displays it to you as it was part of the web proxy site. The admin of the network will think everything is fine and you are free to reach the site that is banned.

The only thing that might happen is that the admin ban the web proxy as well, but this is not a big deal either. Hundreds of web proxies exist, just switch to a new one and you are ready to visit the banned site again.

A web based proxy is a web site service that allows you to get around your internet provider and browse the internet using the proxy website. All you need to do is type the website address you would like to visit in the form they provide, and start browsing. Once you keep browsing using that form, you are protected and your real IP address is not known to the web sites you visit and therefore cannot be logged.