Though the internet is meant to be open and unrestricted, there are many cases where websites are geo-restricted, or blocked by a firewall. So, if youve recently come across a website that you want to access but which is blocked for you, worry not, we have the solutions for you. Here is how to unblock a webpage from behind a firewall.

There are multiple ways you can use to unblock webpages from behind a firewall. We are taking a look at all of them individually, and you can use the table of contents below to navigate through this article and try out any (or all) of these methods to unblock websites on your devices.

Quite possibly the easiest way to unblock websites from behind a firewall is by visiting their IP addresses directly. This works in cases where the block has been applied to a domain name, which is mostly the case. Heres how you can visit blocked websites using their IP addresses.

Voila! You would now be directed to the site and access it even if the domain name has been blocked.

A network administrator may restrict certain websites with a firewall to prevent them from being accessed, whether for protection from malicious content or to save bandwidth. If you figure out that a web page has been blocked due to such restrictions, you can sometimes unblock it by switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data.

Obviously, this applies to devices that have a SIM card (or e-SIM). However, even if youre using a device that doesnt have its own cellular modem, you can create a local hotspot from your smartphone and use that to connect your devices.

Times when a site is down or has been blocked but you still need to access it, you can switch to the cached version to retrieve some information from it. For those unaware, the cache is basically an older version of a site that Google stores as a backup and allows access to only limited number of pages. It shows olders versions of text-based sites that you can visit without needing to log in.

While its not a full-on solution per se, many a time you can unblock a site by switching to a mobile or desktop version of the site. You may notice that not both versions of the site are blocked. Heres how to switch between mobile/desktop versions of a website in some of the most popular browsers.

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Safari on iOS/iPad OS

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Safari on Mac

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Chrome on iOS

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Chrome on Android:

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Chrome on Mac/PC

Another pretty simple yet quite effective way to unblock a site from behind a firewall is to access the site in a different language for a different region. For example, by changing your country to India and your language to Hindi, you may be able to bypass the restriction. The whole point Im trying to make is that not all versions of the site may be blocked at once. Therefore, switching to a different version could often do the trick for you.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) has long been a trusted bet for opening blocked websites. What makes it so efficient is the ability to let you mask your real IP address behind a fake one. Thus, it becomes painless to access blocked or geo-restricted sites. For example, if you connect to a US-based VPN server, you will be able to access the geographically restricted sites that are available only in the US. Moreover, VPNs are easy to set up and can also prevent your ISP (Internet Service Provider) from throttling your bandwidth.

Proxy servers are also up to the mark when it comes to opening blocked websites. In terms of functionality, proxy servers are designed to act as middlemen between you and the web. When you send connection requests to a proxy server, it forwards them to the website on your behalf using its own IP address. Thus, bypassing geo-blocks becomes plain-sailing. Its worth noting that a proxy server can return results a lot faster if they have been archieved in the servers local cache. Since proxy servers dont use encryptions, they also do not tend to interfere with your online speeds.

The privacy-centric Tor browser can also come in super handy in letting you unblock a site. If you are wondering how it works, let me tell you that it smartly hides users locations so that they can browse the web without having to deal with censorship.

Just like a proxy or VPN, Tor conceals your real IP address behind a new IP address assigned to you. By passing your traffic through secure relay servers, the Tor browser not only safeguards your privacy but also facilitates hassle-free access to websites even if they are blocked.

Is there any downside? Tor is comparatively slow and also doesnt support all platforms including iOS. These shortcomings aside, if you are on Android or desktop and want to browse the web with improved privacy, Tor browser wont let you down.

In some cases, your modem may assign you a Dynamic IP address which is temporary and remains valid only for a session. So, if you run into a site that is blocked, you can overcome this issue by using a new IP address generated by your modem. And the quickest way to get it done is by just rebooting your modem. Give this nifty trick a shot to see if it gets the job done for you.

A Smart DNS (Domain Name Server) allows you to hide your real DNS address which is assigned to you by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). As your DNS address consists of information that reveals your actual geo-location, replacing the DNS address with a new address where the content is available can help you bypass geo-blocks.

Notably, most Smart DNS services provide a massive list of pre-unblocked websites that you can visit without any restriction. Knowing that Smart DNS services lack encryption, you can access blocked content with the maximum speed offered by your ISP.

Thats pretty much done! So, these are the trusted ways to unblock sites. While VPN services and proxy servers are more reliable for unblocking websites, other tricks like switching to mobile/desktop sites and rebooting modems are very handy. Now that you know various ways to get through, make the most of these hacks to prevent restrictions from letting you access the desired content. Did you find this guide helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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How to Unblock a Webpage from Behind a Firewall - Beebom