How to bypass site blocking? Prohibited sites in Russia

Since the spring of 2014 in Russia, the Law on Censorship on the Internet began, which entitles a number of departments without a court decision to block both individual web pages and entire sites. At the moment, access to dozens of information resources is closed on the territory of the Russian Federation. But immediately after the adoption of this law, there were also ways how to bypass the blocking of sites. They were offered a lot of them - from simple, accessible to any user, to technically complex ones, but giving additional bonuses.

Google services

You can also view forbidden websites using certain Google services. If you go to the Google translator page, insert a link to the blocked page in the transfer window and press the enter key, then the necessary page will open. For the correct display of the content, it is desirable to select the "Original" viewing method.

You can also use "Google" -cache. To do this, just open the Google homepage and copy the desired link to the search line, adding "cache:" to it to the left without quotes, then press Enter.

A serious drawback of this method is the inability to view the blocked images, as well as the interactive content of the sites. If the social network suddenly pops up social networks and the question arises about how to bypass the "VKontakte" blocking, for example, the services of "Google" will not help here. They are only suitable for viewing text on static pages.

Opera browser in turbo mode

The easiest way to visit forbidden sites in Russia is to enable the turbo mode in the Opera browser. In this case, the traffic will go not directly, but through the server Opera. Initially, this technology was created to accelerate the loading of Web pages and save traffic, but it was also effective in overcoming censorship. Mobile versions of Opera and Chrome also support turbo mode.

The disadvantages of this method include the fact that the turbo mode does not hide the user's IP address. Also, the compression of images can degrade their quality.

There is a turbo mode and Yandex-browser, but for obvious reasons it is unlikely to be effective as an instrument to combat censorship restrictions.

Anonymizers

Anonymizers are special websites designed, as you might guess from the name, for anonymous surfing. With their help, you can also bypass blocking sites or get on the Internet resources on which you were banned. Some anonymizers also provide an opportunity to choose the country through which traffic will go. In this case, the site you are referring to will take you for a user from that country.

The scheme of work of anonymizers is very simple. You just need to go to such a site and enter the address of the desired page in the field on the site.

Anonymizers can conceal a danger - the owner of such a service has the ability to intercept user-transmitted data, including login-passwords from sites. To protect your personal data, it is recommended to use anonymizers that support the Secure Connection (SSL) feature.

Another disadvantage of these services is advertising banners. However, there are also anonymizers without ads.

Browser Plugins

Chrome and Firefox allow you to install additional plug-ins that extend the functionality of the browser. There are plug-ins for circumvention of censorship.

One of the most effective and yet simple plug-ins is Stealthy . When you use it, just click on the button to direct traffic through the proxy server. When the proxy mode is enabled, the plugin icon will be green when turned off - red.

The friGate plugin is somewhat more complicated to use. It directs through the proxy only the traffic from those sites that are listed on its list. The plug-in has a default list, as well as the ability to add new sites there. The advantage of this extension is the high data transfer rate.

There was already a plug-in, developed specifically to visit exactly the resources that Roscomnadzor introduced into its "black list". The blocking of sites by this agency is carried out by sending Internet providers IP addresses to Internet providers, access to which must be closed. Plugin NoZapret collects data about blocked addresses from the site "Antizapret.info", and then on their own basis independently generates a list of sites that will be opened through a proxy. All other connections will be made directly. This plug-in is convenient because it does not require manual configuration and ensures fast data loading.

It should be remembered that the use of such plug-ins does not provide complete anonymity on the Web, but only allows to circumvent the bans imposed by the authorities of individual countries. In addition, as in the case of anonymizers, the owner of the proxy server through which the traffic passes can, if desired, intercept personal data of users.

Torbrower

Tor is a distributed network that provides users with a high level of anonymity. It is almost impossible to track the real location of the one who comes to the site via Tor, since the traffic passes in encrypted form through several nodes.

In order to use this technology, you need to download from the official site and install the Tor Browser Bundle . There are browser options for Windows, Mac OS and Linux operating systems. Tor browser for the Android platform is called Orbot .

The advantage of using "Torbrower" is that it allows both to bypass the blocking of sites, and to actually do anonymous surfing. Tor technology also allows you to create hidden sites that you can access only through the Tor network. More details about such sites can be found by visiting the Hidden Wiki - a directory of hidden services, which itself is only available through Torbauzer.

Tor also has serious shortcomings. First, it's a low data rate. The point is that network nodes are supported by enthusiasts, so the bandwidth of nodes can vary greatly. It is quite natural that traffic passing through several random nodes is often quite slow.

Another danger is the ability to scan traffic by the hosts of the end nodes, the information from which is transmitted, unlike the intermediate nodes, in an unencrypted form. In order to avoid the theft of passwords, it should be possible to work with those sites that support the https protocol.

VPN

A virtual private network, or VPN, is a technology that allows you to skip all traffic from all applications through a remote server located usually in another country. In this case, the data between the user's computer and the remote server is transmitted in an encrypted form and can not be intercepted by the provider.

The main feature of VPN is that absolutely all traffic goes through the proxy server. If you use multiple browsers, you do not need to configure each of them separately - bypassing the blocking sites will be done automatically.

There are several varieties of VPN. Therefore, it is not superfluous to elaborate on their features.

PPTP - this protocol has been used for a long time. It is supported by all popular platforms and operating systems. You can configure the router to transfer traffic through this type of VPN without installing additional software. The disadvantage of this protocol is not enough reliable encryption. In addition, there may be difficulties with PPTP-connection via 3G-modem.

L2TP is a protocol that provides only tunneling. Therefore, as a rule, it is used in conjunction with IPSec - this bundle also provides encryption. However, if you only care about how to bypass the blocking of sites, encryption is not necessary. This type of VPN also does not require the installation of special software.

OpenVPN is the most common type of virtual private networks. Provides reliable encryption of transmitted information. Overcomes NAT and corporate firewalls when properly configured. To work with OpenVPN, you need to install additional software on your computer.

Most VPN-services are paid. Free VPNs either have a limit on the amount of traffic sent and received, or show ads on the pages viewed. The speed of paid services is also, of course, much higher.

Open proxies

On the Internet there are sites where current lists of open proxies are regularly published. They are a list of IP addresses and ports. This data must be entered into the network settings of the browser, selecting beforehand manual proxy configuration. Also there are plugins for browsers, which simplify the work with proxy lists.

Open proxies can be anonymous or transparent. If you use anonymous proxies, the sites accessed by the user will not know his real IP address and location. When using transparent information about where the user leaves the network, will remain open. But in any case, the blocking of sites by the provider will be successfully overcome.

Using open proxy lists is a rather inconvenient way of circumventing censorship. There are several reasons for this.

• Firstly, the speed of loading pages through public proxies is usually very low.
• Secondly, such proxies are unstable and quickly shut down.
• Thirdly, open proxies can be created by hackers to collect passwords and other personal information of unsuspecting users.

Public DNS servers

Another effective way to freely visit blocked sites is to use alternative public DNS servers. By default, requests for Internet resources are processed on the ISP's DNS server. And if there is a program to block sites included in the blacklist, then instead of the banned site, the user will be shown a stub page.

Using public DNS servers allows you to ignore the locks set by the provider. In order to start using this tool, it is enough to change the network settings of the operating system once.

The most popular alternative server today is Google Public DNS. Its primary and secondary addresses for DNS queries are:

• 8.8.8.8
• 8.8.4.4

Google, in addition to solving the problem of how to bypass the blocking of sites, also promises to accelerate Internet surfing and improve the protection of users from the actions of computer scammers.

I2P Network

The decentralized I2P network is designed to reliably protect the anonymity of the user. This technology is also called "deep Internet", as there are websites, peer-to-peer networks, messengers and other services inside the I2P network that are technically impossible to censor. Invulnerability of the network is provided by encryption and tunneling of all internal traffic. The client program processes not only the information requested by the user, but also serves as an intermediate node for the transit traffic of other network participants. As a result, neither the provider nor the state supervisory authorities can track down the final recipient of the encrypted packets.

The growing censorship on the Internet in Russia has already led to the fact that some popular sites have acquired mirrors in the I2P network. An example is the free library "Flibusta", which opened sites in I2P and Tor.

Another possibility to visit forbidden sites in Russia with the help of I2P is the use of gateways from an anonymous network to the regular Internet. A serious disadvantage of such gateways is the very low download speed of sites. It is expected that as the number of I2P users increases, the data transfer rate will also grow both within the network and when exchanging data with the external Internet.

SSH Tunneling

If you have your own server located outside of Russia, you can solve the issue of how to bypass the provider's lock by using SSH tunneling. The remote server in this case is used as a normal SOCKS proxy.

To use this method, it is not necessary to buy or lease a foreign server for long-term lease. You can resort to the services of Amazon EC2, which allows you to use a dedicated server in an hourly mode at a price of three cents per hour.

Tuning the tunnel to a remote server is easy. It's enough to enter the following command through the console:

Ssh -D localhost: port username @ server_address

Where:

• Port - open port on your computer;
• Username is your login on the remote server;
• Server_name is the host of the remote server.

After that, in the network settings of the browser, you must choose to use the SOCKS proxy and specify the required port and localhost as the address.

other methods

The arsenal of methods for circumventing locks is so wide that a detailed description of each of them can take more than one dozen paragraphs. One way or another, they all boil down to the transfer of traffic through a foreign server, as a result of which the list used by the Russian provider to block sites is useless. Here is a short list of the most interesting ways.

• JAP is a long-known program for providing anonymity on the Web. Passes traffic through a chain of proxy servers. Has a paid mode that increases the speed of surfing.

• Ultrasurf is a project developed in China to circumvent state censorship. Requires software installation. By default, it is configured to use the Internet Explorer browser.
• TunnelBear is a paid application for mobile devices. Uses VPN technology. Has a free version limited to 500 megabytes of traffic per month. Requires customization.
• Onion Pi is a portable device that directs all traffic through the Tor network and distributes Wi-Fi access. Allows anonymous access to the Internet from a computer on which no programs for anonymous surfing are installed. This can be convenient if you have to work with someone else's or a business computer.

Further perspectives

Obviously, in the event that users begin to circumvent the restrictions imposed by the state on access to Internet resources, censors will take additional measures to ensure the blocking of prohibited sites. Methods of limiting the network activity of citizens can be both purely technical and police.

The most popular proxy servers and Tor exit points can be blocked. A ban on the use of VPN by private individuals may be introduced. However, it is almost impossible to limit the use of I2P and products like the JAP program. SSH tunneling will also remain a reliable way to circumvent the prohibitions.

Effective censorship on the Internet is possible only in the event of a complete disconnection of the country from the World Wide Web, similar to how it is implemented in North Korea. In all other cases, you can always find ways to get to the information you need.