There are many times you may find yourself on a network that has blocked some of your favorite websites, or a website that you simply need to access. There are a lot of different ways that you can bypass these blockings. You can use HTTP proxies, socks4/socks5, or web proxies, but for the ultimate performance, it is recommended that you use a VPN when you want to access blocked websites.
HTTP proxies are a good way to try to access a blocked website. Essentially what an HTTP proxy does is connect you to a different server. When you use a proxy you connect to a server that does not have any blocked websites. When connected to this server you do not have to worry about any website being blocked, and you can bypass any restrictions formerly imposed onto your connection.
Socks 4 or socks 5 are very similar to HTTP proxies in a way. When using a proxy you connect to a server with your internet, and then use that server to browse the internet. When using socks you gain an entirely new IP for the time you spend browsing. Either of these makes a viable option.
Web proxies are also, in a way, very similar to HTTP proxies, almost identical, even. When using a web proxy, you will connect to a server on the internet, and from there you will use that server to browse the world wide web however you may want. You can find free web proxies on proxy.org.
VPNs are the best possible choice you have if you want to bypass restrictions and access blocked websites, browse the internet anonymously. VPNs are used widely across the internet by all sorts of people doing all sorts of things. VPNs are used by any character you could imagine. From a school kid trying to play video games on the school’s internet, to a hacker who wants to remain anonymous, to a government official doing, well, whatever they might need to be doing in private.
A list of the best VPNs will include: IPVanish, TorGuard, Nord VPN, Hotspot Shield Elite, Private Internet Access, Spotflux Premium, F-Secure Freedome, HideIPVPN, Pure VPN, Steganos Online Shield, and Vyper VPN. Almost all of these have servers all across the world, a free or trial version, a Windows, Mac, and Moblie supported version, and multi-device support.
You are probably wondering what a VPN does and how it is different from proxies.
When using a VPN you are masking your IP with another IP that is somewhere else on Earth. A common analogy that is used is like a car and a parking garage. If you drive your car out of your driveway and to your workplace, anyone can follow you and watch you, but if you drive your car into a parking garage and switch cars with someone, they would never know the better when you drove back out. This does not, however, give you a free pass to be stupid on the internet. There are many complicated but efficient methods to find out what your actual IP is when you are on a VPN.
So, now you know about a few different ways to access blocked websites on the internet. A VPN is probably going to be your best decision, but the choice is ultimately up to you.