How Can I Unblock Proxy Sites?

To prevent users from looking at questionable material, or to keep them off of social-networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, some locations that provide Internet-equipped computers, like schools and businesses, use firewalls and security settings to block websites. One of the easiest ways to unblock websites that are blocked by your location’s server is to use a proxy website. But if the proxy sites are also blocked, you may have to first unlock the proxy sites.

Instructions

Download a New Browser

1. Navigate to the website for a web browser that is not currently installed on your computer. Browsers, like Firefox and Google Chrome, can be downloaded for free online (see "Resources").

2. Click the link on the main page for your particular operating system, or the "Other Systems" link, to get to the downloads for the operating system on your computer. The main page of both Firefox and Google Chrome show downloads for the Windows OS automatically.

3. Click on the "Download" button for your operating system. The selected web browser installs to your computer automatically upon download.

4. Restart your computer. An icon for the web browser you downloaded should now appear on the desktop of your computer.

5. Launch the new web browser by double-clicking the desktop icon. Try to open the proxy site in the browser. Quite often the site will open without a hitch.

Stop the Firewall Software

1. Open the "Start" menu of the computer. Click on "All Programs," choose the "Accessories" folder and then select "Run."

2. Type “msconfig” in the box that comes up. Press “Enter.”

3. Click on the “Startup” tab in the "System Configuration" screen. Find the name of the firewall software being used on the computer in the program list, uncheck the box next to it and click “OK.”

4. Restart the computer. The firewall software won’t load upon startup, which may give you access to the proxy sites.

View the Internet Cache

1. Navigate to Google or Yahoo in your web browser. Type the name of the proxy website you are trying to access into the search box and press "Enter."

2. Locate the proxy website in the search results. It should be near the top of the results, if not at the very top.

3. Click the link that says “Cached” beneath the main proxy page link. This takes you to a slightly older version of the page at a different website address, which usually isn't blocked like the main site.

Tips & Warnings

• Even if someone at your school or company has gotten wise and blocked proxy sites, new proxy sites appear all the time. Check these lists regularly to find proxy servers that your company doesn’t know about: Atproxy, GetProxies, My Link Train Proxy Sites, All Proxy Sites and Working Proxies.

• Stopping the firewall software on your computer should be attempted only if you know the exact name of the software.

References

• Monster Guide: How to Unblock Websites
• University of Wisconsin: Disabling Startup Programs

Resources

• Firefox
• Google Chrome