In the spring of 2014, the Law on Internet Censorship began to be applied in Russia, which gives the right to a number of departments to block both individual web pages and entire sites without a court order. 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, ways appeared to get around blocking sites. Many of them were proposed - from simple, accessible to any user, to technically complex, but giving additional bonuses.
Google Services
You can also view banned sites using some Google services. If you go to the Google translator’s page, insert a link to a blocked page in the translation window and press the enter key, the desired page will open. For the correct display of the content, it is advisable to select the viewing method "Original".
You can also use the Google cache. To do this, just open the Google homepage and copy the desired link into the search bar by adding "cache:" to the left without quotes, then press Enter.
A serious drawback of this method is the inability to view locked images, as well as the interactive content of sites. If social networks suddenly fall into the black list and the question arises of how to bypass the VKontakte block, for example, then Google services will not help here. They are only suitable for viewing text on static pages.
Opera browser in turbo mode
The easiest way to visit banned sites in Russia is to enable turbo mode in the Opera browser. In this case, the traffic will not go directly, but through the Opera server. Initially, this technology was created to speed up the loading of web pages and save traffic, but it was also effective in overcoming censorship. Mobile versions of Opera and Chrome browsers 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, compressing images can degrade their quality.
Yandex browser has a turbo mode, but for obvious reasons, it is unlikely to be effective as a tool 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 to those Internet resources on which you were banned. Some anonymizers also provide the opportunity to choose the country through which traffic will go. In this case, the site you are accessing will take you for a user from this country.
The workflow 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 located on the site.
Anonymizers can be fraught with 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 aninimizers that support the secure connection (SSL) function.
Another inconvenience of these services is advertising banners. However, there are also anonymizers without ads.
Browser Plugins
Chrome and Firefox allow you to install additional plugins that extend the functionality of the browser. There are plugins to circumvent censorship.
One of the most effective and yet simple plugins is Stealthy . When using it, just click on the button to direct traffic through the proxy server. When proxy mode is enabled, the plugin icon will be green; when disabled, it will be red.
The friGate plugin is somewhat more difficult to use. It directs through the proxy only traffic from those sites that are included in its list. The plugin has a default list, as well as the ability to independently add new sites there. The advantage of this extension is its high data rate.
A plug-in has already appeared, developed specifically for visiting precisely those resources that Roskomnadzor has added to its “black list”. This department blocks sites by sending IP addresses of Internet resources to Russian providers, access to which must be closed. The NoZapret plugin collects data about blocked addresses from the Anti-Lock.info website, and then on its basis it independently generates a list of sites that will be opened through a proxy. All other connections will be made directly. This plugin is convenient in that it does not require manual configuration and provides 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 you to circumvent the bans set by the authorities of individual countries. In addition, as in the case of anonymizers, the owner of the proxy server through which traffic passes can optionally intercept users' personal data.
Torbrazer
Tor is a distributed network that provides users with a high level of anonymity. It is practically impossible to track the real location of the person who visits the site through Tor, since the traffic passes in encrypted form through several nodes.
In order to use this technology, you need to download from the official website and install the Tor Browser Bundle . There are browser options for the operating systems Windows, Mac OS and Linux. The tor browser for the Android platform is called Orbot .
The advantage of using Torbrauser is that it allows you to bypass the blocking of sites, and to carry out truly anonymous surfing. Tor technology also allows you to create hidden sites that you can access only through the Tor network. You can learn more about such sites by visiting the Hidden Wiki - a directory of hidden services, which itself is available only through the Torbrowser.
The Tor network has serious flaws. The first is the low data rate. The fact is that network nodes are supported by enthusiasts, so the throughput of nodes can vary greatly. It is only natural that traffic passing through several random nodes is often quite slow.
Another danger lies in the possibility of traffic scanning by the hosts of the end nodes, the information from which is transmitted, unlike intermediate nodes, in unencrypted form. To avoid theft of passwords, you should whenever possible work with sites that support the https protocol.
VPN
A virtual private network, or VPN, is a technology that makes it possible to pass all traffic from all applications through a remote server, usually located in another country. At the same time, data between the user's computer and the remote server is transmitted in encrypted form and cannot be intercepted by the provider.
The main feature of the VPN is that absolutely all traffic is routed through the proxy server. If you use several browsers, you do not need to configure each of them separately - the blocking of sites will be bypassed automatically.
There are several varieties of VPNs. Therefore, it will not be 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 considered insufficiently strong encryption. In addition, there may be difficulties with a PPTP connection via a 3G modem.
L2TP is a tunnel-only protocol. Therefore, as a rule, it is used in conjunction with IPSec - such a bundle also provides encryption. However, if you are only concerned with the question of 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 network. Provides strong encryption of transmitted information. Overcomes NAT and corporate firewalls when configured correctly. 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 volume of transmitted and received traffic, or show ads on the pages you view. The speed of paid services is also, of course, much higher.
Open proxies
There are websites on the Internet that regularly publish current lists of open proxies. They are a list of IP addresses and ports. This data must be entered into the network settings of the browser, by selecting manual proxy settings before that. There are also plugins for browsers that simplify the work with proxy lists.
Open proxies can be anonymous or transparent. When using 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 goes online 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 to circumvent censorship. There are several reasons for this.
- Firstly, the speed of loading pages through public proxies is usually very low.
- Secondly, such proxies work unstably and quickly close.
- 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 provider's DNS server. And if a program is installed there to block blacklisted sites, then instead of a forbidden 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 to date is Google Public DNS. Its primary and secondary addresses for DNS queries:
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 fraudsters.
I2P network
The I2P decentralized network is designed to reliably protect user anonymity. This technology is also called the "deep Internet", because within the I2P network there are websites, peer-to-peer networks, instant messengers and other services that are technically impossible to censor. Network invulnerability is ensured by encrypting and tunneling all internal traffic. The client program not only processes 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 state regulatory authorities can track the final recipient of encrypted packets.
The increasing censorship of the Internet in Russia has already led to the fact that some popular sites have acquired mirrors on the I2P network. An example is the free library "Flibusta", which opened sites in I2P and Tor.
Another opportunity to visit banned sites in Russia using I2P is to use gateways from an anonymous network to the regular Internet. A serious drawback of such gateways is the very slow download speed of sites. It is expected that with an increase in the number of I2P users, the data transfer rate will also increase both within the network and when exchanging data with the external Internet.
SSH tunneling
If you have your own server located outside of Russia, the question of how to bypass the provider’s blocking can be solved 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 rent a foreign server for a long-term lease. You can resort to the services of the Amazon EC2 service, which allows you to use a dedicated server in an hourly mode at a price of three cents per hour.
Setting up a tunnel to a remote server is simple. It is enough to enter through the console a command of the form:
ssh -D localhost: port username @ server_address
Where:
- port - an open port on your computer;
- username - your username on the remote server;
- server_address is the host of the remote server.
After that, in the network settings of the browser, you need to select the use of SOCKS proxies and specify the desired port and localhost as the address.
other methods
The arsenal of methods to bypass locks is so wide that a detailed description of each of them can take more than a dozen paragraphs. One way or another, they all boil down to transferring 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. Pass traffic through a chain of proxies. It 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 Internet Explorer.
- TunnelBear is a paid application for mobile devices. Uses VPN technology. It 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 you to anonymously access the Internet from a computer on which no programs for anonymous surfing are installed. This can be convenient if you have to work from someone else's or company computer.
Further perspectives
It is obvious that in the event that users begin to massively circumvent 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 either purely technical or police.
The most popular proxy servers and Tor exit points may be blocked. Private users may not be allowed to use VPNs. 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 bans.
Effective censorship on the Internet is only possible if the country is completely disconnected 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.