Did you know that being banned from certain websites has now replaced slow modems as the issue high school students are most likely to report having with their school computers? Instituted bans on websites can have a detrimental impact on how easy it is to prepare for research and exams.
We often rely on Facebook, for example, to ask friends in our classes how they got a certain answer. And of course, sometimes we just want to catch up on messages instead of doing nothing in study hall. Whatever the reason, here are three ways you can attempt to get around Facebook bans.
1. Proxy Sites
Proxy sites have been around for almost as long as the internet. They basically act as a screen between you and the network, bypassing their controls by hiding the record of your activity. There are multiple proxy sites you can use, including proxyvan.com, mirrorproxy.com, and thefacebookproxy.com. Unfortunately, bans have evolved alongside finding ways around them, so your best bet might be to find a list of sites and start going through them.
2. Adding a Period to Homepage Facebook
Depending on what type of ban your school has set up, adding a period to the end of URLs will sometimes grant you access to the sites you want to visit. Go to the Facebook log in page so that you have the basic URL, and just add a single period to the end. According to Living Soical, your other options is to find international versions of your favorite websites. Although this will not usually work for the Facebook log in page, it will be successful for many other sites.
3. Use a Proxy Server IP Address
This is a little more complicated, but less likely to be blocked. First, find a free proxy IP address online. If you’re using a school Apple computer, go to “system preferences” in your main menu. Click on “network,” then select the network you’re using (it will be green). Click “advanced,” which will be a button in the right corner. Select “web proxy” as your protocol to configure. Enter the address you got before in the input field that asks for your web proxy server. Click “ok” to return, and then “Apply” to put things in motion. You should be good to go!
Have you gotten to you Facebook sign on in school? What’s your happy Facebook face look like?