hi all, and a quick question about ip addys

[gamerdude77]

hi m8's,

this is actually one of the few sites i get on in work due to them restricting access to sites that do not fall in the correct category, this is really what prompted me to post.

when I try to access certain sites the web block thing kicks in and says I cannot access it because the site is deemed to be a gaming site or that the site is deemed to be tasteless etc..

when I try to go to multimap or yellow pages though it lets me access them, ok so im thinking that these sites must fall under ip categories or something, I think I have even read in the past something to this effect although I may be mistaken.

Can anyone elaborate a little on this for me ?

Thanks

[Ezekiel]

hi m8's,

this is actually one of the few sites i get on in work due to them restricting access to sites that do not fall in the correct category, this is really what prompted me to post.

when I try to access certain sites the web block thing kicks in and says I cannot access it because the site is deemed to be a gaming site or that the site is deemed to be tasteless etc..

when I try to go to multimap or yellow pages though it lets me access them, ok so im thinking that these sites must fall under ip categories or something, I think I have even read in the past something to this effect although I may be mistaken.

Can anyone elaborate a little on this for me ?

Thanks

Website filters work on IP addresses, host names, and sometimes keywords. When you open your browser and try to go to a website that is blocked, the request passes through their filtering server (or this can be done locally through software), and they block it and replace it with a "this site is blocked" page. This will explain more:

------------(LAN)--------------------------(Internet)-----------------
<You>=============<Filtering server>=============<Blocked site>


As you can see, in this setup, the server that all your data has to pass through blocks you from visiting the website, because it is blocked based on any of the above rules. Any requests to a website that is blocked will result in you being denied access. To get past these restrictions, you need to know what rules this filtering server/local software uses. If it filters simply on host name (like [url]www.google.com)[/url], then you can open up a command prompt, type ping [url]www.thewebsite.com[/url], and somewhere in there will be the site's IP address. Type this IP number into your browser, and you will bypass the restrictions. Of course, most filtering is a lot more secure than that, and needs to be bypassed using a proxy. If the filter blocks both IP addresses and host names of websites, the only way around this is to use another computer to relay the data to you.


--------(LAN)------------------(Internet)--------(Internet)-------------
<You>=======<Filtering server>=======<Proxy>=======<Blocked site>


In this setup, your connection still has to go through the filter server/software, but instead of going directly to the blocked site, you connect to a proxy server, which will relay the data from the blocked site to you. As far as the filter knows, you are connecting to some random IP number, which doesn't break any of the rules. But by connecting to this proxy, you are receiving the actual website, just from another place. Because you have to wait for the proxy to download the data, then upload it back to you, proxies can sometimes be slow, but it is usually the only way past filters.

You can use proxies directly, or through website scripts. A few script based proxies can be found here:

[url]http://www.w*privacy.com/[/url]
[url]http://anonymizer.nntime.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.the-cloak.com/anonymous-surfing-home.html[/url]

The best way to use proxy servers is to directly connect through your browser. Go to the settings page, and you should find two text boxes to enter in the IP of a proxy, and it's port. You can find proxy listings here:

[url]http://www.samair.ru/proxy/[/url]
[url]http://www.multiproxy.org/[/url]
[url]http://www.proxy4free.com/page*.html[/url]

[gamerdude77]

thx a lot for the detailed reply Mike. i have had a look in the past at the internet settings, i can see and if i wanted change the proxy that the browser is configured to go through, i am a bit reluctant do this though incase it shows up on any firewall or network logs.

i also have noticed the part were you can put ip addys or www addys in to be excepted and allow access to these sites, i have tried adding a couple of addresses into that but the sites are still blocked.

also i tried one of the links you posted ([url]www.w*privacy.com[/url]) and it was blocked and it give me this message "This site has been categorised as: "Proxies & Translators""

this got me wondering again how the filter knows so much about the websites i'm trying to access, and also why it well let me access this networking site for example but not bbc.co.uk or something like that.

[Ezekiel]

thx a lot for the detailed reply Mike. i have had a look in the past at the internet settings, i can see and if i wanted change the proxy that the browser is configured to go through, i am a bit reluctant do this though incase it shows up on any firewall or network logs.

Yes, it will appear in the logs, and there is nothing you can to to prevent this. But all they will see is an IP number, and unless they port scan it, they have no way of knowing it is a proxy. Also, another way of bypassing filters is by googling for the site, and clicking "Google's cache". This way the page is loaded from google; they cache websites regularly.

i also have noticed the part were you can put ip addys or www addys in to be excepted and allow access to these sites, i have tried adding a couple of addresses into that but the sites are still blocked.

This is because the websites are filtered by an external server between your network and the internet. Changing a few local settings can't bypass this.

also i tried one of the links you posted ([url]www.w*privacy.com[/url]) and it was blocked and it give me this message "This site has been categorised as: "Proxies & Translators""

Yes, most web based proxies will be filtered. The only way around this is to run one from your home computer, and get a dynamic IP address service.

this got me wondering again how the filter knows so much about the websites i'm trying to access, and also why it well let me access this networking site for example but not bbc.co.uk or something like that.

They all work on rules set by whoever created the filter, which determine which sites are considered appropriate.

[gamerdude77]

once again, thx a lot for your reply Mike, tbh i'm quite happy with been able to access the few sites i can get on (this one included). i was mainly just curious as to how the filter works, you have answered that question quite well for me though as well as throwing in a few additional tips..but, i mean do like all web based proxy sites use the same or mostly the same octects in the ip address ? or do all game sites use a similar ip addy ? i cant figure how the filter manages to get them in those catogories in the first place.

i think i have heard about different classes of ip addresses, eg, class A, class B, class C etc but i thought this had more to do with the type of network they were used on as opposed to the type of site they are used for.

[Ezekiel]

once again, thx a lot for your reply Mike, tbh i'm quite happy with been able to access the few sites i can get on (this one included). i was mainly just curious as to how the filter works, you have answered that question quite well for me though as well as throwing in a few additional tips..but, i mean do like all web based proxy sites use the same or mostly the same octects in the ip address ? or do all game sites use a similar ip addy ? i cant figure how the filter manages to get them in those catogories in the first place.

i think i have heard about different classes of ip addresses, eg, class A, class B, class C etc but i thought this had more to do with the type of network they were used on as opposed to the type of site they are used for.

The filters don't usually deny access to a whole block of IP addresses, they work with single IP numbers that are added when they are considered inappropriate or a proxy server. Because there is no order to where web sites/proxies are located, these filters must work on single IP filtering. The only way to bypass the filtering is to use an IP that's NOT included in the filter.

[hartman]

another way that i have to get around blocks is by using what is called a circumventor, there just websites set up so when you go to them, you just type in another website and you go around blocks. you can even set up a circumventor at your house if you want, but i do advise that proxys are better, and if you want your own proxy then download the program called CCProxy, it is what i use

[gamerdude77]

thanks for the feedback m8's