Bypass OpenDNS Internet Security

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OpenDNS offers internet filtering services that can block access to websites. If OpenDNS is keeping you from accessing the sites you want, you can change your DNS settings on your computer to connect to a different DNS server. These servers translate website addresses so that your browser can connect to them. If you aren't able to change your computer's DNS settings, you can use the Tor browser to bypass blocks.

Steps

Changing DNS Settings (Windows)

  1. Click the Start menu or button and type .ncpa.cpl. Press ↵ Enter.
    • OpenDNS changes the DNS settings on your router to redirect your requests. When you change the DNS settings on your operating system, the changes override any DNS settings on your router, effectively bypassing OpenDNS. This will not work if your router has been configured to block all DNS requests except OpenDNS on Port 53.
  2. Right-click on your active network connection. Select "Properties".
    • If you can't access this because you don't have administrator rights, Bypass-OpenDNS-Internet-Security
  3. Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" from the list. Click the Properties button.
  4. Select the "Use the following DNS server addresses". This will allow you to set alternate DNS addresses, which are servers that translate website addresses so that you can connect in a browser. Usually your DNS servers are set by your service provider, but OpenDNS overrides this in your router and uses its own servers.
  5. Enter addresses for a public DNS server. There are several DNS servers that are publicly available. If you have difficulty connecting to one, try another. Make sure to enter both the Primary and Secondary addresses.
  6. Try opening a website. Once you change your DNS settings, you should be able to connect to the blocked website. Changing your DNS settings in Windows will overwrite any DNS settings in your router.
    • If you aren't able to connect, try another public DNS provider.

Changing DNS Settings (Mac)

  1. Click the Apple menu and select "System Preferences". You will be changing your DNS server, which is the server that translates websites' addresses and allows you to connect to them.
    • OpenDNS changes the DNS settings on your router to redirect your requests. When you change the DNS settings on your operating system, the changes override any DNS settings on your router, effectively bypassing OpenDNS. This will not work if your router has been configured to block all DNS requests except OpenDNS on Port 53.
  2. Select "Network" from the "System Preferences" menu.
    • If you can't access this because you don't have administrator rights, Bypass-OpenDNS-Internet-Security
  3. Click your active connection. This will typically have a green indicator dot next to it.
  4. Click the . button.
  5. Click the "DNS" tab.
  6. Click the "+" button. This will allow you to add new DNS servers. There are several DNS servers that are publicly available. If you have difficulty connecting to one, try another. Make sure to enter both the Primary and Secondary addresses.
  7. Remove your old DNS servers. If you have DNS servers already on the list, remove them so that your computer connects to the new DNS servers first.
  8. Try opening a website. Once you change your DNS settings, you should be able to connect to the blocked website. Changing your DNS settings in Windows will overwrite any DNS settings in your router.
    • If you aren't able to connect, try another public DNS provider.

Editing the Hosts File

  1. Open the hosts file. The hosts file on your computer acts as its own DNS, allowing you to manually assign IP addresses to domain names. This will override any settings on your router.
    • Windows - The hosts file can be found at C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc. Right-click on the hosts file, select Open With, and then select Notepad.
    • Mac - Open the Terminal and type sudo vi /private/etc/hosts.
  2. Determine the IP address of the site you want to visit. In order to add a site to your hosts file, you will need to know the IP address.
    • Open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (OS X).
    • Type ping and press ↵ Enter. This will return the IP address for the website.
  3. Add the IP address and hostname to the bottom of the hosts file. At the bottom of the hosts file, you'll usually see 127.0.0.1 localhost. Add your new IP addresses and hostnames below this line. Follow the same formatting as the localhost line, including the IP address and hostname.
    • It is usually recommended to add each hostname twice, one with www. and one without. For example, to add Facebook, you would add one line with the IP address followed by www.facebook.com and another line with the same IP address followed by facebook.com.
  4. Save and close the file. You may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.[1]

Using Google Cache

  1. Open your web browser. You may be able to access a cached version of the site, since it loads through Google. The cached version will typically not be completely current, but usually won't be too old.
  2. Copy and paste the following address. Paste this into your browser's address bar:
    • webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://example.com/
  3. Replace .http://example.com/ with the site you want to visit. For example, to visit the cached version of Facebook, type webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://facebook.com/.

Using Tor

  1. Download the Tor browser. Tor is a network that allows you to browse the internet anonymously, and can bypass most blocks and filters. You can download the Tor browser for free from torproject.org.
    • If the Tor website is blocked on your computer, you can download it on another computer and install it to a USB drive.
  2. Run the Tor installer. Follow the prompts to install the browser on your computer. If you want to install it on a USB drive, select the drive as the installation location.
  3. Click the "Connect" button. This will configure Tor for first-time use.
  4. Start browsing the internet. You should see the "Congratulations!" page after successfully connecting to the Tor network, and you can start browsing blocked websites.
    • When you want to run Tor again, start the Tor browser. You won't need to go through the initial setup process.

Connecting Directly to Your Modem

  1. Decide if this method is feasible. OpenDNS affects your router's settings, which means that any computer that is connected to the router will be affected by it. If you have the means to connect your computer directly to your modem, bypassing the router completely, you'll be able to get past OpenDNS.
  2. Unplug the router from your modem. As long as you don't reset the router, the settings should be unchanged and no one should be the wiser.
  3. Disconnect your computer from the router. If you are using a wireless connection, disconnect from the network. If you are using a wired connection, unplug the Ethernet cable connecting your computer to the router.
  4. Connect your modem directly to your computer via Ethernet. Your computer should be able to access the internet immediately.
    • Most modems do not have wireless capabilities, as that duty is handled by the router.
    • If your modem is a router/modem combo, you're out of luck.
  5. Visit the websites you want. Now that you're connected to the modem, you should be able to visit any of the sites that were previously blocked by OpenDNS. Make sure to reconnect everything how it was once you are finished.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://freenuts.com/unblock-blocked-sites-by-changing-the-hosts-file/
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