Web-I-See : digital life for everyone

Most work places, universities, schools block users from accessing social networking web sites, email, instant messenger services etc. If your organization is using advanced firewalls or websense blocking, most of the methods like using proxy web sites, alternative backdoor web sites also don’t work. Proxy websites allows us to bypass your current ISP’s IP and connect to targeted website with a different IP; thus hiding our actual origin from detectable. Get the websites here.

I’ll show you some ways how to access blocked content like instant messengers ( Google talk , Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, AOL Messenger, Facebook, Orkut, MySpace Gmail, Yahoo mail, etc ) using different routes. The methods listed below are ordered simple to advanced.

Access Blocked Gtalk, Yahoo Messenger, Live Messenger, AOL Messenger

The work around to access blocked Instant Messenger is to use Web Messengers. Web Messenger are very easy to use as there is no need to download and install any software/plugins. Most of the alternate web messengers listed below would have already been blocked for some, but try once to make sure

Method 1. Most Common alternate Web Messengers.

• Meebo
• eBuddy
• ILoveIM
• KoolIM
• Snimmer
• Mabber
• MessengerFx

The below links will most likely not blocked by even websense. http://uziz.net/ is very new and uses javascript to login to im services.

Method 2. Here is the list of currently available Gtalk service servers:
http://izuz.net/gtalk/ (Main server, *recommended* )
http://uziz.net/ (Secondary server, new and works mostly)
http://demo.java2script.org/gtalk/ (Demo server)
https://izuz.net/gtalk/ (With SSL-enabled)

Method 3. Multiple Instant Message Services Available

Beside web Google Talk, they have already added three other web IM services:
(1) Windows Live Messenger/MSN ( http://izuz.net/msnlive/ )
(2) Yahoo! Messenger/Y! Messenger  ( http://izuz.net/ymessenger/ )
(3) AOL Instant Messenger/AIM  ( http://izuz.net/aim/ )
All these web IM services can co-exist inside one window: http://uziz.net/

Method 4. Use iPhone Gtalk interface with your own domain + Google Apps

Google has custom Google talk site to use with iPhone. There are high chances that one for Google account would be blocked. Works in Firefox and Safari, Get Firefox Portable.

For Google Accounts / Gmail users: http://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/m

I personally use this option; Make our domain use Free Google Apps which gives Gmail like email system, Google talk, Google calendar and many more. Login to Google Apps and configure a chat and login to Gtalk client at our home and add all your buddies. Now using Firefox login at work or blocked place and enjoy.

For Google Apps: http://hostedtalkgadget.google.com/a/MYDOMAIN/talkgadget/m

Access Blocked Gmail, Yahoo Mail

Method 1. Use Gmail Forward and Yahoo Mail Forwarding.

For Gmail and Yahoo Mail, the best option is to forward all your personal email to office email or university email. You can even set rules on it. Works very fast and quick. 

Method 2. Use Unblocked IMAP or Pop3 reader

You can also check your emails without actually logging into your mail account. Gmail allows POP3 or IMAP access. You can use these mail readers and read your emails. We provide a service for checking Gmail at http://www.intelligentbrains.com/ - A Reliable and Secure alternate, easy and fast solution to access Gmail or Google Apps hosted Custom domain. This service works even if websense filters are used.

Method 2: Use iGoogle Gmail gadget

iGoogle, Google’s personal homepage lets you add various gadgets, Gmail Gadget works when your Gmail is blocked too. It lets you preview the message and mark as read, delete, spam etc. Add the Gmail Gadget here.

Method 3: Use Google Cache to read blocked content

There might be cases when you want to read a page and it is blocked. use this simple technique to read the page via Google Cache. Type the url in google and click Google cache at the bottom to access the cache and read it.

Method 4: Using Online Mobile Browser to access wap mobile web sites.

http://www.mowser.com/ and http://www.skweezer.com/ are online mobile browsers that lets you access mobile portals. Using these sites, goto mobile versions of your favorite sites and enjoy. Go to ‘m.yahoo.com’ and ‘m.google.com’ for checking gmail and yahoo mail in mobile browsers.

Method 5: Install Psiphon or RemotelyAnywhere or uVNC at home.

Psiphon is a web proxy designed to help people access web sites that are blocked. Psiphon’s works by installing the software in uncensored location and accessing that it from censored or blocked location. Traffic between clients and servers in the Psiphon system is encrypted using the https protocol. It is released under the GNU General Public License, Psiphon is free software. Download Psiphon here and user instructions here.

RemotelyAnywhere is an advanced remote admistration tool that lets you access a computer over Internet and provides very high end features too. You’ll need to access using the URL of home computer ( where RA is installed ), It lets you connect using Java Applet, ActiveX and HTTP methods. Java Applet with HTTP Tunneling will work in extreme connections too. Download RemoteAnywhere here

UltraVNC is a powerful, easy to use and free software that can display the screen of another computer (via internet or network) on your own screen. The program allows you to use your mouse and keyboard to control the other PC remotely. It means that you can work on a remote computer, as if you were sitting in front of it, right from your current location. UltraVNC server features a JavaViewer Applet that allows for remote control without a any viewer application installed. Download UNVC and instructions.

Method 6 : Install the Circumventor program

Install the Circumventor  program on your home computer. When the installation is done, it will give you the URL for your new Circumventor location, access the URL from where your internet is blocked, and it’ll bypass the Web blocking there. Read the three step process how to install circumventor at home here.

Method 7 : Install PHProxy on your own server and then password protect it.

PHProxy is a web HTTP proxy programmed in PHP meant to bypass firewalls and access otherwise inaccessible resources (i.e. blocked websites). It allows users to browse the net without restrictions and anonymously,without having to modify their browser’s SOCKS proxy options. Below are instructions how to setup.

1. Download and install XAMPP
2. Download PHPProxy and extract it to X:\path-to-xampp\xampp\htdocs
3. Start the XAMPP Apache server
4. Forward port 80 on your router so you can access the server from outside your of local network
5. Find out your IP address here.
6. Go to that IP at school and, if you did everything correctly, you should see the PHPProxy page

Disclaimer: Use these tip and tricks at you own risk. Your organization may consider accessing blocked web sites and messengers as breach of security policies and guidelines that may result in any inconvenience.

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