How to Unblock Websites On School Chromebook Without VPN

Introduction To Website Unblocking on School Chromebook

Many schools are adopting Chromebooks because they are affordable tools for giving every student their personal computer for educational purposes. They are highly reliable and long-lasting powerful tools for everyday academic purposes. Chromebooks can boot up and connect to the network in seconds so that teachers and students can dive into learning without wasting time. Since it’s a school network, certain websites are restricted. Therefore, it is crucial to learn how to unblock websites on school Chromebooks without a VPN.

Although VPNs are the most common options for unblocking websites on school Chromebook, this guide will examine various other alternatives. VPNs work by encrypting your network traffic through several channels, which causes slow connection. As a result, they are not a suitable option in a learning environment. 

Let us examine other ways to unblock websites on school Chromebooks without VPNs.

How to Unblock Websites on School Chromebooks Without A VPN

Accessing certain websites on school-issued Chromebooks can be challenging due to network restrictions implemented to maintain a focused educational environment. However, there are several methods to bypass these restrictions without using a VPN. Here are some effective techniques:

This section will highlight how to unblock websites on a School Chromebook without a VPN. 

Use a Proxy

A proxy is the most effective and reliable method to unblock websites on school Chromebooks. It works by acting as an intermediary that transmits and receives data between your network and the website. Subsequently, proxies hide your actual IP address so that school administrators cannot track what you are doing. Be sure to check out this tutorial on how to configure a Chromebook proxy. 

Students often leverage free proxies to unblock websites at school because they are easily accessible. In addition, they do not require extensive configuration. However, students need to be wary of them because some log user data, which can be a source of data theft. Premium residential proxies on the other hand, provide a guarantee of anonymity and security. 

Some factors must be considered when choosing the best proxy server providers and they include:

1. Anonymity and security: Proxies mask your IP address and change other identifying parameters to avoid passive fingerprinting. Subsequently, this optimizes anonymity and security of your online activities. Therefore, you must choose a proxy provider that has a reputation for offering high-level anonymity and security.
2. Speed and performance: One of the most important factors to consider is the speed and reliability of proxies. NetNut is a trusted and reputable provider that guarantees 99.9% uptime for optimized performance.
3. IP pool: The size of a provider’s IP pool determines the coverage you can expect. If your aim is to unblock websites from various parts of the world, then NetNut residential rotating proxies are your best bet. 
4. Pricing: Although free proxies can mask your IP address, they are highly unreliable in terms of anonymity and security. Therefore, premium providers like NetNut should be considered, as they offer competitive pricing for their advanced features.
5. Customer support: An excellent customer support ensures the complaints of customers are promptly attended to which optimizes user experience.  

Use Tor Browser

The Onion Router Browser is another reliable method to unblock websites on school Chromebook without VPNs. Although it is commonly used to access the dark web anonymously, students can also use it to visit restricted websites. It works by channeling a user’s network through at least three relays- Tor boasts of over 6,000 voluntary relays. Subsequently, Tor offers high-level encryption, which makes it impossible to track user activities.  

Although Tor Browser is an effective option for unblocking websites on school Chromebooks without VPNs, it is crucial to note that it is primarily maintained by volunteers. Therefore, the browser is often slow as the primary focus is to provide access to restricted content. 

Tor browser is a free, secure, and encrypted method for those who want to learn how to unblock websites at school. It works well to unblock many websites but you can’t bypass specific blocks (For example, Netflix blocks) against Tor nodes. Moreso, there is no customer service to guide new users on how to maximize the features of Tor Browser for accessing the uncharted regions of the internet.  

Use a URL Shortener

Another clever trick to unblock websites on school Chromebooks is to use URL shorteners.  Common examples include TinyURL and Bitly, which work by providing a shorter version of a target website address. Then, users copy the shortened URL and paste it into their browser.  Since the shortened version is different from the original web address, the system will see it as a different page instead of one of those that have been blocked. Therefore, the probability that website blockers recognize the URL as a restricted one is low, and this increases your chances of being able to visit it.  

These free online tools are great for bypassing URL-based website blocks, which are a common form of school restrictions. When you use a URL shortener on school Chromebooks, the network administrator can still see what you are doing. 

Unblocking a website at school with a URL shortener is straightforward and does not require you to download any software. Here is how it works:

1. Go to your browse and search for the target page 
2. Copy the link address
3. Go to any URL shortener like TinyURL and paste the link into the “shorten your link” field
4. Click “Get your link” and copy the shortened URL it generates
5. Paste the shortened URL into the address bar on a new window and click enter

Although this method is free and easy to use, it is not the most reliable option. The possibility of accessing a blocked website through a shortened URL is 50/50. Moreso, using a shortened URL does not offer any additional security or anonymity, which means websites can still track your online activities. Another limitation of shortening URLs is that it only unblocks URL-based content filters. Some school administrators may also block access to URL shorteners. 

Switch from HTTP to HTTPs

Switching the website protocol is a quick alternative to unblocking websites on a school Chromebook without VPNs. Some websites offer secure (https) and unsecure (http) versions of their pages. The secure page is often recommended as your connection is encrypted and does not come with ads that may be a source of malware. Therefore, it may not be worth using the unsecured version of the page, especially when you need to enter sensitive information like card details, emails, or passwords on the page. 

Although using an unsecure version of a page is not recommended, it can be used to trick your school firewall into allowing you to access the page. One of the benefits of this method is that it does not require users to download any app or extension. Therefore, the security risk associated with switching protocols, especially from secure to unsecure, is quite high. Moreover, switching protocols hold no significance in unblocking geo-restricted content.

Use an IP address instead of a website URL

Another way to unblock websites at school is to use the website’s IP address instead of the URL. While we are all familiar with using the URL to search for a page, we can use the IP address.  The IP address is a unique set of numbers for a website. This method is fairly easy once you can determine the IP address of the target website. To get the IP address of a website:

• Open the command prompt on your computer – Windows users
• Type in “ping” and enter the name of the website- for example, “ping forbes.com.”
• Click on Enter, and the IP address of the website will pop up

For Linux users: Open Command Prompt > Enter dig plus the URL > Press Enter to retrieve the IP address.

For Mac users: Open Terminal > Enter Traceroute and the site’s URL > Press Enter.

Once you have the IP address, paste it into your browser to see if you can access the previously blocked content.

Use Wayback Machines

Another method to unblock websites on the school Chromebook is to access a copy of the website. Even if you are unable to view the current version of a web page, you can access an old version via the Wayback Machine. This internet archive saves copies of hundreds of billions of web pages for easy retrieval. This feature comes in handy when you need to unblock websites. 

To access a blocked page, type the URL into the archive search bar and click “Browse History.” Usually, you should find an archived copy of the website unless Wayback Machine itself is blocked. By viewing the archived version of a website, you can prevent the school’s filters from detecting your activities. 

Bear in mind that some school administrators may block access to the Wayback machine. The primary limitation of this method is that the archived version is usually not up to date. In addition, some websites may not be interactive when accessed via the Wayback machine.

Use the Google Cache

Google often stores versions of web pages to optimize loading speeds. Subsequently, accessing one of these caches allows you to view restricted content at school without raising any suspicion. Caching is a feature that allows for the storage of copies of files in a cache so that the cached content can be accessed quickly. This is necessary to ensure low latency and reduce the load on the backend. 

Using Google cache is fairly easy and does not require so much technical expertise. First, you need to find the blocked website on the Google search engine result page. Then, click on the down arrow or the three dots next to the URL and select cached. If there is a cached version of the page, it automatically opens. One significant difference between cache and the Wayback Machine is that the former does not support multimedia content. 

An easier alternative is to simply add “cached:” before typing the website URL in the address box. Bear in mind that this method will only work if there is a cached version of the page. In addition, a cached web page may be missing some crucial elements like images, texts, or menus.

Use a Smart DNS

A Smart DNS can be used to unblock websites on a school Chromebook. It works by rerouting your DNS queries through its servers in a different location, which allows you to bypass school network restrictions. Since it does not fully encrypt your network traffic, the browsing speed is not compromised. Bear in mind that using a smart DNS is a less secure and anonymous option for unblocking websites at school compared to proxies. Check out a recent article on a comprehensive guide to DNS proxy. Here is how to modify the DNS settings on a device:

Windows

1. Open the Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click on Change adapter settings.
3. Right-click on your connected interface and select Properties.
4. On the Networking tab, > Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), > Properties.
5. Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
6. Replace IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server and click OK.

Linux

1. Go to Settings, and click on Wi-Fi or Network.
2. Click on the cog icon next to your current connection.
3. Select the IPv4 tab and disable the Automatic toggle switch.
4. Enter the new DNS addresses, separated by a comma.
5. Click Apply to save the change.

Switch to Mobile data

If you realize that some websites are blocked on the school Chromebook, you can switch to mobile data. This is an easy way to unblock websites by accessing the internet through your phone’s data network instead of the school’s Wi-Fi. Since school content filters are often implemented at the network level, using your phone’s mobile data ensures your traffic bypasses the firewall. When you switch to mobile data, you get better speed. In addition, students have access to any website that is not blocked by the cell phone provider.

This method requires access to a cell phone with a good signal and data plan. Moreover, it won’t work with certain website blocks on a school Chromebook. Bear in mind that you may get in trouble if you are caught on your phone during learning hours.

Switching to mobile data involves turning your phone into a hotspot, which you can use to unblock websites on school Chromebooks. Since hotspots are visible to other nearby devices, your teachers can see it. However, you can change the hotspot name to hide your identity. 

The Best Solution For Unblocking Websites at School Without A VPN Is NetNut Proxies

This guide has examined several solutions on how to unblock websites on school Chromebook without VPNs. However, most of these solutions do not provide a guarantee of speed, reliability, security, and anonymity. This is where proxies come in as the standard solution for unblocking websites. Since there are several proxies- paid and free, in the market, choosing the right one is often a challenge.

NetNut is an industry-leading proxy provider with over 85 million rotating residential proxies in 195 countries and over 5 million mobile IPS in over 100 countries. With such extensive coverage, users can easily bypass geographical restrictions.

NetNut proxies mask your IP address while providing fast connection so you can unblock any website on school Chromebook with minimal lagging. You can use rotating residential proxies to protect your IP address- our proxies are automatically rotated, so you don’t use one IP address for long to evade an IP ban.

With NetNut proxies, your data integrity is assured, and your system is protected from malware and potential cyber threats. These proxies come with several advanced features like Smart AI-CAPTCHA solver, which ensures that CAPTCHAs do not interfere with your browsing experience. 

Final Thoughts on Unblocking Websites on School Chromebooks

Schools restrict access to websites for various good reasons including bandwidth management, prevention of malware, and promoting an environment that ensures maximum concentration and productivity. Although VPNs are a very popular option to unblock websites, they can be quite slow which makes it crucial to find other options. This guide has explored alternatives like proxies, Tor browser, Smart DNS, Wayback Machine, Google cache, and more.

However, the most reliable and effective solution is a proxy server. You need to choose a reputable proxy provider like NetNut to ensure you get the best experience. NetNut has other solutions like Web Unblocker that can provide access to blocked websites with ease. 

Contact us today to enjoy a 7-days free trial!

Frequently Asked Questions 

Why do schools prefer to use Chromebooks?

When schools provide Chromebooks for students, it bridges the learning gap between low-income and high-income students. They also encourage students to collaborate and focus on individual tasks simultaneously. Chromebooks are the easiest tech tools for both students and teachers to use to facilitate the learning process. 

They come with plenty of cloud storage so that students can sign in and get a personal experience. In addition, they come with a strong battery that can last throughout the school day to ensure minimal interruptions. Chromebooks come with firewalls that protect students from malware and viruses for a safe and secure learning environment.  

Why are some websites blocked on a school Chromebook?

Access to certain websites is often blocked on a school Chromebook for various reasons. First, the content may not be available in your current location due to copyright policies. The government can also censor some websites in an attempt to control the flow of information. 

However, school restrictions are designed to minimize distractions and ensure a safe and secure online environment for students. In addition, schools must adhere to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which may result in blocking access to inappropriate websites on school Chromebooks. 

Is it legal to unblock websites at school?

Generally, it is not illegal to unblock websites at school. However, you need to bear in mind that bypassing government censorship may lead to serious consequences if you get caught. Similarly, if you get caught on the school Chromebook, you may be punished based on your school policies.