Alright, so today I ran into this super annoying thing, right? Trying to get to a couple websites I really needed for research, totally legit stuff, you know. Just wouldn't load at all. Kept showing me those stupid access denied messages. "This site can't be reached," "Connection blocked"… ugh. Wasted like twenty minutes just staring at that nonsense.
First thing I did, obviously, was to double-check my own internet. Poked the router, rebooted it, no luck. Then I realized it wasn't just one site, a few were acting weird. Figured it was probably one of those local internet blocker things happening, but I wasn't about to give up. Needed the info.
Went digging online for quick fixes, nothing too techy. Found a bunch of folks saying to mess with the DNS settings. Didn't really know how to do that before, but here's how simple it was:
- Opened up my Wi-Fi settings.
- Clicked on the network stuff.
- Looked for "Properties" near IPv4 assignment.
- Clicked "Edit" next to it.
- Switched that setting to "Manual".
- Then just popped in 1.1.1.1 for preferred DNS and 1.0.0.1 for the alternate one.
- Saved it, backed out, and crossed my fingers.
Took maybe five minutes tops. Jumped back onto the browser, punched in the address that was bugging me earlier… and bam! It actually loaded. Felt like magic! Had a big stupid grin on my face. But, of course, Murphy's Law kicked in right after. Tried another site I needed… and same blockage nonsense again. Turned out that DNS trick didn't work on that one. Little victory, big problem still lurking.
So, had to try something else. Remembered reading about those web-based proxy things. Super straightforward, like using a different door. Went to one – won't name it. Just typed the blocked website right into their search box. Pressed enter… waited… and there it was! The site popped up. Could finally get the recipe I needed for dinner.
Anyway, yeah. Super simple methods:
- Flipping your DNS settings like I did (1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1 or 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4 work too). Fastest fix sometimes.
- Using a free web proxy site. Zero setup.
Worked for me tonight without installing anything. Might not be perfect forever, but hey, got the job done when I needed it. Now I can cook.
