Google as a Proxy: Access restricted web sites using Google language tools service as - Ajarn Forum

Deaner · 25th February 2007, 12:06

Has anyone had any success with using Google as a proxy for accessing restricted sites?

It seems to me that Thailand has opened up a bunch of sites that were previously banned so I haven't had a chance to test if it works properly or to see whether or not the whole thing is outdated or not.

Quote:

Google free proxy!
Access restricted web sites using Google language tools service as a proxy.

A little tutorial found on the italian site www.manuali.net inspired me for this hack. That tutorial suggests to translate a webpage, using Google translator, to access it even if restricted.
It worked fine but something else was needed... why translate?!
...
Ok, let's start from the beginning. We all know that Google is more than a search engine; we do use it as provider for email, mapping, news and many other services. Google is now also a free proxy service. Proxy is a device that stands between a PC and the internet, providing all the connections to the world wide web. What a proxy does is to receive all data from a requested site, so when you access web pages all data come from proxy.
What's the purpose for Google as a proxy? We often use office/school/university connections, usually those services are set to provide more safety, blocking the access to undesidered web sites (the "black list"). What you can do now is use Google translator service (language tools) as a proxy to bypass the restrictions set for our connection!
You just need to type the following URL:
http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=www.forbiddensite.com
(www.forbiddensite.com stands for the URL you need to go to...)
What you'll get is the translation (english to english!) of the page you want to see... your connection is directed to a google.com page so this page won't be blocked (would be blocked only with google.com on the black list), no matter what's the content.
Notice that the URL has been a little hacked because the parameter "langpair"(1) is set to "en|en" (english/english) so the page is processed by Google but you can keep the original language of the page (no need to translate!). If you need another language (e.g. french) you just need to set the parameter langpair to "fr|fr" and you'll be able to read french pages in french!
A couple of examples:
english... http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=hacks.oreilly.com
italian (my own homepage!)... http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=it|it&u=www.bigthistle.altervis ta.org
Last but not least: if you use this trick, you're not sure to protect your privacy, this kind of connection lets you see blacklisted pages but doesn't hide your IP address. Just go to http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=www.whatismyip.com to see your IP is not hidden...

Source

SageAndOnion · 25th February 2007, 15:24

I used google accelerator and yes it could access quite a lot of the banned sites (about a year ago). As you say I wouldn't know now as I can reach them anyway.

Cyrille · 25th February 2007, 16:08

Not enough banned sites in Thailand for you to try it out then? That's not a problem where I am - I'll give it a try (after I leave work!)

SageAndOnion · 25th February 2007, 16:21

OK. It wasn't infallible I will say, and seemd to work at times on some sites but not al the time for some reason. It did definitely get through to sites that were blocked by the Thai ministry of whatever it is called though.

Cyrille · 25th February 2007, 16:43

^ That'd be a good job, perusing sites to decide whether or not they should be banned. I reckon I could do that for a while.

SageAndOnion · 25th February 2007, 16:48

They get volunteers to send site adresses in that they think are unacceptable - probably after they have downloaded all the material they need first! I mean what are these fine upstanding citizens doing on these sites in the first place?

Deaner · 25th February 2007, 20:55

I remember they blocked Amazon's page which was selling the book The King Never Smiles but it seems like they've opened it back up again at some point. I see there are a number of adult TGP sites that used to be blocked available again. Be right back folks...

Cyrille · 26th February 2007, 02:20

All sites still blocked here.

MarvinTheMartian · 26th February 2007, 19:26

Wanna see all blocked sites? Download TOR

Citan · 1st March 2007, 23:34

Yes, use Tor with Privoxy, that gets around about anyone's banned and restricted list.

See a HowTo for Windows/Mac/*nix/BSD here\/, Curious Ubuntu users PM me for the Ubuntu Hacks Tor/Privoxy superfaq thingy

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/...installtor.htm

EDIT: added link and edits

EDIT2: I would just give a link to the Tor/Privoxy Ebooks on my FTP, but it is not up right now, I could host them on my website if anyone is really interested in Ebooks and stuff like that. Let me know

Cyrille · 2nd March 2007, 10:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citan

Yes, use Tor with Privoxy, that gets around about anyone's banned and restricted list.

See a HowTo for Windows/Mac/*nix/BSD here\/, Curious Ubuntu users PM me for the Ubuntu Hacks Tor/Privoxy superfaq thingy

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/...installtor.htm

Blocked!

Main reason I wanna do this is because the ****s have blocked skype.

Deaner · 2nd March 2007, 11:13

Here you go...

Quote:

Q. "How Do I Install and Configure Tor-Privoxy Masking Software?"

Here is how you install and configure your Tor privacy software for Windows.
A. As of December, 2006, the latest Tor release is version 0.1.1.25

1) For Windows Users:

Download the Tor Onion Network connection for Windows software here. It will come bundled with "Vidalia", "Privoxy", and "Torbutton" utilities, which are useful to many users. For the most part, you will want to use the version with the highest number (most recent).
Installation for Windows: the Tor programmers recommend that you follow specific instructions for installing your Tor on Windows computers. Those instructions are here.

2) For Mac Users::

Macintosh Tor software is available here.
Installation for Mac: instructions are here.

3) Connecting to Tor Network Using the Privoxy Web Proxy Platform:

FAQ's on Privoxy are here.
Privoxy User's Manual, version 3.0.3 is here.

Important Note: Tor-Privoxy is intended for legitimate privacy purposes only, not P2P downloading. The Tor Onion Network and the Privoxy connection platform are designed to protect legitimate web page browsing and emailing, particularly in the areas of social conscience, political free speech, messaging from oppressive countries and non-democratic countries, private blogging, and anonymous researching.

expatwannabe · 2nd March 2007, 11:17

Just had to read this post since the title was so ABSOLUTELY BORING.

Confirmed my suspicions.

Cyrille · 3rd March 2007, 01:10

Thanks deaner - but all those are - you guessed it - blocked.

Oh, and thanks for your input too, exp.

Whitey · 5th March 2007, 19:04

Or you could go with a VPS. I am using an $8 a month provider right now. I run all my net through an SSH tunnel to a server in LA. I have compression turned on and it just about doubles my apparent speed when I am surfing typical webpages. The bonus is that sites are never banned for me and any email I send or surfing I do, they think I'm in the US.

LDMA and any mod can verify that right now.