Access blocked websites safely
Reach news, apps, and services when your network or country blocks them — without leaking more than you intend.
Target outcome
Blocked sites load through a trusted VPN or hardened browser
Do this first · quick win
If you only do one thing today: install Mullvad VPN, connect, and confirm one blocked site loads before you need it in a hurry.
Setup queue
Start with verified tools
Compare the fit, keep the ones you want in My Stack, then open the verified setup guidance.
Choose Mullvad VPN for system-wide routing past DNS and IP blocks with minimal account metadata.
Primary choice when you only need web access — Tor-like hardening without routing your entire device through a VPN.
More compatible tools (2)
Choose Mysterium when you want decentralized routing instead of a single commercial VPN provider.
Choose Sentinel when exploring community-run dVPN nodes rather than centralized VPN servers.
Understand · act · verify
Your path
Nothing is detected automatically. You decide when a step is done or needs another review.
- 1
List the sites or apps you must reach and identify the block type — DNS filtering, IP blocking, deep-packet inspection, or account/geo restrictions.
Step 1 · Not started
- Block type identified: You can name whether the block is DNS, IP, DPI, or account-based for your main target sites.
- 2
Install Mullvad VPN (or Mullvad Browser for web-only access) and connect before visiting blocked destinations.
Step 2 · Not started
- Mullvad connected: Mullvad VPN or Mullvad Browser shows an active connection before you open blocked sites.
- 3
Visit a blocked site to confirm it loads, then run a leak check at dnsleaktest.com or browserleaks.com.
Step 3 · Not started
- Leak check passed: DNS and WebRTC leak tests show Mullvad endpoints, not your ISP or real location.
- 4
Fix DNS or WebRTC leaks if they appear — switch to Mullvad's DNS or disable WebRTC in the browser.
Step 4 · Not started
- 5
Save offline setup notes and keep a second path ready (mobile hotspot, different protocol, or Tor) before travel or protests.
Step 5 · Not started
How you know it worked
- Blocked sites load through a trusted VPN or hardened browser
- DNS and WebRTC leaks are addressed before routine use
- You have a backup access path documented offline
Watch out
Free VPNs often monetize your traffic — they can be worse than no VPN.
Logging into personal accounts through a privacy tool links your identity to that session.
DPI-heavy networks may block known VPN protocols — keep Tor or bridges as a fallback.
Key terms
- DNS blocking
- Your resolver refuses to return the real IP for a domain, making sites appear unreachable.
- DPI
- Deep packet inspection — networks analyze traffic patterns or certificates to block VPNs and specific protocols.