How to Unblock Websites in India

IndiaThe government in India has decided to block several popular website including Vimeo and GitHub.  The order to block 32 sites was issued on December 17 and it appears the ISP’s are following through by blocking the sites.  We’ve heard that some websites are still available depending on the carrier you connect through.  If you experience any problems accessing sites from India a good VPN will unblock them.

India isn’t the first to censor the Internet and they certainly won’t be the last.  Regardless of how many governments try we are confident that technology will keep the web free.  It’s critical that privacy companies stay one step ahead of countries like India and China to keep the communication flowing.

Accessing Blocked Websites from India

We want to make the process as easy as possible.  You can view our top 10 VPN page to learn more about online privacy services.  We’ll be using ExpressVPN for this guide.  They can help you access Vimeo, GitHub, Internet Archive and any other site the Indian government decides to block in the future.

How do services like ExpressVPN help you access blocked sites?  You can use their VPN client software to connect to a server in another country outside of India.  That will give you a new IP address and encrypt your connection.  Helping you access sites like YouTube and remain private online..

Step 1 – Find a good VPN service

Since the goal is to unblock websites in India I’ll recommend some leading VPN services with fast servers in the United States.  Watching videos and streaming services like Vimeo takes a VPN that offers fast, reliable connections.  All of these providers will do that.  Better yet they are all offering discounted pricing so you can save and enjoy unrestricted Internet access.

RankVPN ServiceRatingServer
Locations
Visit
1ExpressVPN9.8160Visit ExpressVPN
2NordVPN9.487Visit NordVPN
3Private Internet Access9.295Visit PIA

Step 2 – Download the VPN client

After you join ExpressVPN, NordVPN or another VPN service you’ll want to download their client.  We’ll limit our discussion to ExpressVPN so we can demonstrate exactly how to unblock sites like YouTube and Twitter regardless of where you are in the world.  Start by downloading the software.

ExpressVPN offers good VPN client software for Windows and Mac.  They also have nice mobile apps for both iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android devices.  We have tested all of them and trust them with our privacy.  You can download the Windows and Mac clients directly from their site.  The iOS app is available from the Apple App Store and the Android app from Google Play.

Step 3 – Connect to a VPN Server outside of India

Now that you’ve had a chance to download and install the software it’s time to connect.  Launch the ExpressVPN client and select a server location.  We’ll walk you through step by step using their Windows client.

ExpressVPN connected to Los Angeles

  • Select a server location.  We chose Los Angeles (USA) but ExpressVPN has a large network of servers located around the world.
  • We recommend you select OpenVPN (UDP) or (TDP).  For streaming videos from sites like Vimeo we use Lightway.  They also support IKEv2 and L2TP.  We still recommend Lightway for the best privacy protection.
  • Click connect.  After a few seconds you’ll see the app turn green and the button change to “Connected”.
  • We’re now located in the United States as far as anyone can tell online.  As such we can reach any site as if sitting in the US.  The same would be true if we connected to a server in the UK or elsewhere.

Step 4 – Check your IP Address location

Always confirm your IP address before moving forward regardless of what technology your using to circumvent government censorship.  In this case you can click on “Settings”, “Help & Support”, “IP Address Checker” at the top of the client for the details.

ExpressVPN Los Angeles IP Address

As you can see our IP address is located in Los Angeles.  The means you now have access to sites like Vimeo as if you were sitting at a computer in LA.  We should mention that your traffic will be encrypted to help protect your privacy.

Step 5 – Sites like Vimeo and GitHub are unblocked

You’re ready to access any website you’d like.  Remember if you want to access a site that is available from a specific country to connect to a server location in that country.  Here’s what Vimeo looks like while connected ta a server in the United States.

Vimeo

Whether you live in India or another country that blocks access to websites this will unblock them.  I hope you found our guide useful.  If so please consider sharing it with your friends so that others can enjoy access to sites like Vimeo and GitHub from anywhere in the world.  Follow us @VPNFan for the latest VPN news and special offers.

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A VPN service will help protect your online privacy and unblock sites from around the world. We support a free and open Internet.