Forward proxy to get past blocks

I need to create a proxy with Apache to get past school website blocks.

[Garbag3man117]

Hi. I have set up an Apache server, and am trying to use it to get past the website blocks at my school.

I have set up a standard forward proxy using mod_proxy. It has SSL and HTTP set up, and everything works like normal. I have HTTP running on port 343, because my ISP blocks port 80. The problem is, my school doesn't allow you to take any incoming HTTP connections on any port other than 80 (I think). Also, SSL can only come in on 443.

Since my school only lets me use 80 and 443, I can only view webpages through the proxy that are secure, which not very many are. HTTP over the proxy redirects me to a screen that says "HTTP connection not allowed on port 343." My question is, can I set up the proxy so that the clients only receive data via encrypted SSL, but the proxy accesses the internet as normal? Here is basically what I want to do:


Client (iPhone at School) <---HTTPS (443)---> Home Apache Server <---HTTP/HTTPS (user specified)---> Internet

Is it possible to do this and still feel like your using a direct connection? Help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[lucy24]

There's been a similar question within the past half-year or so. Start feeding words into Search (small-print link at the top of most pages) and see what you get.

That's assuming you just want your ### school to let you show your own ### website to your own ### friends ;) Not, ahem, "dammit, I'm trying to research a paper on the female reproductive system and it's not letting me see the really educational sites".

[Garbag3man117]

Haha, no. Our school block YouTube, Wikipedia, Facebook, and Twitter. We crack the blocks, but they fix the error and make it harder each year. If I get this proxy going, we should be set for quite a while. I'm not sure what I should search. Any ideas?

[Garbag3man117]

Now that I look back at it, I WAS able to access [m.youtube.com...] and [google.com...] If I go to [youtube.com...] at ANY location, my iPhone gets redirected to the index page "It Works!". YouTube over SSL loaded the background and buttons and things, but couldn't display the video index.

[lucy24]

Oh, gosh. You mean your school redirected vanilla YouTube to 127.0.0.1 but was too dumb to redirect mobile YouTube at the same time? Sometimes people just deserve to be overridden...

The bad news is that the post I vaguely remembered turned out to be something about CSS display going wonky on school computers. The post'er did say cheerfully that the school blocks images but they know how to override that.

Since you're dealing with a purely technical problem, one option is to make contact with the school's technology person and see if you can work with them. Your initial post sounds as if the two of you will be able to speak the same language. This is a big help, because they probably spend most of their time fielding questions like "I don't know what I did but the whole picture turned sideways and I can't make it go back"* or "Which button did you say to push?"


* This really happens on the library computers. They've disabled most menus, so if a child happens to know-- or accidentally types-- the keyboard version of some obscure command, nobody knows how to fix it :) Sometimes you're reduced to randomly hitting keys in hopes that you'll randomly hit the right ones.

[Garbag3man117]

Well, I get redirected to my proxy index.html at home too. IDK about that. Also, m.youtube.com only works for certain people at our school. On some people it is blocked, others it isn't. It really confuses me. Also, I doubt talking to any of the technical people will help. I doubt I could even get in the same room with one, anyway. They don't want us on YouTube and stuff, that's the whole reason for the proxy. Their web filter system is amazing. I'm really surprised. They have their systems locked down tight, too. We can't even get into Task Manager and Run. Actually, the C drive isn't even visible on all except for one computer we know of.

I think the idea up there will work, I just don't know how to go about doing it. This is what I mean:
Client (iPhone at School) <---HTTPS (443)---> Home Apache Server <---HTTP/HTTPS (user specified)---> Internet

[lucy24]

Also, m.youtube.com only works for certain people at our school.

I had one of those while-falling-asleep insights about that :) Really. Cell phones don't go through the same networks as computers. Unless your school is so huge that it has its own transmitter for every wireless service known to man, some of those mobile users will be connecting via something other than your school's system. That includes some tablets; the iPad for instance can connect either through a regular wireless network or-- if you're prepared to spend more-- one of two optional cell-phone providers.

I realize that doesn't answer your question. And if my son were here he would object loudly to my saying "phone" when I mean data. But if you're over 25 it's easier to understand in those terms.

:: looking vaguely around for wilderness or g1 or someone like them ::

[wilderness]

looking vaguely around for wilderness

Your on your own girl!
YOU GO ;)

I'm from the old school and firmly believe that a phone is a phone. I refuse to text or anything else my cell phones offer.

As far as assisting somebody with insights on how to proxy hack a schools network?
IMO that's bad judgement, however, I've still some old-school morals as well.

[Garbag3man117]

Haha, yeah I know how phones and data work lol. I'm an Apple device repairman and 'jailbreaker'. Example, I get m.youtube.com successfully over THEIR wifi, but my friend with a Wi-Fi only Android Tablet can't. It's just odd, really. I'm positive nothing is going over EDGE/3G/4G. Most of the devices we're testing it on aren't even phones.

Anyone have any ideas on the SSL conenction, though?