Instagram is up there nowadays with the likes of Facebook and Twitter as one of the social media platforms to be on.
The USP of Instagram is its focus on telling your life through pictures and short videos, and in the age of the selfie, this has been welcomed with open arms.
Instagram has become a useful tool to many, especially those that are art students, or their work relies on being exhibited.
At school, Instagram can be a great way for students to gain inspiration and get their name and ideas out in the wild so they can be noticed.
Many school networks block Instagram though, as it is seen as somewhat of a diversion, so how do you make Instagram unblocked?
What you’ll need
There are two methods you can use to unblock Instagram.
You can use either a VPN or Smart DNS.
Which one is best for you depends on a number of factors.
VPN Method
- VPN provider
- Instagram account
Smart DNS Method
- Smart DNS service
- Instagram account
If you are someone that values privacy and security above all else, the VPN method is for you.
Using a VPN will keep your communications secure and free from prying eyes. Using a VPN may slow down your internet connection, this is based on a number of factors such as, distance from the VPN server and which protocol you choose.
Smart DNS will not encrypt your internet data but it will give you access to Instagram with absolutely no speed loss, so if you value speed above all else, Smart DNS is the one for you.
Things to take into account
Many school PCs are locked down completely through group policy.
This means that installing programs, changing settings, or accessing certain features are completely locked out without an admin password.
If this is the case, either of these methods will not work for you. This depends on just how locked down your school’s systems are, but if you need an admin password, you’ll be out of luck.
If your school operates on a BOYD (Bring your own device) then you can easily take advantage of either of these methods.
Similarly, if you are trying to access the service via your phone, and you can’t because the network is blocking Instagram, using a VPN or Smart DNS can help you get around this.
VPN Method
Step one – Find a VPN provider
To choose a VPN provider that works for you, you have to take into account a number of factors.
What are you willing to spend and what countries do you want access to, and what is offered in terms of security are some of the more important ones.
If you want a cheap option then look no further than CactusVPN.
At Just 5 dollars a month (depending on the package you choose) you can gain access to either US, UK or several central European countries.
If you are looking at good speeds, you’ll want to choose the countries that are closest to you.
CactusVPN offer gigabit servers for all of their VPN locations and several protocols for use.
They also have their own Windows and Mac programs for use, if you aren’t confident you can set up the VPN connection manually. They also have iOS and Android apps that you can use if you are looking to use your phone to access Instagram.
If you are looking for a more comprehensive option, ExpressVPN is a good choice.
It costs $12.95 a month and they have servers in over 130 countries. They have the usual protocols (PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, OpenVPN) and very fast servers all over the globe.
ExpressVPN are a very reliable choice.
Step two – Setup and connect to your VPN server of choice
The way you connect to your VPN server is dependent on which protocol you use and if your VPN provider has a program available that you want to take advantage of.
If you want to use your VPN providers own program, then usually the setup process is very straightforward.
All you have to do is to install the program, login with your account credentials and choose the server and protocol you want to use. The process is the same with a mobile application.
If you want to set up your connection manually, you can do so natively in Windows if you want to use the PPTP, L2TP or SSTP protocols.
If you want to use OpenVPN you will have to download separate software.
Once you have setup your VPN connection, connect and we can move onto the next step.
Step three – Insta Time!
Once you have connected to your VPN you are good to go, simply access Instagram and start viewing and uploading as much as you like.
Smart DNS Method
Step one – Find a Smart DNS provider
There aren’t many Smart DNS providers out there that unblock Instagram, so it is important you find one that explicitly states that they unblock it.
DNS-Trick.com are one service that unblocks Instagram (and others such as Facebook and Twitter), it costs $3.99 a month to use their service and you get a two-week free trial to see if it works for you first before having to pay anything.
Step two – Setup Smart DNS
If your Smart DNS provider offers their own program feel free to use it but the process of setting up Smart DNS manually is rather simple.
All you have to do is the change your DNS values to the ones given to you by your Smart DNS provider and you are good to go!
Step three – Instagram unblocked
That is all there is to it, make your way to Instagram and enjoy all the cat pictures you can handle.
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