Schools and universities often block and restrict students’ access to certain websites and applications. In many cases, these kinds of restrictions are managed via the router. Anyone connected to that router, either by Wi-Fi or ethernet, will be blocked from accessing those websites.
Discord is one of the applications/websites that are commonly blocked in schools to prevent students from using them to talk, send files, etc.
Still, being unable to access Discord can be very frustrating, especially when you urgently need to access the platform.
To help you get Discord to work while on while on school Wi-Fi, here are a few ways you can bypass these types of restrictions.
Let’s get started!
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Method 1: Using A VPN
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You have probably already heard about VPNs, as they are advertised frequently across the internet.
VPNs or Virtual Private Networks create a tunnel to a virtual network that can be geographically located anywhere. Users can connect to this virtual network and send/receive information through the aforementioned tunnel, giving the impression that the user is located elsewhere.
The user’s IP address, actual location, personal information, and data will be completely hidden, while the receiver (the website) will see altered data. Using this method, it is possible to provide the router with a different IP address and location, allowing you to bypass any restrictions, including the block on Discord.
However, you will need to be wary, as some routers can be configured to completely block out VPN addresses, restricting access to the internet entirely.
Using a VPN service is very simple.
Get one of the well-known VPNs, like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, PIA, IP Vanish, or others, and get it ready. After it’s installed and you make an account, choose a place and activate the VPN.
After doing that, simply restart Discord and check whether you can connect to a server. You shouldn’t encounter any issues as long as your VPN is left enabled.
Note: VPNs are rarely free. Some brands may offer free trials or several hundred megabytes free every month, but that probably won’t be enough. You will need to pay for one of their subscription plans to utilize the service to its full extent.
Method 2: Using A Smart DNS
DNS is a domain naming system that helps internet users around the world surf the web much more intuitively. Every website has an IP address, which is a long combination of numbers (e.g., 192.100.0.1).
Memorizing hundreds of number combinations is unrealistic, which is why we have turned these IP addresses into words, i.e., domain names (Facebook, Discord, YouTube, etc.).
A DNS resolver, on the other hand, is a server that handles that translation from domain name to IP address.
Whenever you want to access Discord while on your school’s Wi-Fi, your computer sends the Discord domain name to a DNS resolver, which then gives you access to the website. However, once you go through the DNS resolver, the router blocks you from accessing the website.
A smart DNS will change your device’s DNS when trying to access certain websites. This may or may not work, depending on the type of restriction imposed by your school.
Method 3: Using A Proxy
A proxy or proxy server is probably the best way to bypass the type of restriction placed by schools.
A proxy is a gateway between the user and the website/internet. It acts as a middle-man. You send the proxy a request to visit Discord, and the proxy then sends and receives the required information to and from the website and relays it to you.
A proxy will typically make the browsing experience slower, but this is still preferable to being unable to access Discord at all.
What makes this solution better than the alternatives is the fact there are tons of free proxies out there. Some of these will limit how much you can browse, but this won’t matter if you only need a proxy for Discord.
Method 4: Access Discord With Its IP Address
Previously we discussed what domain names are and that all websites have an IP address. You can also use an IP address to access a site directly.
As most schools try to regulate websites by blocking their domain names, you can use this to your advantage and access Discord. To obtain Discord’s IP address, here’s what you need to do.
First, open CMD. To do that, right-click the Start Menu icon and select Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell. Or you can simply press the Windows button + R, type cmd, and hit enter. Once CMD is open, type tracert Discord.com.
The crimson arrows in the image above are pointed at Discord’s IP address which is 162.159.136.232.
You can now copy and insert this IP address into your browser and press enter. This should help you avoid the school’s limits on Discord.
We recommend using the CMD command to ensure that Discord’s IP address hasn’t changed. This might not always work as it could instead redirect you to a Cloudflare error page.
Final Words On Unblocking Discord
The skill and knowledge of your school’s “tech guy” usually determine how successful you will be with unblocking Discord on their Wi-Fi. If the restriction is properly applied, none of these solutions are likely to work.
If it is only a low-effort restriction, you could be lucky enough to find at least one method that works for you.
When nothing else works, we recommend connecting your computer to the internet using your phone’s mobile data, via either cable or Bluetooth, so you can access Discord that way.
