Why Doesn’t a 301 Redirect Work When a Domain Is Blocked?

April 11, 2025

Introduction #

In internet operations, domain blocking is a frequent and vexing issue, with numerous websites restricted due to policy or content violations. When a website or domain is blocked by government authorities for breaching regulations or policies, it often involves deeper technical and administrative layers. Network censorship measures go beyond simply preventing access to a specific IP address—they also encompass control over domain resolution and other tactics.

Website administrators often attempt to use a 301 redirect (permanent redirect) to reroute traffic to an unblocked new domain in hopes of restoring access. However, many find that even after setting up a 301 redirect, users still cannot access the site, and the new domain may quickly get blocked as well. Why does this happen? The primary reason is that a 301 redirect is essentially an HTTP response code sent by the web server to the browser, instructing it to visit a specified new URL. However, this does not alter the underlying network censorship measures that block the domain.

What is DNS Poisoning?

March 3, 2025

Preface #

In the modern internet ecosystem, the Domain Name System (DNS) is a critical infrastructure that connects users to websites, playing an indispensable role. Simply put, DNS acts like an address book on the internet, converting human-friendly domain names (such as www.example.com) into IP addresses that computers can understand (like 192.168.1.1). However, this seemingly basic function hides a severe security risk. In certain circumstances, DNS servers can be maliciously manipulated or tampered with, leading to interference in user query results—a phenomenon known as DNS poisoning.