When a site is blocked
What you see when NTS blocks a site or app, why it happened, and how to ask for it to be allowed.
NTS blocks sites and apps by their name and never opens your traffic. Because of that, it can't show a "blocked" page inside an encrypted website. Instead your browser or app shows its own error.
What you see#
| You see | What happened |
|---|---|
| "This site can't be reached", "Server not found", "DNS_PROBE…" | The name lookup was blocked |
| "Connection reset", "ERR_CONNECTION_RESET", "The connection was interrupted" | The secure (HTTPS) connection was refused |
| An app says it can't connect, or keeps loading | The app, or its category, is blocked |
| Search results look "cleaner" than usual | Safe search is on — explicit results are hidden |
Why a site may be blocked#
- It is on a block list your policy uses (adult, gambling, drugs, scams, malware, piracy…).
- Its category is blocked — sometimes decided by the box's AI, which checks sites no list knows yet.
- Your policy allows approved sites only, and this site isn't on the approved list yet.
- An app rule blocks it (for example games during work hours).
- It is a known attack or malware address.
It's blocked by mistake#
Tell your provider (or the person who manages your SENTRA box):
- the site name exactly as you typed it (for example
www.example.com), - the time you tried,
- which device you used (the device's network address helps — your provider can find it).
They can test the name, see exactly which list or rule blocked it, and always allow it for you if it should open.
Note
A site blocked on purpose by your organisation's or family's policy stays blocked until the person responsible for the policy changes it.
Working around the filter#
Using a VPN app, a proxy or encrypted DNS to get around the filter is usually blocked too. Ask instead — it is faster.