Bypassing ISP Content-Based Filters Without HTTP Injectors

Many ISPs today offer content-based internet packages — cheap bundles that let you access apps like Facebook, YouTube, or Zoom without worrying about data overages. While attractive, these packages come with a catch: traffic outside the package is filtered, blocked, or charged separately.

Traditionally, some users have turned to HTTP Injector tools to bypass these restrictions. However, injectors bring significant downsides:

• Risk of malware from shady injector apps
• Dependence on free SSH accounts (often unstable, insecure, and short-lived)
• Limited connection speeds and reliability

My research explores an alternative approach: SSL/TLS tunneling. Instead of relying on risky injector tools, I tested using Stunnel, which creates secure tunnels to bypass ISP traffic filters.

Here’s the basic setup:

• Configure a Stunnel server on a VPS with a self-signed certificate (e.g., for cdn.zoom.us).
• Add the certificate as a trusted CA on the client device.
• Run Stunnel client locally to accept traffic (on a port like 8080) and re-route it securely through the tunnel.

The result? Traffic looks like normal SSL/TLS encrypted sessions, making it harder for ISPs to filter or block.

While this is just a proof of concept, it shows that tunneling techniques can offer safer and more stable alternatives to HTTP injectors when dealing with restrictive ISP filtering.