Tech Tips: fed up with Google taking you where you don't want to go?

The problem is sometimes blamed on ISPs or even the browser manufacturer. Well, for once, it's not Microsoft's fault that you can't get the results you expect.

It's all due to Google which has decided that you want to know results from where you are as a default.

Bizarre that, given that Google is bent on global (except for China) dominance but takes active steps to wall its users within a specific country.

But there are two simple things you can do.

First, for Firefox users: copy the following and put it into your browser:https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/latest/51000/addon-51000-latest.xml?src=search

You will be offered the option to start using the plug in immediately. It's called "Always ".com" - Google in English.

It''s not entirely perfect but it's a huge improvement on the standard results.

The second, brutal, but universally working fix is to set your homepage or a bookmark to http://74.125.127.100/

In both cases you should stay on Google.Com (i.e. the daddy US site) even if you do another search.

But what if you want to get Google from your own country in your own (non-English) language?

It's simple enough, too. When you are at home, get the local Google address e.g. google.co.uk. Put that into your homepage or your bookmarks and add /ncr to the country specific address. And there it will be, in all its glory, for you wherever you are.

One qualification: none of these exclude sites in other languages if their page ranking justifies them appearing.