Unblock Facebook in China

Tunneling Through the Great Firewall

12VPN Review and Discount Code

September 3rd, 2011 Posted in 12VPN, Discounts, Reviews
Sep, 03 2011
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12vpn review12VPN is one of my all time favorite VPN services, and I still use it, even though I've tried over ten different VPN services over the years.  Below, I've written a bit about how VPNs work, and specifics about the 12VPN service.  If you want to skip to the good stuff and get the discount, here's the link for a 10% discount on all products.  It will take you right to the shopping cart.  That means if you want  to explore the site, you can go to http://12vpn.com to check things out, and then get the 10% DISCOUNT by clicking the discount link and going to the checkout area.

12vpn discount couponRemember that you must click the 10% DISCOUNT link to get credit from the discount code.

US Only VPN service $79 USD – 10% =

  • $71 USD / Year
  • SAVE $8 USD
  • $6 / month

World VPN service $119 USD – 10% =

  • $107 USD / Year
  • SAVE $12 USD
  • $ 9 / month

***The Windows, Mac and Linux packages all include support for iPhone, iPad, Android and Symbian.

bypass firewall with vpnVirtual Private Networks

VPNs do two things.  1. They hide your IP address and allow you to access websites with an IP address different from your own. 2. They protect this connection from outsiders.  When you surf the Internet, an IP address unique to your computer is attached to all your traffic.  This means that if they want to, any site you surf can see where you are in the world. Along with cookies and other data associated with your computer, they can learn a lot about what sites you surf, and how you spend your time on the Internet.  Some people consider this an invasion of privacy.  Changing your IP address can prevent this by making you anonymous on the Internet.

When you type a URL into your browser, your IP is making a request to visit their IP.  When firewalls get involved, a couple things can happen.  1. The best case scenario is that the request is accepted and you go to the website.  2. Your firewall doesn't allow you to surf the site. This may happen when you try to get on Facebook at work, or Youtube from your school computer.  It happens all the time  in China because of The Great Firewall. 3. The site you request blocks you because of your IP. Maybe you're coming from a region where a lot of spam originates. Or maybe you're trying to access Hulu / Netflix from outside The USA.  Either way, sites can block you based on your IP address.  Of course, changing your IP with a VPN can get around this.

12vpn secure browsingWhen you connect to a VPN, your data is first encrypted and tunneled to the VPN server.  The VPN server then acts as a middle man, erasing any traces of your IP address from the request, assigning you a new IP address (from the region of the VPN server), and then connecting you to the site.  It's like sending an anonymous package to someone.  Instead of your address on the box, its the address of the delivery company.  No one knows who you really are.  You are essentially "going around" the firewall.

vpn data encryptionSo what's encryption and tunneling?  Ok, I'll be the first to admit that details of just how my Internet traffic and IP address are "encrypted" and "tunneled" is a bit cryptic to me.  But someone once explained it to me like this, and I think it makes sense.

If you imagine the sending a package scenario for a moment.  Now lets say you're worried about who might see you sending this anonymous package.  Maybe they see you putting the package in your mailbox or the catch the delivery truck en route.  There's potential that they might see the original package, learn where you live, and be able to find you and steal your stuff.  So a VPN wraps the pack securely, and puts it is an armored car to make the delivery.  This way, if anyone does see the armored car, they can't get inside.  If the were some how able to see inside the car, they still wouldn't know what's in the package.

Cool right?

12vpn review12VPN Review

Like I said above, 12VPN is a pretty cool service. It's already very cheap, and with the discount, it's even cheaper. You simply can't find a quality VPN service for a better price out there. Remember that I've tried many over the years – I know what I'm talking about.  For SSL/OpenVPN needed in China, some companies are charging upwards of 10 USD a month  for limited server locations and bandwidth caps.  For PPTP or L2TP (if you're not in China, the price is pretty standard)

In a nutshell, these are the standard things that 12VPN has to offer

  • Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android Supported
  • Email Support Team
  • 7 day money back guarantee
  • PPTP, L2TP, SSL/OpenVPN protocols
  • Multiple Server Locations in The US and The UK, and around the world
  • Free Updates

More importantly through, these things make 12VPN BETTER

Cool stuff

  • Super easy installation (no previous experience needed)
  • Free Viscosity License for Mac and Windows users ($9 USD value)
  • Free Server Switching
  • Friendly Support Team
  • Unlimited Bandwidth
  • US Only Plan is only $6 / month (with discount)


***Stuff for the nerds

  • Allows P2P
  • Support for lesser known platforms including Symbian S60, DD-WRT, pfSense, Tomato and others
  • Military grade encryption (see site for details)
  • L2TP with IPSec, Cisco, IKEv2 VPN protocols available

excellent customer serviceEasy installation (under two minutes) and a friendly support team make 12VPN a great choice for newbies.  High-tech badass encryption and fast connection speeds make it suitable for an anonymous surfer on a mission.  It might not seem like much, but I think the thing that seals the deal for me with 12VPN is the attitude of the support team.  No matter what service you choose, you're likely to run into some sort of issue, and will need to contact the support team.  A friendly and "ready to help" attitude makes a world of difference when you're frustrated and ready to throw your computer out the window.  Everyone likes to write "quick and friendly support team" on their site, and hope people just believe it.  12VPN actually puts it into practice.

Here's the links for the 10% DISCOUNT again.  For details about pricing, scroll back to the top of the page.  If you're purchasing a VPN for something other than Mac, Linux, or Windows, choose any of the above and contact the support team with your details.  All of the above packages come with support for all available platforms.

Check out their site to for more details

12VPN official site http://12vpn.com

 

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Access Facebook in China on iPad

July 7th, 2011 Posted in Access Facebook, China, iPad, Reviews, Securitales, Web Based Service
Jul, 07 2011
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ipad in chinaI've got to write a follow up article on some of the recent posts I've been making, because I suddenly became aware a few days ago that it's still possible to access Facebook in China on iPad.  I know, I know, after all my posts talking about how L2TP and PPTP VPNs were blocked because of the stuff that was going on in Egypt, and after all the stuff I wrote about how mobile devices like iPad couldn't access blocked sites without jailbreaking the iPad and messing up your warranty, I've got to go back and change what I said.  It is completely possible to access Facebook in China on iPad – all you need is a web based service to help you bypass Internet censorship.

I got an email from a company called Securitales the other day.  I had seen their advertisements around, and to be honest, they never really caught my eye.  I didn't really know what they were, but I was happy with my VPN, so I didn't look into it so much.

However, when they contacted me about featuring them on the site, it came to my attention that their service was a bit different from other services I had tried.  They're a web based service.  This is now the second time I've used this term – and it's exactly what it sounds like.  It's called a web based service because their method of unblocking sites in China does not involve downloading or installing anything on your computer.  It is accessible through any device that can connect to the Internet because there are no changes made to the device that you're using. It's just like accessing a website, or using a special browser window.  This is why you can even access Facebook in China on iPad.

facebook in chinaUnlike PPTP and L2TP VPN protocols which are blocked and don't work in most of China, Securitales will send you a secure link to your inbox, which means you can access their secure browser anywhere, anytime, even if their site is blocked.  They've even got a FREE TRIAL, (if you click the link, the free trial option is right below the sign-up form) which is amazing these days – most VPNs don't even offer that.  Once you access the link, type in your username and password, and type the URL of the blocked site into the secure browser area.  You'll notice that it's using HTTPS, not HTTP.

I was pleasantly surprised at the speed of Securitales.  Like I said, I had seen their service advertised around before and didn't think much of it.  But don't let their lack of flash and strange name (sounds like the name of a Pixar/Disney movie doesn't it?) fool you.  They're pretty much on par with most VPN companies.

A disadvantage of using a web based service is that you've got to type the URL you want to visit into the designated area in order for the site to be unblocked. I'm still getting used to it and I frequently switch back to my normal browser only to be blocked from the site, and then I've got to go back and retype the URL. Not a big deal, but slightly inconvenient.  For users that want to access Facebook in China on iPad however, you haven't really got a choice, and something is better than nothing.  This is probably just one of those things that you get used to.

Securitales will also work on your iPhone and Android devices.  In a nutshell, for mobile users in China, its a very cool service to have.

 Securitales Website

Remember, they've got a FREE TRIAL

 

 

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SwitchVPN in China Review

June 23rd, 2011 Posted in Reviews, Vpn
Jun, 23 2011
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switchvpn in china

SwitchVPN in China

SwitchVPN is a lesser known VPN, but still worth checking out. I have not tried this VPN so cannot vouch for it's reliability or speed. But there are a few things I can see from checking out their site.

1. Not a lot of choice. +1 -1

This is good, and bad. For one, it makes things simple. Lots of sites like to have EVERYTHING available which is a lot to take in for new users. Considering users in China can't use PPTP or L2TP this makes things much easier. You can ignore pretty much all of their plans but the SSL plan which is 12 dollars a month.

2. Live Support +1

3. Unlimited Bandwidth +1

3. Downloading Torrents OK +1 (some sites don't allow this)

4. Windows/Mac/Linux +1

5. 48 hour Money Back Guarantee -1

There are plenty of services out there that offer 7 day money back guarantees.

6. Site Design +1

I used to Knock their site for bad design and presentation. They've recently improved it, and it looks much better – more like a service I can trust.

7. Price +0

Not the cheapest, Not the most expensive.

8. Not Affected by March 2011 VPN crisis in china +2

9. Still Not Blocked in China +2

10, Site connection speed +1

11. Servers in Multiple Locations +1 (US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Malaysia)

12. Free Server Switching +1

All in all, it looks like a decent VPN service.  One thing that really impresses me about SwitchVPN in China is that I've never had issues connecting to their site. Even some of my favorite VPN sites like StrongVPN and 12VPN have from time to time been inaccessible or a couple days. If you find that some of the links on my site get timed out, SwitchVPN is a cool service to check out.

SwitchVPN Official Site

 

 

Or check out my PureVPN in China Review

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PureVPN in China Review

June 23rd, 2011 Posted in Reviews, Techie Stuff, Vpn
Jun, 23 2011
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PureVPN in ChinaPureVPN in China

PureVPN – There's really no question about it – you don't need to get this VPN, especially if you're in China. There are a number of problems with PureVPN. I'll admit that I haven't tried it, but just from looking at their site, here are the problems I see.

Price. The cheapest plan is 10 dollars a month. For this *limited* plan, you are limited to 30 GB a month. This shouldn't be a problem for most users, but if you're doing some serious downloading – which a lot of people do with VPNs (I'm assuming to avoid authorities) – 30 GB of download per month should be plenty. Buy why limit yourself? There are services out there for the same price or cheaper that offer unlimited bandwidth.

Types of VPN. All VPN plans are limited to PPTP L2TP and SSTP.  For users in China, PPTP and L2TP are for the most part, out of the picture. SSTP is only for Windows 7 and Vista users. That means that Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Windows XP, and Android users are out of luck. Ok, if you're running Windows 7 or Vista, you've got another possible VPN services with PureVPN, but why use SSTP when you could just as easily get SSL/OpenVPN?  SSL/OpenVPN is compatible with Windows 7, and this is the most secure VPN protocol.

Positives of PureVPN

Live support
Unlimited Server Switching
Not Blocked in China
Servers in multiple countries including US and UK

Yearly Plans

$75 / $145 / $160

Official PureVPN Site

 

 

or check out our Hide My Ass in China post

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Hide My Ass in China

June 23rd, 2011 Posted in 12VPN, Astrill, Hide My Ass, iVPN, Reviews, Updates
Jun, 23 2011
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hide my ass in reviewHide My Ass in China

Hide my Ass is a really cool service. They're not expensive, and their VPN is very user friendly. They've got a clean design to their site which makes it easy to navigate. One thing I hate about VPN sites like Black Logic and Secure VPN is that it's hard to find out what's going on in there. How much is the VPN? Can I use it on my Mac? Is it compatible with Windows 7? Should I use PPTP or L2TP on my iPhone? There are so many questions for a new user, especially for someone who hasn't used a VPN before.

This is why Hide My Ass is cool. It's up there with my favorites (12vpn, Astrill, and iVPN) as far as user compatibility goes.

One big problem though – they're blocked.

Ok, not all the time, but a lot of the time. They've got the SSL/OpenVPN needed by users in China, but you can't get to it if the site is blocked.

What would I suggest?

I think Hide My Ass is a cool VPN service.  If you're planning on coming to China, get your VPN set up with them before you go. If you're hear and on the off-chance they're not blocked for a while, you can check them out. Hide My Ass won't do you wrong.

But if HMA continues to be blocked, there are lots of other services featured at the site that aren't blocked – Astrill, 12vpn, iVPN

 

Hide My Ass Official Site

 

 

or check out or VyprVPN Review

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iVPN review now available

April 27th, 2011 Posted in China, iVPN, Reviews, Vpn
Apr, 27 2011
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Hi, I just had a chance to review the IVPN service and have written a review now featured as a page on the site you can check it out here.


iVPN in China Review

 

Good stuff, not the best, but good

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